Influences on this earlier work, and on the story of The Lord of the Rings, include philology, mythology and religion, as well as earlier fantasy works and Tolkien's experiences in World War I. Although a major work in itself, the story is merely the last movement of a larger mythological cycle, or legendarium, that Tolkien had worked on for many years since 1917. The main story is followed by six appendices that provide a wealth of historical and linguistic background material, as well as an index listing every character, place, song, and sword.Īlong with Tolkien's other writings, The Lord of the Rings has been subjected to extensive analysis of its literary themes and origins. Starting from quiet beginnings in the Shire, the story ranges across Middle-earth and follows the courses of the War of the Ring. The story concerns peoples such as hobbits, Elves, Men, Dwarves, Wizards, and Orcs (called goblins in The Hobbit), and centers on the Ring of Power made by the Dark Lord Sauron. 4.1 Good (excluding most minor characters).The event spurs Gandalf to ride with Pippin to Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, before war with Sauron begins. Later Pippin gives in to the temptation to look into the seeing stone and is confronted by Sauron himself.
After failing to convince Théoden to join him, the treacherous wizard is stabbed by Gríma Wormtongue and falls to his death, dropping a seeing stone - or "Palantír" - in the process. There, they reunite with Merry and Pippin, meet Treebeard, and confront Saruman in his tower. Not long afterward, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the Riders of Rohan arrive at Orthanc in search of Saruman. They tear up Saruman's entire operation, with the exception of his tower, Orthanc, which they're unable to destroy. In a fury, the old Ent calls aloud and charges at nearby Isengard with an army of angry Ents behind him. However, Pippin leads Treebeard to a part of Fangorn that has been deforested by Saruman. The Ents hold a council, called "Entmoot," and initially decide that they should stay out of the fighting. Eventually, the Elf Arwen arrives and helps them reach safety in Rivendell. He helps them through their remaining dangers, including a close shave when they're attacked - and Frodo is stabbed - by the Nazgûl on the hill of Weathertop. Once the quartet of Hobbits arrives in Bree, they meet Strider, a ranger that is none other than Aragorn, son of Arathorn, heir to the throne of Gondor.
In addition, Gandalf finds that the Dark Lord has corrupted Saruman, who imprisons the Grey Wizard in his tower of Orthanc. Gandalf goes to Saruman the White in search of help, only to learn that the black riders are the Nazgûl, nine of the most terrifying servants of Sauron. He sends his gardener, Samwise Gamgee, with him and the pair are joined by their friends Merry and Pippin as they escape eastward, pursued by mysterious riders dressed in black. He returns to Hobbiton and immediately tells Frodo to take the corrupted jewelry out of the Shire. In the meantime, Gandalf discovers that Frodo's ring is actually the One Ring that Sauron forged. We've tackled the problem of finally laying out the entire story (including the extended editions) in as orderly and digestible a manner as possible.
If you've watched Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and felt a bit confused by the time the credits started rolling, fear not. Even those who watch the films after having read the books aren't necessarily better off, as Jackson's version features a myriad of plot changes, character swaps, and scenes that don't take place in the book and vice versa. Once they part ways in the second and third acts, keeping a coherent timeline of events as you go along is much more difficult. Even in The Fellowship of the Ring, the story is complex, and that's with all of the protagonists generally sticking together. In fact, there's so much going on in The Lord of the Rings that it can be overwhelming trying to keep track of it all. Strange names of people and places pop up at every turn and confusing lines are spouted off in everything from Elvish to Dwarvish, Entish, Orcish, and so on. The story rises from humble beginnings in Hobbiton to epic events in Moria, Rohan, Gondor, Mordor, and other fantastic locations. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy is mind-boggling. The sheer scope of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R.