ipl-logo

Redemption In Beowulf

1867 Words8 Pages

The novel opens on Gandalf and Pippin’s journey to Minis Tirith, where they are to alert the Steward of Gondor of the impending dangers. Pippin pledges his service to Denethor, out of gratitude for his son’s sacrifice. Soon after they arrive, Gandalf begins to notice the dark cloud that he dubs the darkness, has descended over the city of Gondor. In Rohan, the rest of the fellowship rides for Dunharrow, yet Aragorn comes to the realization that the other Riders may not reach the city in time to defend it. He makes the decision to take the Paths of the Dead, with the hope that an old curse and his status as Isildur’s heir would bring them reinforcements. He is successful in calling the Army of the Dead to his aid, as their oath binds them to …show more content…

Throughout the novel, the importance of redemption and mercy is a recurring theme amongst the characters. Two of the biggest examples of this would be between Gandalf and Saruman, and Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. After the war has been won and everyone makes their way back home, Gandalf stumbles into Saruman, whom he had released from imprisonment out of pity. Even after all of his evil deeds and the intentions he still holds, Gandalf offers him mercy. Saruman is lost on his path, and Gandalf extends an offer to assist him. Saruman however, is not swayed and denies him through insults. Gandalf says to him, “Say rather that you are overtaken by good fortune; for now you have a last chance”, (961). Unfortunately, Saruman still does not accept. Frodo is also depicted as merciful, as he spares Gollum’s life every time a conflict occurs. In Return of the King, Sam is the one to spare the creature’s life. Gollum attacks the pair on their way up the mountain, and Sam challenges him, with the intentions of killing him. However, “deep in his heart there was something that restrained him”, and Sam is unable to take his life (Tolkien 923). It is fortunate he allowed Gollum to live, as it is a cruel twist of fate that he enables the destruction of the Ring. Tolkien emphasizes the continued mercy that is given to those who have done severe wrong, insinuating that the offered redemption …show more content…

The One Ring is full of corrupt power, and only the purest of heart could resist it’s temptations for even a short time. Frodo has wielded this ring for the majority of 6 months. While his predecessor, Bilbo, held on to the ring for years, he was never faced with the knowledge he would have to destroy it. Every step Frodo takes closer to Mt.Doom is a reminder that he will be the one to destroy the ring, and yet with every step he becomes more and more influenced by the ring’s power. As they near the mountain, the desire to wear the ring grows stronger. Frodo begs Sam “Hold my hand! I can’t stop it,” (Tolkien 921). The will of the ring is to dominate the minds of others, however it dominates the will of whoever possesses it. The lust for power that every being holds is magnified tenfold by the presence of the ring. From the beginning of the trilogy, Frodo becomes more and more dependant on the presence of the ring, and by the time he reaches the final leg of the journey, it is evident that giving it up will be extremely difficult. Frodo is faced with severe internal conflict as he struggles to withstand the power of the ring and continue his journey. As he nears his destination, his endurance fades. However, he is not alone in the battle between himself and the ring’s power. His faithful companion Sam has a heart that

Show More
Related
1166 Words | 5 Pages

For Sam there where many trials on his journey from giant spiders to nine giant like men who are willing to do anything to get a hold of the Ring. One of the most important and dangerous trials that Sam faced was the deception of Gollum. Gollum, also known as Sméagol, used to be a Hobbit and used to bear the Ring, but he lost it and he was doing whatever he could to get it back, it was his “precious birthday present.” In the end of the book he lead Sam and Frodo to Shelob’s Lair where he deceived them and led them into Shelob’s trap. Shelob is a giant spider like creature who is described as, “drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadow”

Read More
923 Words | 4 Pages

After Shelob catches Sam and Frodo, Gollum says to himself, “we’ve got him, yes, the nasty hobbit. We takes this one. She’ll get the other. O yes, Shelob will get him, not Sméagol,” (903). Gollum was willing to have his friend, Frodo, killed so he could get to the Ring, which kept tempting him.

Read More
1235 Words | 5 Pages

In the movie The Lord of The Rings The Two Towers, Frodo and Sam are following Gollum a lying crazy creature that is no longer human, to Mount Doom. Gollum is the only person that knows the way so they have to trust him. But on their way Frodo shares some bread with Gollum and it creates a friendship between the two. After that meal they seem to be closer. Frodo actually defends him from Sam at one point when Sam gets angry with Gollum.

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

; when Frodo makes a mistake Sam is there to fix it. Frodo blindly trusts Gollum and that leads Frodo close to death multiple times. Sam always tells him

Read More
1005 Words | 5 Pages

Bilbo is confronted by Gollum in the goblin caves. Bilbo wielded a dagger which he “thrusted [it] infront of him” (Tolkien 34). Gollum lacked weapons giving Bilbo the greater advantage but because Bilbo sympathized with Gollum, he decided to spare Gollum’s life and negotiating peace with the enemy rather than engaging in violence. Rather than killing Gollum, Bilbo embraces the irregular heroic quality of empathy. Bilbo develops a sense of affinity for the dwarves and their quest after seeing their “fierce and jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves'' (Tolkien 8), which drives his aspirations to aid them rather than seeking glory for himself.

