Parallels between Gandalf and Glorfindel

[Istari]

Hey, what about Frodo and Faramir? Both have huge burdens to carry-Frodo carries the ring while Faramir carries Boromir's legacy. Frodo lies near to death at Shelob's lair and at Mt Doom and Faramir almosts dies from the poisoned arrow. Also, to point out that both have big expectatoins of them and they overcome the odds. I say that Tolkien likes to foil characters to each other.

[CSteefel]

Originally Posted by Istari

Hey, what about Frodo and Faramir? Both have huge burdens to carry-Frodo carries the ring while Faramir carries Boromir's legacy. Frodo lies near to death at Shelob's lair and at Mt Doom and Faramir almosts dies from the poisoned arrow. Also, to point out that both have big expectatoins of them and they overcome the odds. I say that Tolkien likes to foil characters to each other.

And then also to present the foil as a possibility that may or may not come true, e.g. Frodo and Gollum, Aragorn and Isildur (although this is downplayed in the book at least, where the comparison to Aragorn is more likely Elendil)...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I think now we left the original topic of Gandalf and Glorfindel for seeking more similarities between different characters, I'd like to mention this: of course there are parallels, and many are interesting, but I think we shouldn't get lost in it. You can make parallels of Gandalf the White and Saruman (as Gandalf himself mentions it, he's "a Saruman how he should be"), Sauron and Saruman, Galadriel and Saruman (! think about it. I'll leave it to yourselves ), Isildur and Galadriel (who takes the Ring and who rejects it?), Isildur and Boromir (!!! This just popped out in my head now - I think this one is VERY interesting), and then you can start with all these folks from the First Age, Fëanor and Celebrimbor (grandfather and grandson, both great Noldor smiths of course, both made something that bound the life of Middle-Earth for long time to come), Frodo and Beren (as mentioned by Elrond), Aragorn and Beren (the fate of one being united with elven maiden), Frodo and Maedhros (both have lost a part of their body - arms namely - to be saved from a burden, and both were saved by a friend, both were in the very heart of the enemy's land, then they both came to get their hands on the most valuable treasure in the world, in the end they couldn't resist to take it for themselves, and both were in pain when carrying it, and both ended with it near a pit of fire)... these are just few which came to my mind without more deeper thinking about it. I'm sure we could think of more, I think this might be for a very long time...

[Thinlómien]

Old threads for Legate and everyone else interested:
Parallels in LotR
Paired characters in LotR

Anyway, back to Gandalf and glorfindel. There are also other similarities. Didn't they both drive the Witch-King of Angmar away? (Glorfindel when Angmar attacks, Gandalf in Minas Tirith.) Don't they both have a steadfast, magnificient and fast, great steed? I never thought there was this much!

[CSteefel]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Old threads for Legate and everyone else interested:
Parallels in LotR
Paired characters in LotR

Anyway, back to Gandalf and glorfindel. There are also other similarities. Didn't they both drive the Witch-King of Angmar away? (Glorfindel when Angmar attacks, Gandalf in Minas Tirith.) Don't they both have a steadfast, magnificient and fast, great steed? I never thought there was this much!

Yes, I mentioned the Witch King above. This is a good argument for why the movie screwed up the final encounter between the Witch King and Gandalf. In fact, it seems the chief weapon of the Nazgul (along with the Witch King) is the fear of the dead. As Tolkien stated with respect to the Nazgul in The Fellowship of the Rings, the Nazgul hold less fear for the Elves because they live in both the living and undying worlds simultaneously. So the chief weapon of the Witch King holds little threat to somebody like Glorfindel, and by the same token, Gandalf...It is really only mortals who are going to be greatly affected by the Nazgul...