LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 10 - The Black Gate Opens

[The Perky Ent]

This is one of my favorite chapters in the book. There are many emotions through each of the characters that catch my eye. A few months ago, I became very obsessed with those who would not fight

Originally Posted by The Black Gate Opens

So time and the hopeles journey wore away. Upon the fourth day from the Cross-roads and the sixth from Minas Tirith they came at last to the end of the living lands, and began to pass into the desolation that lay beofre the gates of the Pass of Cirith Gorgor; and they could descry the marshes and the desert that stretched north and west to the Emyn Muil. So desolate were those place and so deep the horror that lay on them that some of the host were unmanned, and they could neither walk nor ride further north.

Aragorn looked at them, and there was pity in his eyes rather than wrath; for these were young men from Rohan, from Westfold far away, or husbandmen from Lossarnach, and to them Mordor had been from childhood a name of evil, and yet unreal, a legend that had no part in their simple life; and now they walked like men in a hideous dream made true, and they understood not this war nor why fate should lead them to such a pass.

'Go!' said Aragorn. 'But keep what honour you may, an ddo not run! And there is a task which you may attempt and so be not wholly shamed. Take your way south-west till you come to Cair Andros, and if that is still ehld by enemies, as I think, then re-take it, if you can; and hold it to the last in defense of Gondor and Rohan.

Well that hurt my hands typing This passage that I have just quoted keeps on intriguing me with possibilities every time I read it. One of them being 'What if Aragorn was not full of pity for the men, but full of wrath. Would he, or could he, cast upon them a curse of the proportion used by Isildur to curse the men that woudn't come to his aid?'. Of course, this brings up many questions, as the famous curses in Tolkien Lore (Curse on the Children of Hurin, and the curse of Morgoth) seem to occur just by the Valar merely speaking them. But as I have said, this involves that which belongs on another thread. Mercy seems to be a key thing throughout the works of Tolkien, and I can only assume Aragorn's mercy was put to good use. Other questions about the matter arise, such as: If the orcs had emptied Cair Andros to fight in Minas Tirith, where would the men go, were they successful in reclaiming the fort (A thought I almost based an RPG off of), and who would have control of the island after the war (Gondor seems the obvious answer, but Aragorn includes Rohan in a manner that could be debated).

Just a quick scratch of the surface. I'll try and analize The mouth later


Edit:

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Essex, I think it's a matter of use of language - "I made sure you were dead" means "I was sure you were dead" - that's how we would say it today. We may often be mistaken even though we are sure of something.

I've learned the lesson of watching words every since I came across "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo, which of course means "Romeo, Romeo, why are you Romeo?" Quick lesson in English literature!


Edit 2: Oh, and I did think Pippin died the first time I read this. Not just because of his injuries, but because he had seemed to lose the will to live.