One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduināalone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.
Book III:
The death of Boromir…
Like so many before me, this was always heart breaking read and to watch for that matter. The way the book are split up the first chapter in The Two Towers is (Book III) The Departure of Boromir. At least with my copy of the book it is broken up into two parts: Book III & Book IV. The Book III part introduces the Riders of Rohan, Uruk-Hai, the great Treebread, The white Rider and the epic Battle of Helm’s Deep. Now keep in mind in the films they had added this chapter at the end of the movie. The whole visual of Boromir taking on all the orcs to protect the Hobbits, to only be pierced by many arrows and fall. While Boromir was still alive when Aragorn found him. The book states that there was at least 20+ Orcs lay slain around him and still holding on to his sword, even tho the blade was snapped into two, same thing with the Great Horn. Before Boromir died, he told Aragorn that Halflings were not dead. But the Orc had taken them.
“”Farewell , Aragorn! Go to Minas Tirith and save my people! I have failed.”
“No!” Said Aragorn, taking his hand and kissing his brow. “You have conquered. Few have gained such a victory. Be at peace! Minas Tirith shall not fall!”
Boromir smiled.”
Helm’s Deep..
Jumping ahead here a bit. The events that took place right before the Battle of Helm’s Deep are as follows:
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Eomir and the Riders of Rohan destroy the Uruk-Hai army and Merry and Pippin escape unnoticed.
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The Riders of Rohan inform Aragorn of the Uruk-Hais’ destruction.
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Merry and Pippin have been taken under the protection of Treebeard the Ent.
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At the last moment, Smeagol convinces Frodo to take a secret route into Mordor, as an alternative to the Black Gate.
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Gandalf meets Aragorn in the Fangorn Forest and finds out that Merry and Pippin are safe.
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With the help of Gandalf, Theoden banishes Wormtongue and is healed from sickness.
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Feramir captures Frodo while he is traveling to the Crossroads.
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Treebeard and the Ents lay seige on Isengard, destroying all exept the Orthanc.
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Frodo convinces Feramir to let him leave to go and destroy the ring.
On the second day of their journey to Isengard, a messenger who told them that Saruman had almost won met the group. Gandalf left them with the excuse of having an errand to run. When they reached Helm’s Deep, the battle was fierce and the Orcs seemed to be winning. Suddenly, ThĆ©oden and his men rode up from behind, trapping the Orcs. Gandalf appeared with a contingent of reinforcements, led by Erkenbrand. The Orcs fled into the nearby forest, but the Ents captured them and the battle was over as quickly as it had begun. Following after the the Battle of Heml’s Deep, Merry and Pippin rejoin Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli at Isengard. At which point Gandalf offers Saruman a chance to return to good, but Saruman declines and is stripped of his honor. Now in the film Saruman is killed and his staff is broken by Gandalf. He is pushed off the balcony by Grima and is impaled on one of his machines, a spiked wheel. In the novel Saruman dies after Wormtongue slashes his throat in the Shire at the end of the War of the Ring.
Book IV:
Frodo avoids being seen by the Nazgul at Minas Morgul, and begins to climb the staris of Cirith Ungol.
Sam and Frodo encounter Shelob the Great Spider and offspring of Ungoliant. Shelob would later attack the Hobbits after Gollum had lead them to a trap. Frodo was poisoned by her venom, Sam then attacked Shelob using Sting. After stabing Shelob in the eye, cutting a leg offĀ and stabbing her under belly. Shelob would runaway, mostly do to the fact that no one had ever wounded her that badly. Now after looking some information as to what might have happened to Shelob. No one really know… If she is alive or dead after the battle with Sam. The only other time we hear anything about Shelob is when Sam puts on the One Ring and it is said Sam heard her “bubbling in her misery”.
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“But still, she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dĆ»r; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadow; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness.“āThe Two Towers, “Shelob’s Lair”
Unlike in the books, Shelob makes her appearance in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, rather than The Two Towers, because if she had appeared in The Two Towers, there would be very little for Frodo and Sam to encounter in the final film. Also in Middle-earth: Shadow of War, she is visible in human form in the wraith-world. In the game, she has Celebrimbor’s ring for quite some time while giving Talion visions about the fate of Minas Ithil (Minas Morgul) and the Ringwraiths. It is also seen in the game that Shelob was working with Sauron during the period he was posing as Annatar, and was implied to be his lover before he betrayed her. The mobile version of Shadow of War classifies Shelob as a Maia, though J.R.R. Tolkien never specified her exact nature. (which I did not know about this. Thank you Tolkien Gateway.net)
Choices of Master Samwise…
Frodo is captured by orcs after being paralyzed by Shelob’s sting. Sam follows the guards who carry off the paralyzed Frodo. Upon hearing them mention that Shelob only devours living creatures, Sam is shocked to realize that his friend is alive. He chastises himself for taking the Ring for himself, unaware that he has actually saved the Ring and kept it from Sauron by taking it from Frodo. Sam realizes that Frodo is alive at the very moment when the guards enter Mordor, slamming the gates in Samās face. As The Two Towers ends, Sam is anguished by the thought that he and Frodo are separated.
Over all this is a great read and it makes you want to pick up the Return of the King right away to find out what happens next. Now the Book vs Film:
- Film Opens With Gandalf’s Battle with the Balrog
- Film: The film begins with a gorgeous panoramic view of the mountains, a voice is heard in the background yelling “The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the shadow! You cannot pass… ” Then the camera turns into the rocks nearby and smashes through them as Gandalf yells “Fly, you fools!” – we then see a repeat of the shot from Fellowship but instead of Gandalf falling away from the camera into the darkness, this time the camera races after him, following him down – and then we see a great battle between Gandalf and the Balrog.
- Book: Gandalf merely discusses his battle with the Balrog several chapters into the book.
- Treebeard Makes Short Work of Grishnakh
- Film: After meeting Merry and Pippin, Treebeard “makes short work of Grishnakh,” who has pursued them into Fangorn forest.
- Book: Grishnakh is killed by the Riders of Rohan, providing Merry and Pippin with an opportunity to escape into Fangorn, where they meet Treebeard.
- Gandalf’s Resurrection Shown on Screen
- Film: Gandalf is shown being resurrected as Gandalf the White while lying naked upon the snowy mountain-top after his battle with the Balrog.
- Book: Gandalf merely discusses this event when he meets up with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli.
- ThĆ©oden Gives Wormtongue The Bum’s Rush
- ThƩoden and Wormtongue go mano-a-manoFilm: After Gandalf heals ThƩoden and reveals Wormtongues treachery, ThƩoden tosses his old advisor down the stairs.
- Book: Grim ran down the stairs without “assistance.”
- Ćowyn Leads Rohan Refugees To Helm’s Deep
- Film: With Saruman’s forces destroying Rohan villages, Ćowyn leads Rohan civilians to the refuge at Helm’s Deep. Aragorn accompanies her.
- Book: Ćowyn lead the Rohan civilians to the refuge of Dunharrow. None of the story’s other main characters accompanied her.
- Boromir’s Death Discussed in Faramir’s Refuge
- Henneth AnnĆ»n: The Window on the WestFilm: After being led blindfolded to Henneth AnnĆ»n, Frodo discusses Boromir’s death with Faramir.
- Book: Frodo discusses Boromir’s death with Faramir before being taken to the refuge.
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