Adversity In Lord Of The Rings

In the Merriam-Webster dictionary, adversity is defined as “a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune”. Throughout the film, The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, director, Peter Jackson, displayed the effects of adversity on identity through his deuteragonist, Aragorn. Adversity shaped Aragorn’s identity in three instances, among others; when Gandalf died, when the Uruk-hai initiated an attack against the fellowship, and when Frodo and Sam departed in a different direction from Legolas, Gimli, and himself.

Upon defeating the Balrog, a vicious, fiery, dragon-like creature in the Mines of Moria, Gandalf the Grey was pulled off of the bridge of Khazad-dum, resulting in his death. Since Gandalf was the leader of the fellowship, his death had caused considerable adversity among the

This adversity forced aragorn to make the decision to either follow them to Mordor, or to save Meriadoc and Peregrin from the Uruk-hai. This challenge shaped his identity by forcing him to consider which alternative would result in a better outcome for the fellowship, therefore making him more knowledgeable of these kinds of conflicts, and giving him the ability to resolve them more adequately. Aragorn decided on the latter, thus proving that he could use leadership skills that he gained in the past to resolve the dilemma. Another way that this situation contributed to the changes in Aragorn’s identity was that it inclined Legolas and Gimli to perceive him as their commander. Since he was the one who ultimately decided on the direction to follow, the remaining two saw him as their leader. Jackson used this example in the film to show how Aragorn acquired, from his past adversities, skills that assisted him to make the correct decision and lead the group