[Formendacil]

This is one of my favourite chapters- if only because it takes place in Minas Tirith and has a lot of memorably dramatic moments...

One thing that amuses me about the "Ernil i Pheriannath" or "Prince of the Halflings" is that Pippin is just that: he is the son and heir of the Thain of the Shire- it's crown prince, so to speak. This is a connection that really isn't made in the book until the "Scouring of the Shire", and in rereads it amused me to note that Pippin actually is the Halfling prince, even if no note is made of it, or no importance can be attached to it...

In this chapter, Denethor is often shown as heartless, and somewhat foolish to a reader who has known Gandalf for four books, in that he doesn't follow his advice, but he is shown, all the same as both sane and actively involved in the defence of his city. He may be a pessimist, but he hasn't stopped fighting.