Masaryk University Faculty of Arts

Department of English and American Studies

English Language and Literature

Bernadeta Obertová

The Importance of Female Characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis

Supervisor: Mgr. Mária Baranová 2018

I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography.

…………………………………………….. Author’s signature

Acknowledgement I would like to thank my supervisor Mgr. Mária Baranová for her patience, advice, support, and all the time she dedicated to my work

Table of Contents

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………….1

2. Beautiful Maidens of Middle-earth……………………………….…………………4

2.1. Éowyn………………………………………………………………………5

2.2. Arwen………………………………………………………………………8

2.3. Galadriel……………………………………………………………………12

3. Love and Relationships………………………………………………………...……15

3.1. Éowyn…………………………………………………………….………..16

3.2. Arwen………………………………………………………………………22

3.3. Galadriel……………………………………………………………………25

4. Power of the Female Characters ……………………………………………….……30

4.1. Éowyn……………………………….……………………………………..31

4.2. Arwen………………………………………………………………………34

4.3. Galadriel……………………………………………………………………37

5. Conclusion………………………………………...…………………………………42

6. Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………44

7. Summary (English)…………………………………………………………….…….49

8. Resumé (Czech)………………….…………………………………………….…….50

1. Introduction

In one of his letters, Tolkien reveals that once there was a time when he wanted to write an extensive legend for his country, England (Letters 168). Since then, he has created a magnificent fantasy legendarium in a made-up universe, and The Lord of the

Rings (LotR) trilogy is in the very centre of it. With his “arguably the greatest fantasy epic of all time” (Schumacher), he is considered to be the father of the modern fantasy.

His extensive and extraordinary work has inspired others to write and read fantasy novels.

Moreover, his works still have a major impact on authors of modern fantasy as well

(Schumacher). His most famous work, LotR, is an action-packed story where the forces of evil fight for a better future of Middle-earth. The elaborate trilogy features, among others, wizards, Elves, Hobbits, orcs, and other magnificent beings, who engage in one of the greatest wars and set out on incredible quests to destroy the source of all the evil in the land: The One Ring. While the male protagonists, often considered the heroes of the story, are adventurous and brave, the female characters are repeatedly being overlooked or dismissed for being too passive and two-dimensional.

However, it is the females that have a fundamental role in the trilogy. Most of the time they operate away from the battlefield itself, but their actions have consequences nevertheless. During the wartime, they are the ones that support the quest of the Fellowship and their allies in the War of the Ring. During times of peace, they are the healers, the peace-keepers and the bearers of new life. The aim of this thesis is to focus on the complexity of the three most prominent female characters: Galadriel the Elven Queen, Arwen the Half-elf, and Éowyn the human warrior. Although they differ in either race, kin they belong to, or the place where they live, they do share certain aspects of their characters in three aspects: beauty, love and friendly relations, and power. This

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thesis explores the ways through which they are presented in LotR by thoroughly examining the aspects in relation to their significance within the trilogy. It is because of them that the females are able to affect not only other characters and the course of the main quest of the Fellowship, but also the history of Middle-earth.

The chapter that follows explains the concept of beauty of each of the female characters. A superficial understanding of beauty may suggest that it is restricted to physical features of the females. The beauty of the three main female characters in LotR is more complex and unique at the same time. Although it is true that the women are described as beautiful and fair, their beauty extends far beyond their physical aspects.

It reflects their unique personalities through their personal lives, heritage, and the environment in which they appear as well. While encompassing their personality traits, wisdom, skills, and arts in which they excel, the females are portrayed as beautiful in the most unique ways.

The subsequent chapter focuses on the personal feelings of love and friendship of the female characters. The feelings of love are connected to either a romantic interest, family, race, or a ruler; nevertheless, all of them influence the events throughout the trilogy. Friendly relations that are considered in the chapter are made either before or during the War of the Ring and they are further maintained or improved after the War.

Through these relationships, graciousness and respect are conveyed. Ultimately, it is the female characters who become the main contributors to the reconstruction of Middle-earth. Whether it is the act of marriage, fertility, creation of new life, or peace-keeping, the female characters are able to change the land for the better by love and friendships.

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The final chapter analyses the power of the female characters and the ways in which it is displayed. In contrast to the physical strength displayed by the male characters in battles, the female characters possess a type of power that is rooted deep in their minds and will. The courage and bravery of the female characters is conveyed through the difficult choices they have to make; in order to save the ones they love and Middle-earth itself, they must renounce their own power. Although only Eowyn takes up arms, they all play their part in the final outcome of the War. Moreover, their courage and bravery are conveyed through difficult choice-making.

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2. Beautiful Maidens of Middle-earth

The beauty of females in Middle-earth is undoubtedly an important feature in the trilogy. It is more than a superficial and simple description of the women; quite the contrary; its deeper understanding gives the female characters an additional element of complexity. In many cases, sympathetic women are portrayed as beautiful and fair.

Only in rare cases are the female characters portrayed as somewhat ugly: Shelob the evil spider1, which appears in Two Towers (TT), is “horrible beyond the horror of an evil dream” (942). Although all of the three female characters discussed here are “uniformly queenly” (Ellwood 20), it is the beauty of the Elven maidens that is the supreme one.

This is a remark made by other characters in the trilogy: in Return of the King (RotK),

Arwen is described as “the fairest in this world” (1393) and Galadriel as “the greatest of

Elven women” (1421). However, all three of them are women of a high birth who represent their house or race in a charming and elegant matter. Still, they possess a type of beauty that is both physical, which is unique for each of them and reflects features that are significant for them, and that which is not restricted merely to their physical appearance.

1 Shelob is a gigantic spider and Sauron’s servant. She lives in the caves at the borders of Mordor (TT 946). 4

2.1 Éowyn

Although Éowyn appears for the first time in the second part of the trilogy, she is an important contributor to the story. Her beauty is an important part of her character and it is so powerful that she is promised as a prize to Gríma Wormtongue

(TT 679).2 Being young, tall, slim, and of a strangely white complexion, she is also known as “The White Lady of Rohan” (RotK 1264). Her blonde hair flatters her white skin, which makes her look “golden as the sun and white as snow” (RotK1279). She is also known to usually wear white gowns, which makes her pale-golden beauty become more prominent in the scenes where darkness, either literal or figurative, prevails. In one of the darkest scenes, Éowyn and Faramir contemplate the future of Middle-earth in Gondor, he sees her “clad all in white, and gleamed in the sun” (RotK 1259), though darkness dominates both the sky and their minds. These features are so typical for Éowyn that they are presented as the most prominent ones to those that see her for the first time.

When she first encounters Gandalf’s company, she is perceived as a young maiden with a “very nice … face, and long hair … like a river of gold. Slender and tall she was in her white robe girt with silver” (TT 679). These features have great impact on the perception of those that meet Éowyn, even on those that only briefly encounter her, like one of the wardens in Gondor says when he notices her: “tall she stood there, her eyes bring in her white face” (RotK 1256).

Considering the beauty of Éowyn, the main aspect of it is that Éowyn is often compared to a flower. It is through these similes that other characters perceive and comment on her. Librán-Moreno argues that “Éowyn’s state of mind is revealed through vegetal (white flower), seasonal (winter, spring) … imagery arranged in a closely

2 Gríma Wormtongue is Saruman’s spy in Rohan. In exchange for advising King Théoden erroneously, a plot thwarted by Gandalf and his company, he was promised Éowyn (TT 679). 5

interlinked thematic cluster … Éowyn is like a flower not only in her beauty and purity, but also in fragility and in transience” (“Greek and Latin Amatory Motifts” 75-76).

In the House of Healing, Aragorn is one of those that see the resemblance between Éowyn and a lily. He sees the distinction between the beauty of common women and the unique one of Éowyn’s; one which is more than her soft looks and tender touches: “when I first looked at her and perceived her unhappiness, it seemed to me that I saw a white flower standing straight and proud, shapely as a lily, and yet knew that it was hard, as if wrought by elf-wrights out of steel” (RotK 1134). He further adds: “[her face] was indeed white as a lily, cold as frost, and hard and grave as stone” (RotK 1135-1136). Later, Faramir is another man that sees the uniqueness of Éowyn’s beauty; he claims that she is more beautiful and fairer than any of the maidens or flowers he has ever seen (RotK 1258).

