The Two Towers

The Two Towers

File:TwoTowers.JPG 1st edition
Author	J. R. R. Tolkien
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	George Allen & Unwin
Publication date	November 11, 1954
Publication place	England
Media type	Print (Hardback and Paperback)

The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. It is preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring and followed by The Return of the King.

Title

The Lord of the Rings is composed of 6 "books", aside from an introduction, a prologue and 6 appendices. The novel was originally published as 3 separate volumes due to post-World War II paper shortages and size and price considerations. The Two Towers covers Books III and IV.

Tolkien wrote, "The Two Towers gets as near as possible to finding a title to cover the widely divergent Books 3 & 4; and can be left ambiguous." At this stage he planned to title the individual books. The proposed title for Book III was The Treason of Isengard. Book IV was titled The Journey of the Ringbearers or The Ring Goes East. The titles The Treason of Isengard and The Ring Goes East were used in the Millennium edition.

A note at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring and Tolkien's final illustration of the towers gives the pair as Minas Morgul and Orthanc. However, in a letter to Rayner Unwin, Tolkien instead gives Orthanc and the Tower of Cirith Ungol, but felt such an identification was misleading due to the opposition between Barad-dûr and Minas Tirith. Loosely, any pair from the set of five towers in the story could fit the title: the tower of Cirith Ungol (Cirith Ungol being a pass), Orthanc, Minas Tirith, Barad-dûr and Minas Morgul.

However ambiguous the title may be in the book, director Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Two Towers designates the title as referring to the towers of Barad-dûr in Mordor and Orthanc in Isengard. In dialogue written for the film, the wizard Saruman says:

"The World is changing. Who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard and Mordor? To stand against the might of Sauron and Saruman ... and the union of the two towers? Together, my Lord Sauron ... we shall rule this Middle-earth."

In different teaser trailers for the film, voice-over narration by Gandalf and Galadriel directly states the towers as Barad-dûr and Orthanc.

Structure

Because The Two Towers is the central portion of a longer work, its structure differs from that of a conventional novel. It begins and ends abruptly, without introduction to the characters, explanations of major plot elements, or a strict conclusion. This is characteristic of the technical classification novel sequence, not a book series — though it and the other two volumes are not individual novels themselves. The first section follows the divergent paths of several important figures from The Fellowship of the Ring, but tells nothing of its central character, on whose fate so much depends, enabling the reader to share in the suspense and uncertainty of the characters. The narrative of the second part returns to Frodo's quest to destroy the evil that threatens the world.

Plot summary

Book III: The Treason of Isengard

As Aragorn searches for Frodo, he suddenly hears Boromir's horn. He finds Boromir mortally wounded by arrows, his assailants gone. Before Boromir dies he reveals that Merry and Pippin had been captured by Orcs in spite of his efforts to defend them, and that Frodo had vanished after Boromir had tried to take the Ring from him and that he truly regretted attempting to take the Ring from Frodo. In his last moments, he charges Aragorn to defend Minas Tirith from Sauron. With Legolas and Gimli, who had been fighting Orcs themselves, Aragorn pays his last respects to the fallen hero and sends him down the Great River Anduin on a funeral boat, the usual methods of burial being impracticable. The three then resolve to follow the Uruk-hai captors. Meanwhile, after some hardship, the hobbits escape when the Uruk-hai are attacked by the horsemen of Rohan, called the Rohirrim or "Riders of Rohan".

Merry and Pippin escape into the nearby Fangorn Forest, where they encounter the giant treelike Ents. The Ents resembled actual trees, except they could see, talk, and move. These guardians of the forest generally kept to themselves, but after a long contemplation on whether or not the Hobbits were friends, or foes, their leader Treebeard persuades the Ent council to oppose the menace posed to the forest by the wizard Saruman, as suggested by Merry and Pippin, as Treebeard realizes that Saruman's minions have been cutting down large numbers of their trees to fuel the furnaces needed for Saruman's arming of his dark army.

