LotR -- Book 4 - Chapter 06 - The Forbidden Pool

[davem]

Just before we leave this chapter I wanted to make a few comments on the llast conversation between Frodo & Faramir. We see Gollum desperately trying to convince both Faramir (& Frodo) that the pass of Cirith Ungol is the only way into Mordor:

"It is called Cirith Ungol." Gollum hissed sharply and began muttering to himself. "Is not that its name?" said Faramir turning to him.
'No!" said Gollum, and then he squealed, as if something had stabbed him. 'Yes, yes, we heard the name once. But what does the name matter to us? Master says he must get in. So we must try some way. There is no other way to try, no."

And Faramir challenging his assertion:

'No other way?" said Faramir. "How do you know that? And who has explored all the confines of that dark realm?"

A little later Faramir will attempt to persuade Frodo to break troth with Gollum & Frodo will refuse. As he points out to Faramir it is wrong to ask this & Faramir will agree. Faramir seems torn between his desire to help Frodo & his own sense of right & wrong. In the little time he has known Frodo he seems to have developed a deep love & concern for him. What I find interesting here though is that Frodo seems wiser than Faramir - or at least more practical. Every argument the Faramir puts forward to persuade Frodo against the course of action he is set upon, Frodo counters:

"Frodo, I think you do very unwisely in this," said Faramir. "I do not think you should go with this creature. It is wicked."
'No, not altogether wicked," said Frodo.
'Not wholly, perhaps," said Faramir; 'but malice eats it like a canker, and the evil is growing. He will lead you to no good. If you will part with him, I will give him safe-conduct and guidance to any point on the borders of Gondor that he may name."
"He would not take it," said Frodo. "He would follow after me as he long has done. And I have promised many times to take him under my protection and to go where he led. You would not ask me to break faith with him?"

But I do not think you are holden to go to Cirith Ungol, of which he has told you less than he knows. That much I perceived clearly in his mind. Do not go to Cirith Ungol!"
"Where then shall I go?" said Frodo. "Back to the Black Gate and deliver myself up to the guard?

Then the Nine Riders issued forth from the gates of horror, and we could not withstand them. Do not approach their citadel. You will be espied. It is a place of sleepless malice, full of lidless eyes. Do not go that way!"
"But where else will you direct me?" said Frodo. 'You cannot yourself, you say, guide me to the mountains, nor over them. But over the mountains I am bound, by solemn undertaking to the Council, to find a way or perish in the seeking.

Would you have me come to Gondor with this Thing, the Thing that drove your brother mad with desire? What spell would it work in Minas Tirith? Shall there be two cities of Minas Morgul, grinning at each other across a dead land filled with rottenness?"
"I would not have it so," said Faramir.
"Then what would you have me do?"
"I know not. Only I would not have you go to death or to torment. And I do not think that Mithrandir would have chosen this way."
'Yet since he is gone, I must take such paths as I can find. And there is no time for long searching," said Frodo.

Its almost as if Faramir is the voice of Frodo’s own inner doubt made flesh before him. Frodo is in a way being tempted to give it all up, walk away & forget the Quest. We’ve seen something similar before, in Lothlorien, where he offered the Ring to Galadriel - another test in another (apparently) safe haven. One wonders if Galadriel’s testing of Frodo’s heart wasn’t quite similar to Faramir’s.

One final point on this ‘testing’ (I accept that this wasn’t Faramir’s intent, but I think that’s its effect on Frodo). There’s an old ballad, The False Knight on the Road, which seems to ‘echo’ this conversation between Frodo & Faramir:

http://sniff.numachi.com/~rickheit/d...tFALSKNGT.html

The False Knight issues a series of challenges to the ‘Wee Boy’, which the child counters, each time turning the False Knight’s curse aside. Perhaps another example of Tolkien taking an aspect of ancient tradition & using it in his stories.

Whether or not this ‘Magical Ballad’ played any part in this scene, we certainly see Frodo’s growth in both wisdom & in hopelessness - whether the two are natural bedfellows is another question. Frodo has come to the last point at which he can turn aside from his Quest, & he is confronted by a wise friend who seeks to convince him that that would be the best thing for him, even the only logical course of action. Frodo makes his decision, restates his vow to the Council, & commits himself to go on, without hope of success. Long ago, at that same council Gimli had said to Elrond that ‘sworn word may strengthen quaking heart’ & Elrond had responded ‘or break it.’ It seems that at this moment Frodo’s ‘sworn word’ is what gives him strength to overcome Faramir’s pleas, but it is also, in the end, what will break his heart....