However, the key element of Éowyn’s exceptional beauty results from the environment that she represents. She was born a lady and spent her childhood first with her parents, then with her uncle Théoden3. There were only a few ladies in Rohan to act as a mother figure for Éowyn (RotK 1404). While she saw her male relatives wage wars and darkness descending on Rohan, she was duty-bound to remain pure and assist her uncle while “the shadow [fell] on the halls of Théoden”(RotK 1404).

Enright explains that Éowyn “has grown up feeling cramped and devalued” (104), which has boosted her graveness and solitude. Because there is an element of sadness and melancholy in Éowyn’s face and behaviour, she is often described in a way that is more likely to be used when describing an older man rather than a young, high-born lady:

“grave and thoughtful … strong she seemed and stern as steel” (TT 672). This unrest is easily observable in her unique beauty; it is spotted by Aragorn as well, who immediately

3 3 Théoden is the King of the Mark in Rohan, as well as Éowyn’s uncle. He adopted and raised Éowyn and her brother in Rohan after their parents died (RotK 1404).

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recognises Eowyn’s true aspect of beauty: “[he] thought her fair, fair and cold, like a morning of pale spring that is not yet come to womanhood” (TT 672). According to Librán-Moreno, Aragorn is not sure how to approach Éowyn; “she is beautiful and deserving, and yet hard and doomed, a bitter-sweet creature” (“Greek and Latin

Amatory Motifts” 78). Furthermore, Madill states that these kinds of juxtapositions make it obvious to see that Éowyn is struggling; on one hand, she is a sensitive female.

On the other hand, she expresses stoic, emotionless behavior of a male.

Éowyn’s beauty is present even when she disguises herself for a male warrior: it is transcended onto Dernhelm and the way he fights in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

She is described as “less in weight than any men, though lithe and well-knit in frame”

(RotK 1053). It indicates that, although Éowyn takes up arms and the name of Dernhelm, she is still a figure with a woman’s features, which makes her more agile. This gives the battle scene a certain femininity and gentleness, because Dernhelm/Éowyn is “slender but as a steel-blade, fair yet terrible” (RotK 1102). Moreover, it is a proof that Dernhelm really is Éowyn; a proof that she has not lost herself. Her exclamation “but no living man am I” (RotK 1101)4 is enforced by Éowyn taking off the helm from her head. Not only does she reveal her face, but her femininity also. She does so by revealing her signature feature: her golden hair, which is, as has already been mentioned, a contras to the darkness represented, in this case, by the Witch-king of Angmar (RotK 1101).

4 further discussed in Chapter 4: Power 7

2.2 Arwen

Arwen is the first major female characters that the readers encounter in the trilogy and it is from Frodo’s point of view that Tolkien presents her for the first time.

The etymology of her name is “Noble Maiden” (Hammond and Scull 205), which symbolises her position as a high-born member of an influential family in Middle-earth.

When Frodo sees her for the first time in Fellowship of the Ring (FotR), she sits by her father’s side in Rivendell: “her white arms and clear face [are] flawless and smooth, and the light of stars [is] in her bright eyes, grey as a cloudless night; yet queenly she

[looks]” (296).

When approaching the theme of beauty of Arwen, it is essential to include the beauty of Elves altogether. The Elves are considered the most beautiful beings in Middle-earth. Apart from the fact that the characters in the trilogy refer to the Elves as “the Fair Folk” (FotR 105), their beauty is often sung about in many songs and tales throughout the trilogy. In those, it is clearly stated that the Elves are the fairest; Tom

Bombadil5, for example, praises the beauty of his wife Goldberry, an Elven maiden through such a song: “O slender as a willow-wand! O clearer than clear water! / O reed by the living pool! Fair River daughter” (FotR 162). However, there is one particularly important tale about the daughter of an ancient King of Elves, Lúthien. She is described as “the fairest maiden that has ever been among all the children of this world … and in her face was a shining light” (FotR 252). This unfathomable kind of beauty has been inherited by one of her descendants who “resembles Lúthien closely in looks”

(Tolkien, Letters 197); daughter of Elrond, Arwen Evenstar. This is the reason why Arwen’s beauty is also referred to as if “the likeness of Lúthien had come on earth

5 Tom Bombadil is a character in FotR. He helps Hobbits during their journey from the Shire (source) 8

again” (FotR 296). In fact, she resembles Lúthien in such a degree that upon her first meeting with Aragorn in Rivendell, he mistakes her for the ancient beauty: “And behold! there Lúthien walked before his eyes in Rivendell, clad in a mantle of silver and blue, fair as the twilight in Elven-home, her dark hair strayed in a sudden wind, and her brows were bound with gems like stars” (RotK 1387). Her beauty is unique in its rarity and at the same time its significance for Middle-earth.6

Arwen’s beauty is, like Éowyn’s, closely related to her kin and the environment she lives in; at times she dwells with her father in Rivendell, and other times she visits her grandmother, Galadriel, in Lórien for a few hundred years (RotK 1387). Rivendell is a place of peace, which numerous members of the Fellowship long to visit (FotR 86), and a place of healing (FotR 286) as well. As is noted bellow, a significant part of Arwen’s beauty consists of the magnificience of the Elven arts; healing is an essential part of them.

Her link to Lórien is expressed through her resemblance to Galadriel. Although they may be similar in many ways and complement each other, there are certain differences between them as well: while Galadriel represents the Morning, Arwen represents the Evening (Măcineanu 73-74), hence her long dark hair, grey eyes and stars featuring her face. This image of her is reinforced towards the end of the third book, when Frodo sees her arriving to Minas Tirith: “he [sees] her come glimmering in the evening, with stars on her brow and a sweet fragrance about her ” (RotK 1274).

Her physical beauty consists mainly of her eternal youth; as a half-Elf, she is blessed with immortality and life-long beauty beyond measure; something any mortal woman never achieves. Her ageless physical beauty certainly captures not only other characters’, but also the readers’ attention. She is over 2,700 years old when she first

6 The many ways in which Arwen’s likeness to Lúthien is presented and significant for Middle-earth is further discussed in Chapters 3 and 4 9

encounters Aragorn in Rivendell, and yet she looks about the same age as Aragorn

(then at the age of twenty, RotK 1430). When she meets Gandalf’s company in Rivendell,

Frodo realises her immortality, noticing none of her hair has turned gray: “Young she was and yet not so. The braids of her dark hair were touched by no frost” (FotR 296).

Nonetheless, Arwen’s beauty does not dwell only in her physical features; Enright states that “[Arwen’s beauty] is not simply physical; her intellectual and spiritual essence is conveyed through it” (96). Aragorn observes this when meeting her for the first time:

“he saw the elven-light in her eyes and the wisdom of many days” (RotK 1388) and, to quote Frodo seeing Arwen for the first time one more time, “thought and knowledge [are] in [Arwen’s] glance, as of one who has known many things that the years bring” (FotR 296). By comparing Arwen to a person who has experienced a lot,

Frodo recognises that because of her immortality, Arwen is more experienced than he is, and her wisdom is far greater than his.

This kind of knowledge encompasses not only history or various experiences in life, but also the arts that Elves excel at: playing musical instruments, performing, dancing, singing, weaving, embroidering, or the most important of those, healing. Many of these are exhibited by Arwen throughout the trilogy, most notably the healing of the White Tree in Minas Tirith. Arwen supports its growth and bloom, in the form of singing the song of Valinor (RotK 1275). Another significant example of art being used as a sign of beauty is Arwen transcending her signature element of beauty, the stars, into her jewellery that she later gives to Frodo: “And she [takes] a white gem like a star that [lies] upon her breast hanging upon a silver chain” (RotK 1276). She is also the one who weaves the new standard of Gondor, using, again, stars and gems:

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a great standard broke … there flowered the White Tree … but Seven Stars were about it, and a high crown above it … And the stars flamed in the sunlight, for they were wrought by Arwen daughter of Elrond; and the crown was bright in the morning, for it was wrought of mithril and gold (RotK 1109).

