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Old 08-30-2008, 07:20 AM   #12
Nogrod
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lalwendė View Post
I want to explore why they somehow do not work as an enemy which is truly frightening.
I guess one reason for it is that the orcs in the end lack personality.

I mean, yes there are a few scenes like the one between Gorbag and Shagrat already quoted here where one gets to have a glance into their personalities but they are rare and few and there is no consistent personal character of whom we could read through the book, see him develop to some direction, to see how his dreams and fears play out with the general unfolding of the tale, how their relations to other known characters develop etc...

Also, almost all depicted orcs are not that good fighters or otherwise fearsome opponents as the main characters seem to be able to kill them by tens if not by hundreds. One gets afraid of them most when they threathen hobbits without a human, elf or dwarf to help them out as to hobbits they stand as real threats (but even here Tolkien gives the hobbits the strengtht and guts to beat them when it counts).
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