Read More
542 Words | 3 Pages

This causes conflict for Bilbo because the ring is magical and typically helps the person who's wearing it and if it is taken from him he will no longer have that help. When Bilbo refuses to give Gollum the ring, Gollum threatens to kill Bilbo. Bilbo manages to escape Gollum thanks to his wit and riddles,but Gollum caused a bump in the road of

Read More
509 Words | 3 Pages

In J.R.R Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, many changes and transformations happen to the characters, good or bad. Many of these transformations revolve around and occur because of The Ring. It can bring out the best or worst in a person. For example, the wizard Saruman was once on the opposing side of The Ring and all the evil it brought, but it didn't take much for him to turn into the thing he once fought against. However, a character that I truly believe changed for the better is Frodo Baggins.

Read More
794 Words | 4 Pages

It’s too quiet.” yet he still follows. Bizarre and compelled loyalty of Gollum the ring-bearer, is aimed at Frodo but really is about the ring. Sam does not trust Gollum but Frodo tells Gollum “There’s no promise you can make that I can trust.”, Gollum replies with “We swears to serve the master of the precious. We will swear on the precious.”, what Gollum is really loyal to is the precious.

Read More
1900 Words | 8 Pages

Before putting Frodo on his back, Sam thinks “that he would have barely strength to lift his master alone, and beyond that he expected to share in the dreadful dragging weight of the accursed Ring. But it was not so,” (Tolkien 919). In this scene, Frodo can no longer move because of his weakened state to which a variety of factors contribute, but the ring’s heavy toll on him is the most damaging. Sam’s “absolute” commitment to Frodo drives him to do whatever is necessary to keep Frodo moving (Milne 120).

Read More
550 Words | 3 Pages

During the Journey through the Mines of Moria they were faced with many conflicts. When Aragorn and the others witnessed Gandalf fight the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dum, Gandalf ended up being pulled off the bridge by the Balrog 's whip. Following the death of Gandalf, Aragorn led the group to the other side of the Mines. As the group mourns the death of Gandalf, Aragorn becomes a leader when he tells the

Read More
1478 Words | 6 Pages

He knows that his great adventure has come to an end, even if that end is not the one that he had hoped for. The home that he had dreamt of returning to is no longer home, his quest is complete, all there is left for him to do is rest. It is due to this acceptance that his story doesn’t simply end: Tolkien is able to give him the gift of goodbye. Frodo’s melancholy farewell to his dearest friend, Sam Gamgee, is both stained with sadness and brimming with hope as he recognizes that while Sam still has “‘to be one and whole, for many

Read More
1767 Words | 8 Pages

The Lord of the Rings is a novel by J.R.R. Tolkien that tells the story of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who is tasked with destroying the One Ring, a powerful artifact created by the evil Sauron. The characters in The Lord of the Rings are also experiencing internal conflicts in various ways. Frodo, the main character, is struggling with the burden of carrying the ring and the responsibility of saving Middle Earth. He is torn between his desire to fulfill his mission and his fear of the dangers that lie ahead. The novel explores themes of power, corruption, and the nature of good and evil, as well as the importance of friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Read More
519 Words | 3 Pages

Frodo takes stock in this information because of his close bond with Bilbo, who is his cousin, and uses the information as an excuse to never leave the Shire. Despite this warning, however, Frodo “sometimes thought of going away, but I...as a kind of holiday, a series of adventures like Bilbo’s or better, ending in peace” (pg 69) illuminating the fact that Frodo's positive relationship with Bilbo as a role model he is able to find not only inspiration, but purpose from Bilbo's message. When confronted with the possibility that danger may befall

Read More
1161 Words | 5 Pages

Sam and Frodo end up stumbling upon four men who state they are people of Gondor while Sméagol is nowhere to be found. Faramir, the entitled Captain of Gondor and brother of deceased Boromir, questions why the two are in the land of Mordor. Eventually, the people of Gondor give the two aid. When Frodo and Sam were about to head out, Faramir spots the snooping Sméagol. He began to interrogate him as well until Frodo persuaded the captain that he was with them and meant no harm.

Read More
663 Words | 3 Pages

When Bilbo finds the ring it changes him forever, for he is able to do things he would have never done before or even dream of doing. When Bilbo faces tough situations the ring always gets him by, and after he has come out the victor, he feels accomplished and more confident of his skills. After going through this process countless times his skills in battle and intelligence increase, as well as his self esteem and respect. The ring in this specific book symbolizes change. Bilbo’s change from a hesitant, powerless hobbit to a confident human being capable of most anything.

Read More

More about Redemption In Beowulf

Related Topics

Open Document