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2.3 Galadriel

Regarding the beauty of Galadriel, it ought to be considered that she is an Elven maiden; thusly, she exhibits some of the elements of Arwen’s beauty, too. This includes the kind of beauty acquired through immortality, ancient wisdom, and the “Elven-skills”

(FotR 485) of dancing, singing, playing musical instruments, healing, or weaving. She is the one who weaves special cloaks for the members of the Fellowship (FotR 482) and gives them a swan-like ship for their journey, which is unimaginably astonishing to the male characters: “white breast beneath its curving neck … its beak … like burnished gold, and its eyes … like jet set in yellow stones; its huge white wings … half lifted”

(FotR 485). Additionally, her voice is “sad and sweet”, when she sings a farewell song to the members of the Fellowship while playing a harp on the bank of the river (FotR

485).

Though Galadriel is a unique immortal being, there are some similarities between the beauty of Galadriel and Éowyn that can be spotted; they are both symbolised by certain colours that represent the light in the world. While Éowyn is ascribed white and gold, Galadriel is ascribed silver and gold. Galadriel is usually “robed in all glimmering white, like clouds about the Moon; for she herself [seems] to shine with a soft light” (RotK 1346). These colours are present not only in Galadriel’s long golden hair: or on a sheath – a gift from Galadriel to Aragorn (FotR 488), but also in the white palfrey she rides, her glimmering white robes or her accessories: “Galadriel, tall and white; a circlet of golden flowers was in her hair” (FotR 485). In addition, the same colours reoccur on a ring called Nenya that the Lady of the Woods wears on her finger.

This ring of power gives her additional beauty beyond measure. Frodo sees the ring

“[glitter] like polished gold overlaid with silver light, and a white stone in it [twinkle] as if the Evenstar had come down to rest upon her [Galadriel’s] hand” (FotR 475).

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Another similarity is that Galadriel’s beauty is, just like Éowyn’s, directly connected to traits that are more typical for males; grave, cold, hard, and stoic: “the Lady was no less tall than the Lord; and they were grave and beautiful” (FotR 461).

This is what makes Galadriel appear distant. At first, she barely speaks and lets her husband talk to the members of the Fellowship instead. Neither later does she speak much:

“Tall and white and fair she walked beneath the trees. She spoke no word, but beckoned to them” (FotR 470). Though she might seem passive in the beginning, she serves a complementary function to her husband. Galadriel’s gentle and fair looks complement the same fair looks of Celeborn. Moreover, according to Cohen, the two colours mentioned above – silver and gold - are reflected in the colours of Galadriel’s hair – gold

– and the hair of her husband, Celeborn – silver (103). Even these attributes result in the complexity of Galadriel’s concept of beauty.

Out of the three females discussed here, Galadriel’s beauty is connected the most to the environment she represents; and this environment reflects her beauty completely.

Therefore, her beauty is not reduced to her physical features; it extends to the land she governs: the woods of Lothlórien. Special seeds of mallorn fruits have been inherited by Galadriel and now grow in Lóthlórien. They, too, reflect the two colours specific to Galadriel: “leaves of the mallorn trees might be golden but their bark is silver” (Ekman

69). The special kind of beauty lies within the absolute purity of the land; hence the frequently mentioned colour white. Legolas is the first one of the members of the Fellowship who informs the others about the remarkability of the “fairest of all the dwellings of [his] people” (FotR 425) and a little while later it is Frodo who gives a description of the almost-magical land:

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a sward of grass as green as Springtime in the Elder Days … the grass was

studded with small golden flowers shaped like stars. Among them, nodding

on slender stalks, were other flowers, white and palest green: they glimmered

as a mist amid the rich hue of grass. Over all the sky was blue, and the sun

of afternoon glowed upon the hill and cast long green shadows beneath

the trees… A light was upon it for which his language had no name … He saw

no colour but those he knew, gold and white and blue and green (FotR 456).

In fact, Galadriel’s beauty is so great and unique that the male characters in the trilogy seldom have the right words to speak about it. Although they are willing to fight for the beauty of the Lady of the Woods (RotK 1277), her beauty represents a paradox for them when they try to define it. Sam is, more than anybody else, captivated by Galadriel’s charm, which is often demonstrated by him blushing at her glances (FotR

465). However, even he regards the beauty difficult to define; in TT, it is him again, who provides a vivid description of Galadriel’s beauty:

Beautiful she is, sir! Lovely! Sometimes like a great tree in flower, sometimes

like a white daffadowndilly, small and slender like. Hard as di’monds, soft

as moonlight. Warm as sunlight, cold as frost in the star (889).

The greatest paradox of Galadriel’s beauty is shown through Frodo’s eyes. When he offers Galadriel the ring of power, Galadriel’s temptation causes her to embrace an almost demonic form, which is both astonishing and frightening at the same time: “she stood there before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful” (FotR 476).

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3. Love and Relationships

Like their beauty, love of the female characters is complex as well: it can be a romantic one, like the love story of Arwen and Aragorn, platonic one (Gimli’s affection for Galadriel), or familial one (Éowyn’s love for her uncle Théoden). Furthermore, it is the love of the females that “allows things to turn around … motivates faith to reach beyond the boundaries of the known, [rekindles] hope in the midst of the uncertain”

(Greenwood 171). It also makes it possible for the Middle-earth and its inhabitants to endure the difficult times during the War of the Ring. Furthermore, it is the females, their generosity and fertility, that carry the legacy of closeness and friendly relations between families, kins, and races long after the War of the Ring. The ways in which the females contribute to the rebuild of Middle-earth are discussed below as well.

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3.1 Éowyn

Firstly, it is essential to examine Éowyn’s love for the kingdom of Rohan and what it represents: her family. The bond she shares with her uncle Théoden is the strongest and the tightest in the family, since he has raised her like his own child

(RotK 1404); even in his last words before death he refers to her as “dearer than daughter”

(RotK 1103). Since she lost both her mother and father at a very young age, she has been raised along with her brother Éomer in Edoras, the capital city of Rohan by their only living close relative: Théoden (RotK 1404). Though it may seem in the beginning that

Éowyn is but a cup-bearer and the King’s aide: “The king now rose, and at once Éowyn came forward bearing wine … she then proffered it to the guests” (TT 682), she is in fact valued and respected by him so highly that he has her sit at the table with other lords while they discuss battle strategies in a set-up camp (RotK 1042). This is quite an unusual honour for a woman during the War of the Ring: as Pippin observes in Gondor, all the women have been sent away from their partners and do not engage in the talks of battle in any way (RotK 1007). Similarly, Théoden abandons Éowyn in the camp before he leaves with his army. However, it is shown in their farewell that it is painful to leave her: “He had said farewell to Éowyn above in the Hold, and the memory was grievous”

(RotK 1050). Théoden’s love for Éowyn is also shown in his last words said to Merry before death: “And I would send word to Éowyn. She, she would not have me leave her, and now I shall not see her again” (RotK 1103). This marks Éowyn’s importance in the life of the King.

Similarly, Éomer, Éowyn’s brother, feels close to her. Just like King Théoden,

Éomer too not only loves, but also respects Éowyn greatly. As an older brother, he feels responsible for the protection of his little sister; he has watched her grow up and take care of their uncle when he was spellbound by Gríma (RotK 1134). He is also the one who

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recognises Gríma’s evil plans on marrying Éowyn (TT 679). In addition, he confronts

Aragorn about the unreciprocated romantic feelings for Éowyn (RotK 1134).

His admiration towards Éowyn is represented most distinctly when he sees her unconscious at the Pellenor Fields and assumes she has died: “[he] stood a moment as a man who is pierced in the midst of a cry by an arrow through the heart” (RotK 1104).

Moreover, Éomer feels proud of his sister’s courage and ensures that if his sister were to die, she should be worthy of “lying beside the king, and in no less honour” (RotK 1128).

Their closeness continues after the War of the Ring as well; Éomer, now Éowyn’s only living relative and the new King of the Mark, gives a toast at the wedding of his sister and Faramir (RotK 1280). The occasion is special because Éomer gives his blessing to the couple both from the bride’s side of the family and from the King of the Mark himself.

In a like manner, Éowyn admires and cherishes her family dearly. Because of her stoic nature, she seldom speaks of it; instead, it is her actions through which she expresses her feelings. As commented above, King Théoden is the only father figure Éowyn has growing up. As a gesture of gratitude, but mostly love and respect, she takes care of him while Gríma fills his head with unwise council. As is further explained in Chapter 4,

Éowyn’s actions are done mostly out of love for her family and her people. She decides to fight, even though she is constantly reminded she is not permitted to join other male warriors (RotK 1026). Additionally, she is ready to fight for Théoden’s dignity and a respectful death after he is slain in the Battle of the Pellenor Fields (RotK 1101).

