Fro Baggins: The Hero In Lord Of The Rings

A Mentor, Guide, and Advisor

In every myth, the hero is celebrated, but do they really deserve all the attention? Often times the most important characters are forgotten or pushed to the side, once the hero succeeds and rises to fame or power. Being one of these characters, the archetypal wise old man is one of the most influential and important characters in a myth; guiding, teaching, and encouraging the hero, so that they can defeat the villain, complete the trials and perform the journey. Often portrayed as a wise old man, he or she can take the form of a sage, wizard, god, or even goddess. The wise old man plays an important role to myths, as he empowers the hero to overcome his or her obstacles, and provides vital advice and knowledge

Possessing new wisdom or powers, the hero can then embark on his journey. Without the wise old man, the hero could never have survived the trials and ordeals. In Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf the Grey, an old and powerful wizard, plays the role of the wise old man as a teacher and role model for Frodo Baggins, the story’s hero. Throughout the myth, Gandalf aids Frodo and the Fellowship on their journey with his knowledge and magic. Unaccompanied by Gandalf, the group is ultimately doomed, and thus falls apart after his “death”. Gandalf makes Frodo and his group stronger and more knowledgeable with his presence, so that they can complete their quest, which would be nearly impossible without him. Similarly, in the myth of Prometheus, Athena, the Olympian goddess, raises Prometheus and “[teaches] Prometheus mathematics, navigation, astronomy, architecture, medicine, and many other arts” (Prometheus 1). Prometheus becomes extremely clever and intelligent, and he is able to create the human race with Athena’s help. Without her, he would never have become as smart and powerful as he needed to be in order to create humankind. While Athena is not an old man like the archetype is typically represented by, she demonstrates just as effectively that wise men and women play instrumental roles in myths by enabling their

Therefore, the wise old man is fundamental to the plot, as they compel the hero to conquer his or her obstacles. By passing on essential knowledge, the wise old man can train or directly help the hero, so that the hero can be aware of future events, while learning important life lessons. In the absence of the wise man’s aid, the hero would not be able to perform his or her quest, proving the importance of the wise old man. After all, the wise man is the hero’s role model, guide, teacher, and friend. Even today, everyone has his or her own hero’s journey, with unique villain, sidekick, and mentor figures. Without a mentor figure, no present day hero could ever accomplish what he or she does now. Ultimately, if questioning the importance of the wise old man, one could ask oneself: “Who would I be without my mentor, guide, and