Irony

[Nuranar]

I think I see what you mean, Willie. Yes, it's kind of a long shot, about the dagger. I was focusing on the dagger itself and its final end, not on the incidental circumstances. No, just off-hand you wouldn't expect a thousand-year-old dagger to suddenly appear and finish off a Ringwraith. But other than the circumstance of it being in the barrow, there's no overpowering reason to think that it can't. Also, Tolkien never writes of the dagger until it is brought out of the barrow. From then on it concerns us.

I apologize for any incoherency in this post; it's bedtime for me. Thank you for this discussion, though.

Diamond, very good instances! I knew I was missing something big. The one about the Witch-king and Éowyn is particularly good. He put his trust in the (prophecy? saying?) that no man could kill him, but therein was the catch that turned the whole thing back on him.

[ February 06, 2003: Message edited by: Nuranar ]