In order to protect the ones closest to her, Éowyn becomes a woman of courage and action.

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Nevertheless, Éowyn does experience a romantic type of love, too. The strongest affection she feels is towards Aragorn; Tolkien calls this “first love” of Éowyn’s for Aragorn a “mistaken” one (Tolkien, Letters 178). She falls in love with him as soon as she sees him in the hall of the King in Edoras: “And she now was suddenly aware of him: tall heir of kings, wise with many winters, greycloaked, hiding a power that yet she felt” (TT 672). What Éowyn finds so interesting about Aragorn is that he is an outsider and a wanderer; he comes from a far-away land. He is older than her, and wiser, too. In his Letters, Tolkien notes that the term “old” in this case means “ not only a physical quality: when not accompanied by any physical decay age can be alarming or awe-inspiring” (344). Éowyn knows there are other men who are great warriors, with a renown of their own, “but on Aragorn most of all her eyes rested”

(RotK 1024).

What she projects on him is a means of escape from her “cage” (RotK 1027), which is a form of her personal prison that constraints her8 . While Aragorn is betrothed to Arwen, he, too, recognises that he is the embodiment of the freedom Éowyn longs for: “but in me she loves only a shadow and a thought: a hope of glory and great deeds, and lands far from the fields of Rohan” (RotK 1135). This does not necessarily mean that

Aragorn finds Éowyn unattractive; on the contrary, he “thought her fair” (TT 672).

In addition, he cares about her deeply; he is the one who heals Éowyn’s body from the “Nazgul sickness” and ensures that the nurses in the House of Healing would not let her leave the bed for over a week (RotK 1139). Yet, the love Éowyn feels for Aragorn is “a part of her that still needs to be healed after the battle is over”

(Enright 105).

8 The theme of Éowyn’s “cage” is explained more thoroughly in Chapter 4 18

Although Éowyn’s feelings for Aragorn may not change, Tolkien notes that “it is possible to love more than one person…at the same time, but in a different mode and intensity” (Letters 344). Éowyn experiences a type of love that is far more complex and unique than what she feels for Aragorn. While being kept in the House of Healing, she meets Faramir, who is there to have both his mind and soul healed as well. The process through which their love blooms mirrors the process of healing they experience in Minas

Tirith. Although they fall in love rather quickly, in a matter of about more than a week, they find a life-long partner in each other. Tolkien comments on this in his Letters:

“feelings and decisions ripen very quickly in periods of great stress, and especially under the expectation of imminent death” (344).

When Faramir sees Éowyn for the first time, he pities her: “her loveliness amid grief would pierce his heart” (RotK 1257) and “his heart was filled with pity”

(RotK 1258). Faramir believes that sharing a near-death experience might connect them; rather, it is the healing that connects them instead. During their daily walks, Faramir tries to search for his own healing through Éowyn; while she claims she does not need any healing herself, she also warns Faramir not to look for his own in her: “Shadow lies on me still. Look not to me for healing!” (RotK 1258). Faramir’s perception of Éowyn changes over the course of a few days; what first was pity changes into love. By this time, he already values and appreciates Éowyn’s unique beauty so much that he has his late mother’s gown brought to her that fits perfectly her “beauty and sadness” (RotK 1260).

The healing of Faramir ends with the moment he kisses Éowyn’s brow and declares his love for her: “all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny … in this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure” (RotK 1261).

Éowyn’s final healing comes when Faramir admits that he at first did pity her; but now

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his perception has changed, and he loves her unconditionally. Thusly, Faramir’s honest declaration of love is the tool that heals Éowyn’s heart and mind (RotK 1264).

The future of friendly relations between the kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor is ensured by their marriage, which joins the two families of Edoras and Minas Tirith; “Thus

… is the friendship of the Mark and of Gondor bound with a new bond” (RotK 1280).

Moreover, Éowyn lives in a close proximity to Aragorn and Arwen, and her child with

Faramir, Elboron, succeeds Faramir as the Steward of Gondor. This enables Elboron to oversee the lands alongside King Aragorn and Queen Arwen. His son, Barahir, is possibly the author of “The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen” (FotR 19), which encompasses the love between Aragorn and Arwen from its beginning to its end. Thusly, the closeness of the two families is maintained.

Another instance of future friendly relations that Éowyn secures is her friendship with Merry. At first, Merry is, like Éowyn, an outcast in the way that neither of them is allowed to go to the battle since they are not ordinary male warriors; to them, Merry would be only a burden since he is too short to ride on horses (RotK 1049). Éowyn, disguised as Dernhelm9, is the only warrior that grabs Merry on her horse and rides with him to the battlefield when no one else does (RotK 1052). Merry remains loyal to Éowyn after she is struck by the Witch-king of Angmar10 and fights by her side, although he knew it was a hopeless act of heroism. Still, he is impressed by Éowyn’s courage to engage in the battle despite the comments of Aragorn or Théoden that her place is among other women who do not fight. In addition, Éowyn stands alone against one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth. This is why he believes that “[Éowyn]

9 Éowyn, who is not permitted to join the ranks of Rohan in the War of the Ring, defies the orders by disguising herself as a male warrior with a fictional name “Dernhelm” (RotK 1052). 10 The Witch-king of Angmar, also known as the Lord of the Nazgûl, is a servant of Sauron, the main antagonist of the trilogy. An ancient prohecy says that “no man” can kill the Witch-king of Angmar (RotK 1405). Merry as a Hobbit does not qualify as a “man”, but merely a “Halfling” (RotK ??) 20

should not die alone, unaided” (RotK 1101). Éowyn maintains the friendly relationship with Merry long after the War of the Ring (FotR 20); he is present at the announcement of the betrothment of Éowyn and Faramir. In return, he is given a gift important to

Éowyn’s family:

an ancient horn, small but cunningly wrought all of fair silver with a baldric

of green; and wrights had engraven upon it swift horsemen riding in a line that

wound about it from the tip to the mouth; and there were set runes of great

virtue (RotK 1280).

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3.2 Arwen

Tolkien expresses that the most complex and fruitful romantic relationship in Middle-earth, “the highest love-story” (Letters 178) is the one of Arwen and Aragorn.

Although “The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen” is written about only in the Appendices, it

“does not subordinate its importance” (Workman 87). It represents an essential part of Arwen’s past as a daughter of Elrond and her future as the Queen of Gondor. In his

Letters, Tolkien explains that the tale is “the most important of the Appendices; it is pan of the essential story, and is only placed so, because it could not be worked into the main narrative without destroying its culture: which is planned to be ‘hobbit-centric’” (255).

By doing so, Tolkien is still able to provide the readers with the important story of an encounter that eventually affects not only the two lovers involved, but the Middle-earth itself as well.

The story is an elaborate one; as already mentioned in the Chapter 3, Aragorn meets Arwen for the first time in Rivendell and mistakes her for the ancient beauty

Lúthien: “he saw a maiden walking on a greensward among the white stems of the birches, and he halted amazed, thinking that he had strayed into a dream”

(RotK 1387). Ever since that day, he has been in love with her (RotK 1388). A few dozen years later, Aragorn meets Arwen for the second time in the woods of Lúthien where she visits her grandmother:

“on the evening of Midsummer Aragorn … and Arwen … went to the fair hill …

and they walked unshod on the undying grass with elanor and niphredil about

their feet … and they plighted their troth and were glad” (RotK 1391).

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On Midsummer’s day 39 years later, after the War of the Ring, they get married in Minas Tirith (RotK 1392). This is the “third marriage between Elves and men”

(Greenwood 187), and the one Tolkien calls a “high-marriage” (Letters 177). Their union is unique both in its rarity and the time at which it happens: it serves also as a celebration of victory after the War of the Ring. It represents the link between two families as well as two races at the same time. This is the marriage that will “restore the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor and reunite the separate lines of Elros and Elrond” (Dawson 180).

It also symbolises the upcoming end of the Third Age of Middle-earth and its inevitable rebirth: “’At last I understand why we have waited! This is the ending’” (RotK 1274).

