Return of the King

“The mightiest man may be slain by one arrow…and Boromir was pierced by many.”

Pippin tells Denethor about Boromir’s heroic death using an aphorism that draws attention to Boromir’s exemplary skill. By conveying the universally accepted principle that even a powerful man can be killed by a single arrow, Pippin then subverts Denethor’s expectations by saying that it took many arrows to kill Boromir, helping him to better praise the man who saved his life. Pippin’s solemn respect for Boromir’s sacrifice motivates him to pledge himself to Denethor, helping him to eventually repay Boromir by saving his younger brother Faramir.

“The Darkness has begun. There will be no dawn.”

Gandalf and Pippin observe the sky over Minas Tirith, evoking the symbolic connection between light and hope to suggest that Mordor’s coming invasion will be impossible to resist. Tolkien creates a mood of menace and dread by using short, simple sentences. While dawn is usually inevitable, claiming that there will be no dawn conveys how unnatural and powerful Sauron has become. Tolkien uses this moment to suggest the beginning of the end, as the story’s heroes will soon reach their destination and must fulfill their respective roles.

“He is not so mighty yet that he is above fear; nay, doubt ever gnaws him.”

Aragorn discusses his confrontation with Sauron, revealing that even the seemingly all-powerful enemy is still fearful, therefore providing some hope to his companions. Aragorn uses metaphorical language, describing doubt as gnawing on Sauron in the same way that a creature would chew and bite food. This metaphor underscores Sauron’s unexpected vulnerability and humanizes an antagonist who has otherwise appeared more like a force of nature.

“Whose shall the horn be? Who shall call them

From the grey twilight, the forgotten people?

The heir of him to whom the oath they swore.”

Aragorn recounts a prophecy spoken by Malbeth the Seer about the Paths of Dead which seems to indicate that the dead soldiers who betrayed Isildur will follow the commands of his direct descendant. This prophecy is written in alliterative verse, a style of poetry that uses words beginning with the same sound in every line rather than rhyme. Alliterative verse was common in the Old English medieval texts that Tolkien studied, and Tolkien uses it here to make the prophecy sound archaic and unlike normal speech.

“The way is shut…it was made by those who are Dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes. The way is shut.”

This cryptic message was heard by Baldor of Rohan and his father Brego, who encountered a strange old man at the entrance to the Paths of the Dead. The old man’s warning employs repetition to create a sense of urgency and menace. This language of the warning is intentionally ambiguous, referring to a time that will eventually come when the Paths of the Dead will no longer be shut, but giving no other clues. This creates a sense of dramatic irony, as the reader is already aware that Aragorn was able to pass through. However, the seemingly impossible likelihood of his passage is yet another example of how Good Prevails Over Evil in dire circumstances, even when it seems all is lost.

“Where will wants not, a way opens, so we say.”

Dernhelm, actually Éowyn in disguise, speaks using an aphorism, a short and universal phrase that conveys a common piece of wisdom. This aphorism employs alliteration, a poetic technique in which the same sound is repeated at the beginning of multiple words close together. The alliteration of the “W” sound in this statement makes it sound musical.

“Counsels may be found that are neither the webs of wizards nor the haste of fools. I have in this matter more lore and wisdom than you deem.”

Denethor dismisses Gandalf’s advice by suggesting that Gandalf is trying to manipulate him into giving up his throne to Aragorn. By calling Gandalf’s intervention a “web,” Denethor metaphorically compares him to a spider. Since a spider’s web is used to trap prey, Denethor suggests that Gandalf’s plans are meant to sabotage him rather than to help him.

“For yet another weapon, swifter than hunger, the Lord of the Dark Tower had: dread and despair.”

When describing the attack on Minas Tirith, Tolkien uses alliteration and metaphor to create an atmosphere of horror. The alliteration of “dread” and “despair” helps to connect the two concepts, suggesting that fear can lead a person to give up a fight. By referring to dread and despair as metaphorical weapons, Tolkien indicates that Sauron’s forces are intentionally trying to destroy morale by using dishonorable strategies, such as when they launch the heads of fallen soldiers over the walls as projectiles.

“Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!”

The Lord of the Nazgûl commands Gandalf to give in, signifying his power and his arrogance. The Nazgûl employs personification when he refers to himself as “Death,” aggrandizing his own role as a military commander. By commanding the ancient wizard Gandalf to die, the Nazgûl demonstrates total confidence in his power, foreshadowing his ironic demise later at the hands of a seemingly less powerful foe.

“Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!

Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, 

A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!”

Théoden inspires his troops with a speech before they charge into battle, using a style that mimics Old English alliterative verse poetry. The repetition of “F” in the first line and “S” and “Sh” in the second line creates a rhythm and sense of unity in each short phrase. By using a grand poetic form for Théoden’s battle speech, Tolkien suggests his greatness and larger-than-life significance in this moment.

“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman.”

Éowyn’s dramatic reveal of her identity to the leader of the Nazgûl exemplifies verbal irony. While the Nazgûl claimed that no man could kill him, he sets up the expectation that “man” refers to all human persons. However, Éowyn subverts that expectation, reinterpreting “man” as meaning only male people. This moment of irony subverts the reader’s expectations as well, again indicating that Good Prevails Over Evil against all odds.

