Legolas' and Gimli's contest at Helm's Deep

[Galadel Vinorel]

My opinion of this scene was that Gimli and Legolas were actually trying to create a diversion to the horribleness of what was taking place. They were not, I believe, "killing for sport", yet they were rather trying to "make the best out of a bad situation" by creating a game of it. I think that Tolkien put this scene in at this specific time of the book to lessen the gravity and seriousness of what was occurring, so that the reader would not get overwhelmed. Shakespeare used this same tactic many times during his own plays, including: Julius Caesar.

Actually, I enjoyed this part of the book, for it showed the great friendship between the dwarf and elf. Well, this is my personal opinion, and other people probally have many others. Namarie.