However, her role in the story is greater than becoming Aragorn’s wife; the actions she takes, along with every appearance she makes throughout the trilogy, are steps towards a brighter future of the realm. Additionally, she becomes an important figure in Middle- earth, too. Her legacy is similar to Éowyn’s: Arwen gives birth to a son as well: Eldarion, who becomes the heir of the kingdom of Men (RotK 1394).

Despite the strong feelings Arwen has towards Aragorn, the relationship of the two lovers is troublesome. Although she loves Aragorn dearly, every step she takes towards Aragorn results in taking one step farther from her family; her father, Elrond, in particular. He knows about Aragorn’s feelings towards her daughter, but claims that

Aragorn “shall neither have wife, nor bind any woman … in troth” (RotK 1388) until he proves to be worthy. This creates the motif of star-crossed lovers that are forbidden to marry each other; Arwen is “too far above” Aragorn (RotK 1389). Although Aragorn talks gravely about Rivendell: “There my heart is; but it is not my fate to sit in peace, even in the fair house of Elrond” (FotR 264), Arwen motivates and inspires Aragorn throughout the trilogy; she weaves him a banner in which his claim on the throne of Gondor is portrayed. Arwen faces the choice of Lúthien: she can either sail West

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with the rest of her kin or remain in Middle-earth and marry Aragorn; her choice to remain in the realm and marry her betrothed shapes the future of Middle-earth.11

As a Queen of Gondor, Arwen becomes a link between more than Elves and Men; it is the Hobbits as well. It is maintained through Sam’s daughter, Elanor “the Fair”, who becomes one of the Queen’s maidens (RotK 1367). Because of her wisdom, she is also able to discuss with Frodo the hardships of both physical and mental wounds long after the ring is destroyed. As an Elf with a great wisdom, she is “the first to observe the signs” of his troubles and gives him “her jewel of comfort” (Tolkien, Letters 347). This jewel, by which she attempts to sooth Frodo’s pain, is highly valued by Frodo and he grips it tightly whenever he feels the excruciating pain (RotK 1340). Furthermore, her greatest act of friendship is a proposal for Frodo; Arwen graciously offers her own place at the last of the boats that sail to a land where only immortals may go. She also reminds

Frodo not to forget about her and Aragorn, who have succeeded in creating a brighter future for Middle-earth:

If your hurts grieve you still and the memory of your burden is heavy, then you

may pass into the West, until all your wounds and weariness are healed.

But wear [the jewel] in the memory of Elfstone and Evenstar with whom your

life has been woven (RotK 1276).

11 “the choice of Lúthien” and its implications are examined further in Chapter 4: Power 24

3.3 Galadriel

Firstly, it shall be noted that, unlike in the case of Arwen and Éowyn, Galadriel does not explicitly experience the romantic type of love. Along with her husband,

Celeborn, she dwells in Lórien. The love for her husband, however, is only secondary.

Galadriel does not speak of her personal feelings towards him in any way. At first it seems that she is submissive to Celeborn because she does not greet or talk to the guest, but as is mentioned later in this chapter, her generosity and kindness are fully present when she gives gifts to the members of the Fellowship. Celeborn is, rather, complementary to both her beauty and her wisdom. They reign and sit on the thrones

“side by side” (FotR 461) and act as two equals who respect each other, rather than two passionate lovers.

Although it is not clear whether Galadriel feels romantic love, it is certain that she is a key figure for the course of relations between Elves and Dwarves. This is shown through Gimli’s “ideal courtly love” (Bratman and DeTardo 283) for Galadriel. When

Gimli wants to enter Lórien along with other members of the Fellowship, he is at first not permitted to pass. It is only after Legolas and Aragorn speak on his behalf that the Elven guards are persuaded to let him through under one condition: he shall be blindfolded (FotR 447). However, Galadriel, upon hearing this piece of news, decides to renew the friendly relations between the Dwarves and the Elves by sending a message to the guards, saying that all of the members of the Fellowship shall “walk free, even the dwarf Gimli” (FotR 455). Galadriel’s power is so great that just her word alone causes the guards to bow to Gimli and treat him as a friend instead of an enemy. By doing so,

Galadriel makes Gimli the very first Dwarf “to behold the trees of the Naith of Lórien

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since Durin’s Day”12 (FotR 455). Later, Galadriel goes as far as to mention a few names of the Dwarf dwellings in Gimli’s “own ancient tongue” (FotR 463), which causes Gimli to look “suddenly into the heart of an enemy” and see “there love and understanding”

(FotR 463).

Ever since then, Gimli perceives Galadriel as a high beauty: “Lady Galadriel is above all the jewels that lie beneath the earth” (FotR 464). Later during his visit,

Galadriel’s graciousness is demonstrated through giving gifts to the members of the Fellowship. At first, Gimli acts modestly, but Galadriel persists to give something to the Dwarf: “Let none say again that Dwarves are grasping and ungracious! Yet surely,

Gimli, son of Glóin, you desire something that I could give? Name it, I bid you”

(FotR 490). What Gimli decides to ask for is both modest and daring at the same time:

“a single strand of [Galadriel’s] hair, which surpasses the gold of the earth as the stars surpass the gems of [his]” (FotR 490). Other Elves are horrified by the strange request, since the two races have been in dispute for centuries.13 This gift from Galadriel is, therefore, a symbol of restoration of friendship between the Elves and Dwarves.

According to Foster, “Gimli’s daring but unmaterialistic request for a single hair from

Galadriel betokens the coming transcendence of the dwarves” (262). Gimli promises to treasure the precious gift and if he comes back home, “it shall be set in imperishable crystal to be an heirloom of [his] house, and a pledge of good will between the Mountain and the Wood until the end of days” (FotR 490). This serves as a token of the future relationship between the two families and races in Middle-earth, which is further strengthened in RotK; it is mentioned there that after Galadriel leaves Middle-earth, she

12 Durin’s Day, in this case, means the the reign of Durin VI, which ended in 1981. This makes Gimli the first dwarf to visit Lórien after 1 038 years (RotK 1427,1434). 13 The conflict started as an issue of ownership of a jewel made both by Elves and dwarves (Tolkien, Silmarillion 277). 26

sends for Gimli to follow her to the destination where only immortals may go. Gimli happily obliges the Lady’s request “out of desire to see again the beauty of Galadriel”

(RotK 1419).

Galadriel is also gracious enough to give gifts to all the members of the Fellowship that pay her a visit. This is the most important element of her charity and a token of friendship outside her kin. According to Łaszkiewicz, it is Galadriel’s primary role in the trilogy to “support the quest of the Fellowship with her gifts” (17). Because of her wisdom, power, and the Mirror of Galadriel14, she is able to foresee the possible obstacles that may occur during the Fellowship’s journey; the gifts are, therefore, carefully picked and do help the members of the Fellowship throughout the trilogy.

Galadriel provides the visitors with cloaks that she has woven with her maidens; this is a special occasion because “never before have [The Elves] clad strangers in the garb of [their] own people” (FotR 482). Moreover, they are given the elven bread of lembas, which can be eaten in small portions and still provide a whole day worth of nutrients (TT 555). To Aragorn, she gives a beautiful “sheath that had been made to fit his sword … the blade that is drawn from [it] shall not be stained or broken even in defeat”

(FotR 488). Boromir is given a “belt of gold” (FotR 489) and the Hobbits Merry and Pippin are given “small silver belts, each with a clasp wrought like a golden flower”

(FotR 489). Legolas is given a bow that is “longer and stouter” (FotR 489) than the bows that are used in the realm of Mirkwood from which he is. Along with the unique bow, he is also given a “quiver of arrows” (FotR 489). To Sam, “a little gardener and lover of trees” (FotR 489), Galadriel gives a small box with the letter G written on it in a form of a silver rune: G symbolises both Galadriel’s name and the word “Garden”. In the box,

14 The power of Galadriel is further examined in Chapter 4 27

there is dust from an orchard in Lorien, which, if “sprinkled” on the ordinary soil, causes an extraordinary bloom of flowers and trees (FotR 489). Though it may be only a “small gift” (FotR 489), Galadriel recognises Sam’s importance in the rebuilding of Shire in the future. To Frodo, she gives a “crystal phial”, which “glittered as she moved it, and rays of white lights sprang from her hand” (FotR 490). She understands that Frodo may need an element of light guiding him on his way more than the other members of the Fellowship. The figure of Galadriel is presented within the miraculous phial as well, which shines brighter than any known light, because it contains “the light from the Silmaril strapped to Earendil’s brow” (Dawson 177). After this act, Frodo “becomes a torch-bearer of hope” (Dawson 178).

