What should I write about? (regarding Tolkien) - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Birdland · 04-10-2002, 09:47 PM

What about comparing Frodo's quest with some of the other great mythological quests? This is kind of off the top of my head, but it seems that most of the great Quests we learn about, like the search for the Grail or Jason and the argonauts and their search for the Golden Fleece, were done for personal gain or to gain some kind of spiritual or temporal power over others. (And frankly, to take something that doesn't belong to them.)

Frodo's quest in The LOTR is different in that you have a thing of great power, which no one wants to wield, but which must be destroyed. A kind of giving away, rather than taking.

I know this is kind of vague, and there may be contradictions to my theory that I'm not recalling at the moment, but it might be worth exploring.

04-10-2002, 09:47 PM	#6
Birdland Ghastly Neekerbreeker Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto Posts: 1,751	What about comparing Frodo's quest with some of the other great mythological quests? This is kind of off the top of my head, but it seems that most of the great Quests we learn about, like the search for the Grail or Jason and the argonauts and their search for the Golden Fleece, were done for personal gain or to gain some kind of spiritual or temporal power over others. (And frankly, to take something that doesn't belong to them.) Frodo's quest in The LOTR is different in that you have a thing of great power, which no one wants to wield, but which must be destroyed. A kind of giving away, rather than taking. I know this is kind of vague, and there may be contradictions to my theory that I'm not recalling at the moment, but it might be worth exploring.