Eowyn vs. Aragorn

[Folwren]

Do you recall the scene in the Two Towers, wherein Eowyn pulls a sword from a chest and begins to swing it around? Aragorn walks up, as you'll recall, and as she turns about, swinging the sword, he catches it on his dagger blade.

"You have some skill with a blade," he says

In response, a sort of look ... annoyance or something passes over Eowyn's face. Then, suddenly, their arms sweep about and Aragorn is suddenly without defense and Eowyn's sword is at his throat. He is tense, and she is, too, but in a moment, he relaxes, and she turns away...

Tell me, in that sweep of the arms, did anyone get the impression that Eowyn made the move, put Aragorn off his guard, and then had her sword back to where she could kill him? Did you think, "Wow, Eowyn sure had him in a fix"? Or was it the opposite - Aragorn moved, freeing his dagger, and had the 'fight' under control?

A boy I know continues to argue with me (I wouldn't argue about it if he didn't keep bringing it up) that Eowyn had nothing to do with it and Aragorn had her whipped, wherein I believe, it really was meant to be the other way around. I told him, the impression the audience got was that Eowyn had him whipped, and he fired back with, "Can you ask them?" And I said that I would...and so I am, with you all.

What're your thoughts?

-- Folwren

[Oddwen]

Of course she had him beat. She's a woman, isn't she?


But yeah, I'm sure Philippa Boyens & all wanted to show that she didn't want to follow her men into battle just to watch.

[MatthewM]

I don't think Eowyn ever, ever had Aragorn. If you're talking in terms of love, especially. His wisdom surpassed and understood her almost child-like love for him, in my opinion. By the sword, I still don't think she would have Aragorn, although I love Eowyn, and she did kill the Witch-King, I must give the credit where it is due. But I still don't think she could have had Aragorn in any way, shape, or form. Sorry girls.

[Finduilas]

I think that the impression given in the movie was that Eowyn beat Aragorn. I think that Eowyn wouldn't have be able to for real, but I think that the movie makers wanted her to get Aragorn of guard. I watched that part last night, and it seems as if she puts his dagger out of the way, and then holds her sword to his throat.

For the record, I think that this was wrong for the movie makers to do, but will say, that other things that they did bothered me more.

[Kath]

I don't think she ever had him in the sense of having beaten him. I do think he was a little surprised. Probably figured she was just waving a sword around, had maybe had a little experience with it but nothing much, and was startled by the fact she really did know what to do with it. However, even with the position she had him in I think he would have regained the upper hand pretty fast if he had wanted to.

[Folwren]

I don't think that if it had been a serious encounter, Aragorn would have approached her in such a manner. Of course, in a real fight, he would win. But at that moment right then and there, did she not put him off his guard and have him in a rather tight place? (Anyway, didn't it appear so?)

I'm not asking you to think about it. I'm asking you, what was your impression, just watching it? Quit analizing it. What did you see?

I know I saw Eowyn put Aragorn off his guard and put him in a tight place that, had she continued the stroke, would have ended up with him killed. Yes, maybe Aragorn wasn't really fighting. Yes, maybe Eowyn did catch him by surprise. Yes, maybe Aragorn was just expecting her to back down and concede to his statement. It doesn't matter - Eowyn removed the dagger from between his body and her sword, and you can't deny it. If it was Aragorn's move, then he made an awful mistake.

-- Folwren

[Knight of Gondor]

Originally Posted by Kath

I don't think she ever had him in the sense of having beaten him. I do think he was a little surprised. Probably figured she was just waving a sword around, had maybe had a little experience with it but nothing much, and was startled by the fact she really did know what to do with it. However, even with the position she had him in I think he would have regained the upper hand pretty fast if he had wanted to.

I agree; I don't think Aragorn was playing with her. He was interrupting her testosterone kick by catching her blade with his. (And yes, blade on blade, very bad.) He wasn't playing, and he wasn't trying to start something. He was just stopping the (irresponsible?) swooshing around to say something. I don't believe he expected her to swing his dagger (it was only his dagger, after all!) out of the way.

I think Ataralasse's analysis may be right; she may have been trying to show that she's not just playing around with a sword, that she really can handle it. A lesser lesser person would concede her point. A lesser person would immediately go back on the defensive to prove a point of his own. But Aragorn, son of Arathorn, heir to the throne of Gondor, has no point to prove to the lady of Rohan, and neither concedes nor contests the point.

Do I think she caught him off guard, yes. Do I think that she could have won that battle, no. Aragorn knew there was no serious threat; she did not mean him harm, and could not have beaten him if she had.

[Beleg Cuthalion]

Originally Posted by Finduilas

For the record, I think that this was wrong for the movie makers to do, but will say, that other things that they did bothered me more.

Like the fact that he parried edge on edge in that scene? Very, very bad.

[Anguirel]

"What's this, a Ranger caught off his guard again? What do we pay you for?"

[Finduilas]

Originally Posted by Beleg Cuthalion

Like the fact that he parried edge on edge in that scene? Very, very bad.

Well, I will admit that I hadn't noticed that, at least I don't think I had noticed it, I might have. I was talking about... well, Foley probably wouldn't like me turning this into a thread of all the things I dislike

As to whether Eowyn had beaten Aragorn...I really doubt that a warrior with at least sixty years experience, arguably the finest swordsman of his time, could be bested by a twenty four year old girl. I think he was just playing with her.

Of course she couldn't, but he wasn't fighting. He was just playing with her, and therefore, when she twisted his blade out of the way, she surprised him, and since he wasn't fighting he let her win.

I just watched this the other night, she made the move, he had nothing to do with it. She decided she didn't want him blocking her sword so she dealt with it.