As has been noted above, the gifts prove to be useful to the members of the Fellowship throughout their journey. Măcineanu further notes that the through the gifts “[Galadriel’s] comforting an encouraging presence is felt … whenever the members of the Fellowship are in need” (70). The cloaks prove to be useful when entering the lands of the enemy; they serve as a camouflage. Sam and Frodo use them in order to hide themselves from the orcs in Mordor (RotK 1220) and the bread of lembas becomes the main constituent of the diet of the members of the Fellowship: “Often in their hearts they ranked the Lady of Lórien… for they could eat of [the lembas] and find new strength even as they ran” (TT 555). Furthermore, Legolas uses the bow and arrows to shoot down a descending beast from the sky (FotR 505) and the sheath given to Aragorn by Galadriel also symbolises the wedding gift from the bride’s side of the family (Tiriel). The phial is a gift that Frodo carries on his “true Quest” (TT 554); he and Sam use its light to fight Shelob in its caves (TT 954).15 The light can fight both the literal darkness that is in the caves as well as the figurative darkness of Frodo’s mind

15 Shelob is a gigantic spider and Sauron’s servant. It lives in the caves at the borders of Mordor (TT 946). 28

when his thoughts are overcome by the ring: “the phial of Galadriel, so long treasured, and almost forgotten till that hour. As he touched it, for a while all thought of the Ring was banished from his mind “(TT 925). Sam, who accompanies Frodo on the journey, sees the vision of Galadriel and the memory of her giving the “star-glass” (TT 942) to Frodo. This encourages the two of them to pursue their goal: to reach the Mountain of Doom.

While the feature of fertility of Arwen and Eowyn are present in Middle-earth through their children who carry their legacy, Galadriel leaves no member of the family in Middle-earth except for her granddaughter Arwen. She does support her relationship with Aragorn and she even attends their wedding (FotR 1274), by which she represents the approval of the union from the mother’s side of the family. Despite of that, she does leave the next generation something of hers in the realm; her lands, which are, as noted in the previous chapter, closely related to the beauty of Galadriel: friendly and pure,

“no shadow” lies on the land (FotR 455). Even though she eventually leaves Middle-earth and abandons the woods of Lothlórien, her legacy and fertility survive in the hands of Sam. He is given a gift of special dust that is important for the rebuilding of nature after the ring is destroyed. With the dust, which he shares with the whole Shire, he rebuilds “all the places where specially beautiful or beloved trees had been destroyed”

(RotK 1338). Furthermore, he plants a gifted silver nut in the Party Field, from which a mallorn tree sprouts; the tree becomes the “wonder of the neighbourhood” (RotK 1339).

This kind of a tree is the only one “west of the Mountains and east of the Sea, and one of the finest in the worlds” (RotK 1339). With this act, Sam ensures that Galadriel’s graciousness and love for both her lands and other races are remembered long after

Galadriel leaves Middle-earth.

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4. Power of the Female Characters

Power is another significant element that constructs the complexity of the female characters in the trilogy. While some of the women are restrained either by their family or their kin – Arwen and Éowyn – there is one that is even stronger than her male behalf

– Galadriel. Although the Elven females seem to be passive and the only one actively engaging in the battle is human woman Éowyn, they all play a great role in the quest of the Fellowship or support the warriors from afar. The juxtaposition to the strong physical power presented by the male warriors is in the power that is possessed only by the females; the unique power of will and mind. Furthermore, the strongest kind of power constitutes solely from the ability of the female characters to denounce the power they have, or what Enright calls the “Christ-like” choices (106).

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4.1. Éowyn

Éowyn is the one female character of the three whose path towards gaining power is the most complex one. In the beginning, she lacks it almost entirely. Her life in Rohan, a society dominated by males, is what affects her the most; she grows up among warriors that are praised for their skills in battles. Though it has been mentioned that Éowyn is often ascribed masculine traits such as grave or cold, she is but a cup-bearer in Rohan at first. She “seems to have turned to steel or stone by virtue of excessive suffering and constant frustration of her heart’s wishes” (Librán-Moreno, “Greek and Latin Amatory

Motifts” 80) that she has seen and encountered in Rohan. Although she has a great eagerness to fight, “she was clad in white; but her eyes were on fire” (RotK 1026), she is left behind when the warriors are off to a battle: she sits “still, alone before the doors of the silent house” (TT 685).

There are only a few males who acknowledge Éowyn’s hidden power throughout the novels; Háma, King Théoden’s right-hand man, admires her for her strength and popularity among the people of Rohan: she is “high-hearted” and “all lover her” (TT

683). He further openly supports the idea to make Éowyn rule the people on the King’s behalf while he leads the warriors to the battle. Moreover, Faramir approves Éowyn’s decision to remain with her people only moments after he proposes to her (RotK 1270).

The many ways by which she is restricted is explained by Éowyn herself; she confesses to Aragorn that she is afraid of a “cage” (RotK 1027). What causes her to get trapped in the cage in the first place is revealed through the wisest man from the Fellowship, Gandalf: “[Éowyn], born in the body of a maid, had a spirit and courage at least the match of yours” (RotK 1134). He further adds that Gríma

Wormtongue, apart from “poisoning King Théoden’s ears” (RotK 1135), succeeds

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in making Éowyn feel devalued as well. The metaphorical cage of Éowyn’s gains a form in the intrusive thoughts: “alone, in the bitter watches of the night, when all her life seemed shrinking, and the walls of her bower closing in about her, a hutch to trammel some wild thing in” (RotK 1135). The one male in which Éowyn sees freedom is the one who disappoints her the most; Aragorn represses her eagerness in order to make her stay with her people. In the meantime, however, he does not realise that he speaks rather condescendingly to Éowyn when he forbids her from joining him on the ride to a “deadly road” (RotK 1026). In this, Éowyn sees a turning point: “Too often have I heard of duty…

But am I not of the House of Eorl, a shieldmaiden and not a dry-nurse? I have waited on faltering feet long enough” (RotK 1026). In order to finally escape her “cage”, it is inevitable to embody the desired male qualities; this is the reason why Éowyn resolves to change her appearance into a male warrior Dernhelm (RotK 1052).

By choosing to disguise herself, Éowyn “rebels against her social position”; she does so “not because she wants a career as a swordswoman, but because she cannot ride to war like her kinsmen” (Łaszkiewicz 18). She feels the need to be a part of the War, where all the men become heroes, while she, along with many other women, is forced to watch them leave. Éowyn as Dernhelm becomes a defender of her own people and, moreover, with her disguise, she “rejects the passive, domestic roles assigned to women, which are not validated by her society” (Dawson 173). Moreover, she is the only woman of Rohirrim that is engaged in the War of the Ring (RotK 1106); she fights the literal battle as well as a figurative battle for all the women who are forced to stay behind while the men die in battles. She wants to show that she is no less powerful than the men and that she, too, is able to stand for herself and values.

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The choice Éowyn makes becomes important for the course of the War as well.

During the battle, she understands the strategy of the Marshall of the Rohan forces (RotK

1086), which enforces the idea that Éowyn is a valuable warrior with great “strength of … spirit and … skill in battle” (Enright 104). Moreover, she puts all the remains of her faith into the battle: she has “the face of one that goes seeking death, having no hope”

(RotK 1101). At one point in the battle, she encounters a beast called Nazgul and its rider,

The Witch-king of Angmar. Unaware of the prophecy that “no living man” can kill him

(RotK 1405), Éowyn fights for a respectful death of her uncle, who would otherwise become a “prey” for the Nazgul. The irony in the warning “no living man can hinder [The

Witchking]” (RotK 1405) is reinforced by the fact that the Witchking does not even consider the possibility of a woman to become a part of the prophecy. However, Éowyn recognises the play on words and with the exclamation “But no living man am I. You look upon a woman” (RotK 1101), she becomes the one who finally defies the Witch- king. By achieving such a success, she proves herself to be a valuable female warrior and a member of the male-dominated society with that possesses a great power.