“Death! Ride, ride to ruin and the world’s ending!”

Éomer takes command of the Riders of Rohan after finding the king dead and his own sister apparently mortally wounded. His new battle cry connects to the theme of The Need for Sacrifice, showing that Éomer no longer cares about preserving his own life, but also that he does not turn to inaction in the face of despair. By telling his soldiers to ride to ruin, he acknowledges that they are riding to be destroyed but turns this fact into an inspirational statement to cause Rohan to fight more bravely.

“His grief he will not forget; but it will not darken his heart, it will teach him wisdom.”

As Aragorn heals Merry at the Houses of Healing, he reassures the others that Merry will not be permanently wounded in the way that Frodo is later revealed to be. While Merry has come into close contact with a Nazgûl, Aragorn suggests that this will not emotionally destroy him, using the symbol of darkness to refer to despair and trauma. Instead, Aragorn shows how some forms of pain can be beneficial with proper healing, teaching Merry to be a wise and heroic leader for the Shire later.

“We must walk open-eyed into that trap, with courage, but small hope for ourselves.”

Gandalf explains his recommendation to the leaders of Gondor and Rohan, acknowledging that the gambit to destroy the Ring might result in their deaths. Using the metaphor of vision, Gandalf suggests that this plan will only be heroic if it is chosen freely and with full awareness of the likely outcome. His speech employs persuasive rhetoric, telling the other lords that they “must” do this because there is no other option that gives them a chance of success.

“Sauron had taken the proffered bait in jaws of steel.”

Tolkien uses a metaphor that compares Sauron’s ambush to a pair of jaws biting down onto Aragorn’s army. This metaphor portrays Sauron as predatory and bestial, affiliating the steel weapons of his soldiers with the teeth of a mouth. While Sauron taking the bait suggests that Gandalf’s plan has worked, Tolkien suggests this action has put the heroes into mortal peril.

“And then softly, to his own surprise, there at the vain end of his long journey and his grief, moved by what thought in his heart he could not tell, Sam began to sing.”

Tolkien builds suspense and tension using hypotaxis, a literary device where an author includes many subordinate clauses of unequal importance in a row. By including so many subordinate clauses separated by commas, Tolkien delays the arrival of the subversion at the end, creating a sense of relief and surprise when Sam finds himself singing in otherwise dire circumstances. This sentence exemplifies Tolkien’s overall message of miraculous success and finding hope even in hopeless situations.

“Where there’s a whip there’s a will, my slugs.”

An Orc driving Sauron’s army uses an alliterative aphorism for comedic effect, serving as a parodic version of “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” While the original aphorism suggests that anything is possible with effort and commitment, the Orcs instead claim that anything is possible when motivated by the threat of violence.

“I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well.”

Sam proclaims his commitment to helping Frodo to finish the quest. He repeats the verb “carry,” employing verbal irony to differentiate between him carrying the Ring and carrying Frodo who formally carries the Ring. Sam takes on a physically heavier burden by carrying Frodo, but Tolkien hints that Frodo’s psychological burden is greater because he is more influenced by the manipulation of the Ring.

“I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.”

Frodo’s final words to Sam before they are rescued convey his love even in a circumstance that appears to him to be fatal. While Frodo does not want Sam to die in the eruption of Mount Doom, he is happy to have a companion at the end of his life. Frodo uses solemn, simple sentences and fragments, creating a serious and dramatic tone.

“Those who have not swords can still die upon them.”

Éowyn’s words to Faramir at the Houses of Healing portray her philosophy that a peaceful existence cannot protect a person in a dangerous world. Éowyn uses a short and brutal statement to point out the irony of injustice in the world, indicating why she prefers to be a warrior. However, Éowyn eventually begins to see the value in Healing and Restoration after she falls in love with Faramir.

“For the world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air. I do not think we shall meet again.”

Treebeard’s words use an anaphora, a rhetorical device where the speaker repeats a word at the beginning of a series of phrases. This anaphora makes Treebeard’s prediction sound more grandiose, suggesting that all of nature is shifting in tandem with the political changes occurring in Middle-earth. While Treebeard’s words are sad, portending separation, this affiliation with natural cycles also indicates that change is necessary and normal for Healing and Restoration.

“If we all got angry together something might be done.”

Merry’s words portray the necessity of collaboration and solidarity to make revolutionary change. While the hobbits can see that most of their old friends and neighbors are angry at the changes Saruman has enacted in the Shire, that anger is useless until they come together. This statement parallels the larger concept of fellowship and alliances throughout the trilogy.

“It comes home to you, as they say; because it is home, and you remember it before it was all ruined.”

Sam repeats the word “home,” invoking the idiomatic expression “it comes home to you” to mean an event that affects someone deeply and personally. The repetition in this sentence emphasizes how people tend to care more about their homeland than anywhere else, suggesting that events at home have “come home” because he remembers the Shire before it was destroyed while he never saw Mordor as a fertile and healthy landscape.