[HCIsland]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Why was Arwen's life bound to the ring??!! I vexed everyone around me by bursting out laughing after that line! Just, why?! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Although I didn't laugh (or felt like it) this part was confusing to me as well, and seemingly unneccessary. I think having Arwen make her choice (Tolkien was always a little vague on how this process worked anyway) was fine as it locks her down to Middle Earth, but wouldn't that alone accomplish the motivations necessary for Elrond and Aragorn, as now her fate is the same as everyone else who cannot cross the sea?<P>I was wondering if somehow this plays into Aragorn looking into the palantir. I know this scene was cut, but I had read that Aragorn was to look into the palantir and see Arwen dieing (in fact I think the Aragorn's dream sequence was this material reshuffled). We know that it cannot show things that are not true, so perhaps the idea was Sauron would show Aragorn this unnerving image (and it would be, considering he thinks she is safely on her way by now) before Aragorn is able to master the seeing stone and challenge the Dark Lord.<P>I don't know.<P>Speaking of Arwen, did anyone else find the scene of her seeing her son incredible. When I first saw the group of elves in the forest I thought, "okay, here we get the lame reason why Arwen has to go back." Then wham, he hits us with that emotionally charged image. I thought it was brilliant.<P>H.C.