The renunciation of power is a distinct element in Éowyn’s kind of power as well; it “must deepen through renunciation of it” (Enright 104). As is noted in the previous chapter, the healing of Éowyn’s mind and heart is closely linked to the healing of Middle- earth itself. She states that “[she] will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great

Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. [She] will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren” (RotK 1264). It is only after her own healing that she realises that being a healer is an important role in the future of Middle-earth and not a degrading one; Aragorn, among others, is a healer as well (RotK 1133). In her future with Faramir, she sees that by renouncing the physical type of power, she gains “spiritual powers of love and forgiveness” (Enright 106) that is connected to the role of a peace-keeper.

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4.2 Arwen

As for the ways in which Arwen is powerful throughout the trilogy, her power is the most passive of the three female characters discussed in this chapter. As shown in the third chapter, her complex love for both Aragorn and her family restraints her from engaging in the War of the Ring more actively. Her greatest power is her “devotion to Aragorn” (Enright 97) and her strength is in the way she is able to take action even though she is not actively present in the battlefield itself. She inspires “events through her relationship with Aragorn from afar” (Enright 97) while she remains in Rivendell throughout most of the trilogy. She supports Aragorn on his journey by weaving a banner for him16 along with words of support (RotK 1015); these two things bring hope to the forces of allies and predict the fall of Sauron. Moreover, the memory of her is what keeps Aragorn on his path to victory.

Regarding power, Arwen seems like an inessential character. However, her power is further revealed in the Appendices, in “The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen” specifically, in which the most essential type of power is demonstrated: its renunciation. As has been noted multiple times throughout the thesis, Arwen is in many ways linked to the maiden from the ancient times, Lúthien; Arwen’s fate is no exception to this. As all Half-elven beings in Middle-earth, Arwen is offered the choice to sail away to the West or to remain in Middle-earth and renounce her immortality. Her power is portrayed in her will to make a difficult choice to stay with Aragorn and say farewell to her kin; this renunciation becomes an important act of power in Middle-earth.

16 The significance of the banner is discussed in Chapter 3 34

Elrond realises his daughter’s choice and by the end of the trilogy, he approves her choice to marry Aragorn and to remain in Middle-earth. Yet, this means that Arwen must leave her family behind. Her separation from Elrond is “tragic because it is final; when they part, they part forever” (Rogers 78). It causes her to say farewell to her father and her kin alike and remain in Middle-earth while they sail to Grey Heavens. Arwen’s choice, “both the sweet and the bitter” (RotK 1276), consists of giving up her immortality, by which she renounces the “gift of immortality” that “the Elves are endowed with” (Greenwood 186). This also means that she must renunciate her claim to have a place on one of the last ships that depart to Grey Heavens. The power of her choice has consequences for Frodo, too: Arwen offers him her place on the ship.

By having the power to stay with Aragorn and therefore renouncing her immortality, she is determined to face not only her own mortality, but the mortality of her husband as well. The “bitterness of mortality” (RotK 1393) that she has “long foreseen”

(RotK 1393) is difficult to endure once she sees her husband die in front of her. After that moment, she decides to leave to Lórien and connect with her kin at least in her days before death (RotK 1394).

Because of her power of choice to “give up her life while still living” (Greenwood

188), she is one of the few of her race that stay in Middle-earth. Her death represents

Arwen’s power to change the future of Middle-earth; by sacrificing herself in order to save and transform Middle-earth, she fulfils the purpose of a “eucatastophe … a good catastrophe” (Tolkien, “On Fairy Stories” 22). It is closely linked to the end of the Third Age, also known as the Age of Elves. Since all Elves either leave the realm, it is after Arwen’s death that humans are the ones who rule Middle-earth in the Fourth

Age:

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she embodies in her loss the sacrifice the Elves, in general, willingly endure in accepting with the destruction of the Ring, the end not only of Sauron’s evil, but of all that belongs to “the days of old,” the world of Elves and Dwarves, as well as Orcs and Nazgul, a world that is being turned over to human beings

(Enright 98).

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4.3 Galadriel

Galadriel’s power is the one that is exhibited the most throughout the trilogy.

As has been noted previously, she is the one who has greater power than her husband,

Celeborn. Although they regard each other equal and respect each other, it is Galadriel who is the giver of gifts and the one who possesses greater knowledge and power alike

(Enright 99). Despite the fact that she does not engage in the War of the Ring actively and remains in Lórien throughout most of the trilogy, she has an essential “decision- making power” (Măcineanu 69-70). Unlike Éowyn, she is not portrayed as a warrior figure; her power is in her wisdom, magic, and mind. When the members of the Fellowship visit her dwellings, she realises that Gandalf must have fallen17, otherwise he would have crossed the borders of her land and she would have felt his presence (FotR 462). Eventually, she is the one that has enough power to resurrect

Gandalf as well (TT 655). She also reveals that it was her idea to “summon the White

Council” (FotR 464), which argues over the fate of the ring in the beginning of the trilogy.

In addition, her power of mind is present with Sam and Frodo on their quest once they are separated from other members of the Fellowship; through her phial, she guides the two through the enemy lands. Her presence alone has a great power of calming; Sam invokes her image numerous times as well; either to comfort his troubled mind or to bring light into the darkness (RotK 1204, 1220, 1227). Her great power, however, may cause other men to mistrust the use of magic and power of the Elves. Moreover, those that do not know of her are afraid of the power she possesses and the things she can do; Éomer

(TT 570) or Faramir, who speaks of Galadriel as “perilously fair” (TT 888), are a few of them.

17 During the quest of the Fellowship, Gandalf is slain by Balrog, an ancient demon (RotK 1407). 37

The main source of Galadriel’s power is undoubtedly one of the rings of power;

Galadriel is therefore “one of the three Elven ring-bearers” (Enright 99) in Middle-earth.

The name of the ring is “Nenya … ring wrought from mithril” (RotK 1346), also known as “the Ring of Adamant” (FotR 475). “The power of the Lady” (FotR 457) in this case refers to the way her power, like her beauty, extends to the land she governs; the ring is thusly used for “healing, not domination” (Enright 99). It further offers Galadriel to protect her realm from the forces of the enemy and provides a healthy growth of the mallorn trees (Tolkien, Silmarillion 345). This is conveyed through the “absence of decay in Lóthlórien” (Cohen 104), where the “leaves fall not, but turn to gold” (FotR

435). Furthermore, since the name of the ring is derived from the word “nen”, which means water (Tolkien, Silmarillion 439), the power of the ring is closely related to forms of water as well; hence the phial and the Mirror of Galadriel.18

As for the display of power of Galadriel that contains the use of magic, it is presented in many ways that are discussed below. However, as has been noted above, the Men in the trilogy may refer to the word “magic” as the “deceits of the Enemy” (FotR

471). It is therefore up to Galadriel to “remonstrate with the Hobbits on their confused use of the word” (Tolkien, Letters 168) and instead of submitting to the general use of the word, Galadriel insists on calling her power “the magic of Galadriel” (FotR 471), marking its importance and uniqueness.

The most striking form of a power of mind is demonstrated by Galadriel when she first meets the visitors in Lórien; she tests each of them by looking inside their hearts

(FotR 465-466) in order to find out whether their true intention is to continue with the dangerous quest. The way she tests them is simple: she mentally offers each

18 The Mirror of Galadriel is discussed later in this chapter. 38

of them a choice between “the danger that lies ahead and something else that [they] greatly desire” (Enright 99). For Sam, it is the choice between “flying back home to the Shire to a nice little hole with – with a bit of garden of [his] own” (FotR 465) and the pursuit of his journey with Frodo and the others. Merry experiences a similar thing, though he does not wish to speak of it (FotR 465) and Gimli agrees with him. All but one of the members of the Fellowship seem content with the test; Boromir feels

“exceedingly strange” (FotR 466) after the experience. To him, the test re-introduces the idea that he is responsible for the safety of his people in his home, Minas Tirith. Were the Ring in his possession, it could be possible for him to defend the city even better

(Librán-Moreno, “Parallel Lives” 19). It is questionable whether the test of Galadriel plays a role in Boromir’s temptation later in the story or whether Boromir brings it with him to Lórien, since “there is … no evil, unless a man brings it hither himself” (FotR

466). Still, the testing of the members of the Fellowship reinforces Galadriel’s power as

“a mover and planner of great things in Middle-earth” (Enright 99).

Another essential object through which Galadriel’s power is conveyed is the Mirror of Galadriel. It is a water-filled container from which the water in the phial given to Frodo is from. The Mirror works in mysterious ways and does not always offer a strict vision of the future: as Galadriel explains to Sam, “it shows things that were, things that are, and things that yet may be. But which it is that he sees, even the wisest cannot always tell” (FotR 470). By looking into it, Sam and Frodo are offered a vision of such sort. While Sam sees the possible future of the destruction of Shire, Galadriel ensures him that such a terrible thing might happen only if Sam does not proceed in the journey (FotR 472). Fortunately, this does not happen because Sam does not desert

Frodo on their quest; even after he believes Frodo died, he is the one who carries the ring for him (RotK 1192) to complete the quest. Moreover, it may be through Sam’s vision

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that Galadriel intends to include him in the rebirth of Middle-earth. What Frodo sees is the Eye of Mordor looking back at him (FotR 474) and it is only Galadriel’s presence that “makes the experience safe if not calming; she is able to break the Enemy’s hold on Frodo with only a few words – ‘do not touch the water!’” (Amendt-Raduege 50). She further reveals that she too has the same vision, but she warns Frodo: “if benevolent forces can use dreams to guide an individual, the Enemy is equally capable of using visions to deceive” (Amendt-Raduege 50). Thusly, Galadriel’s power is also presented in the way she can offer an alternative look into the future, although it may not always be a positive one; it can influence other characters nevertheless.

Despite that, Galadriel’s power is also in the acceptance of her own flaws; she says that the Dark Lord tries to reach her mind and read her thoughts (FotR 474), but she resists. The temptation embodied in Frodo offering her the ring of power is a key moment in the course of Galadriel’s sense of power. She realises that for her there is no positive outcome of the War of the Ring; if Frodo fails to destroy the ring, the lands of Lothlórien are in danger. If Frodo succeeds, there is no place for her in Middle-earth anymore.

The ring of power, however, offers Galadriel the choice to defeat the evil forces of Mordor herself (FotR 475). Galadriel does not reject the ring at first, but considers the choice of taking the ring from Frodo:

I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer. For many

long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my

hands, and behold! it was brought within my grasp … In place of Dark Lord you

will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible

as the Morning and the Night (FotR 476).

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Galadriel’s greatest accomplishment comes right after she rejects the ring and “passes the test” (FotR 476). The renunciation of power is implied in the rejection of the temptation to change the course of future as well. Although she, as an Elf, is one of those that “have the most to lose in the outcome of the war,” it is her who rejects

“the temptation to change the course of event in order to elevate themselves”

(Greenwood 184). By saying “I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain

Galadriel” (FotR 476), she abdicates her important position in Middle-earth and rather focuses on the future of her own race rather than of the Men’s. This kind of power is done out of love for her own kin, who find it the more difficult to leave the woods of Lóthlórien, since they are “a metonym for their notion of home” (Cohen 104). Her departure from Middle-earth matches Arwen’s death in the way that both of the renunciations of power mark the end of the Age of Elves and the beginning of the Age of Men.

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5. Conclusion

Throughout the trilogy, the female characters prove that they are just as fearless and heroic as the male characters. They are vital for the main quest of the Fellowship as well as the War of the Ring. They also play a major role in the post-war years; they are the ones who reshape Middle-earth and ensure bright future for the inhabitants of Middle-earth through their beauty, love, and power.

The thesis analysed their use of beauty, which is complex and encompasses their wisdom, art skills, and other elements, to portray their environment and support or inspire other characters. With their feelings of love, which is presented in many ways, the females show their tight links with family, race, and realm. Their marriages tighten all those links together and the representations of their fertility carry the legacy of long-lasting friendships, mutual trust, and support between the allies. The power of the female characters is juxtaposed to the physical power displayed by males; the power of the females is in their strong will and mind. Female characters renouncing their power is eventually what shapes Middle-earth’s future.

Eowyn proves she is worthy being called “the daughter of kings” (TT 672) by fighting for those she loves. Her beauty presents the light in the otherwise dark days during the War of the Ring. Although she is restricted in the beginning, what she refers to as “a cage”, her power of mind and determination are present throughout the whole trilogy; whether in the role of a warrior in the battlefield or healer after the War.

The healing of her mind causes her to be healed in her heart as well; she finds love in Faramir and together they serve as peace-keepers in the kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan.

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Arwen, although she spends most of the time away from the battlefield, inspires events from afar; especially through her relationship with Aragorn. Her likeness to Luthien is not only in her physical resemblance and beauty, but also in her choice to marry a mortal man and eventually facing the choice of Luthien. Her power of mind and will is portrayed in making a choice to give up her immortality and reject her place on one of the last ships that leave Middle-earth to the Undying Lands. This ensures a better future for Middle-earth as well as other characters; by her marriage to Aragorn and her own death, she marks the beginning of the Fourth Age: The Age of Men.

Galadriel, the Elven Queen, possesses power that is greater than her husband’s.

Moreover, she is a giver of gifts which support the quest of the Fellowship greatly and she rejoices the races of Dwarves and Elves, too. Her renunciation of power is presented through her resolution to reject the ring and leave Middle-earth; like Arwen’s death, Galadriel’s departure marks the end of the Age of Elves in Middle-earth.

Her beauty and power are strongly connected to the environment in which she is: the nature of the magnificent woods of Lothlorien. Although her fertility is presented not through child-bearing, but rather through preservation of nature, it is an important element of rebuilding of Middle-earth after the War nevertheless.

As has been mentioned, the trilogy is, according to Tolkien himself, focused on the story from the point of view of the Hobbits (Letters 255). This is partly why the readers may find the female characters underdeveloped or too passive. At the same time, it is their scarcity that makes them more prominent and complex in the LotR trilogy.

Further research ought to be conducted to encompass everything what makes the female characters essential for the trilogy.

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7. Summary (English)

This work analyses three most prominent female characters in the Lord of the

Rings trilogy; specifically, human Éowyn, half-Elf Arwen, and Elven Queen Galadriel. It discusses their importance in the trilogy by examining three shared aspects of the females: beauty, love and friendly relations, and power.

Written by J.R.R. Tolkien, who is considered to be the father of the modern fantasy, the extensive trilogy has made its way into the hearts of many readers. The female characters of the story, however, may be mistaken for being too passive or inadequately developed because of their indirect participation in the battles during the War of the Ring and the destruction of the ring of power. Their importance in the trilogy is still greatly represented in LotR through their generosity, wisdom, and displays of power. These three aspects contribute largely to the overall complexity and uniqueness of the female characters.

The thesis examines particular situations in which Éowyn, Arwen, and Galadriel use their beauty, love, and power to support the members of the Fellowship, their quest, and the allies in the War of the Ring. It further focuses on the affect the female characters have on the better future of Middle-earth and its prosperity.

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8. Resumé (Czech)

Tato práce analyzuje tři nejvíce prominentní ženské postavy z trilogie Pána prstenů, konkrétně lidskou bojivnici Éowyn, poloviční Elfku Arwen, a královnu elfů

Galadriel. V práci je rozebrána důležitost ženských postav v trilogii prozkoumáním tří sdílených aspektů; krásy, lásky a přatelství a síly.

Extensivní trilogie napsána J.R.R Tolkienem, považován za otce žánru moderní fantasy, si našla svou cestu do srdcí mnohých čitatelů. Nicméně, ženské postavy mohou být omylně považovány za příliš pasivní nebo neadekvátně vyvinuty, zejména z důvodu jejich nepřímé účasti počas bitev ve vojně a samotné destrukce prstenu síly. Jejich význam v celé trilogii je pořád reprezentován přes jejich štědrost, moudro a projevy síly.

Tyto tři aspekty ve velkém přispívají k samotné komplexitě a unikátnosti ženských postav.

Práce zkoumá jednotlivý situace, ve kterých Éowyn, Arwen a Galadriel užívají jejich krásy, lásky a síly, aby podpořili členy Společenství prstena, jejich úkol, a spojence ve vojně. Práce se dále zaměřuje na vpliv ženských postav na lepší budoucnost

Středozemě a její prosperity.

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