Aragorn, Gimli the Dwarf and Legolas the Elf come across the Riders of Rohan led by Éomer, nephew of King Théoden. The trio learn that the horsemen had attacked a band of Orcs the previous night, and that they had left no survivors. However, Aragorn is able to track a small set of prints that lead into Fangorn, where they meet a wizard in white robes. They shortly afterward meet Gandalf, (they at first take him to be Saruman) whom they believed had perished in the mines of Moria. He tells them of his fall into the abyss, his battle to the death with the Balrog and his resurrection and his enhanced power. The four ride to Rohan's capital Edoras, where Gandalf rouses King Théoden from inaction against the threat Saruman poses. In the process, Saruman's spy in Rohan (and King Théoden's trusted advisor) Gríma Wormtongue, is expelled from Rohan. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas then travel with Théoden's troops to the fortress of Hornburg, in the valley of Helm's Deep. Gandalf rides away before the battle begins, though he gives no reason for doing so. At the Hornburg, the army of Rohan led by King Théoden and Aragorn resist a full-scale onslaught by the hosts of Saruman. Yet, things begin to go ill with Rohan, until Gandalf arrives with the remains of the army of Westfold that Saruman's forces had previously routed. The tide now turns in Rohan's favour, and Saruman's orcs flee into a forest of Huorns, creatures similar to Ents, and none escape alive. Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, along with King Théoden and Éomer, head to Saruman's stronghold of Isengard.

Here, they reunite with Merry and Pippin and find Isengard overrun by Ents, who had flooded it by breaking a nearby dam of the river Isen, and the central tower of Orthanc besieged, with Saruman and Wormtongue trapped inside. After giving Saruman a chance to repent, who refuses, Gandalf casts him out of the Order of Wizards and the White Council. Gríma throws something from a window at Gandalf but misses, and it is picked up by Pippin. This object turns out to be one of the palantíri (seeing-stones). Pippin, unable to resist the urge, looks into it and encounters the Eye of Sauron, but emerges unscathed from the ordeal. Gandalf and Pippin then head for Minas Tirith in Gondor in preparation for the imminent war against Mordor, while Théoden and Aragorn remain behind to begin the muster of Rohan, to ride to the aid of Gondor.

Book IV: The Journey to Mordor

Frodo and Sam discover and capture Gollum, who has been stalking them in their quest to reach Mount Doom and destroy the One Ring, for Gollum hopes to reclaim the Ring for himself. Sam loathes and distrusts him, but Frodo pities the poor creature. Gollum promises to lead the pair to the Black Gate of Mordor and for a time appears to be a true ally. He leads them through a hidden passage of the Dead Marshes in order to avoid being spied by Orcs. Frodo and Sam learn that the Dead Marshes were once part of an ancient battlefield, upon which the War of the Last Alliance was fought. Upon reaching the Black Gate, Gollum persuades the hobbits not to enter, where they would have been surely caught. He tells them of a secret entrance to Mordor. Thus, they head south into Gondor's province of Ithilien and are accosted by a group of Gondorian rangers led by Faramir, the brother of Boromir. Frodo learns from Faramir of Boromir's death and Sam accidentally reveals to Faramir that Frodo carries the One Ring. As a result of this Frodo reveals the plan to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Later that night Gollum is captured diving into the sacred pool, the penalty for which is death. Frodo negotiates Gollum's freedom with Faramir. The following morning Faramir allows them to go on their way, but warns them that Gollum may know more about the secret entrance (Cirith Ungol) than he has been telling them.

Gollum leads them past the city of Minas Morgul and up a long, steep staircase of the Tower of Cirith Ungol into the lair of an enormous spider named Shelob. Gollum hopes to get the Ring from Frodo's bones after Shelob is done with him. The hobbits escape Shelob in her lair and mistakenly assume that they are safe. However, Shelob sneaks up on Frodo. Sam attempts to warn Frodo but is attacked by Gollum. Shelob stings Frodo in the back of the neck and he collapses to the ground.

Sam fends off Gollum and Gollum runs off back towards Shelob's cave. Sam then drives off Shelob. After seeing Frodo lifeless and pale, Sam assumes that Frodo is dead and debates chasing Gollum and abandoning the Quest in favour of vengeance. Sam resolves to finish the Quest himself and takes the Ring. But when Orcs take Frodo's body, Sam follows them and learns that Frodo is not dead, but only unconscious, and is now a prisoner. The book ends with the line, "Frodo was alive but taken by the Enemy."

Chapter Summaries

Book III

• I - The Departure of Boromir - Aragorn finds Boromir wounded by many arrows. Boromir tells him that orcs took the Hobbits, and they were still alive. Boromir does not tell Aragorn which Hobbits were taken. He also reveals how he had attempted to seize the Ring from Frodo, and expresses his remorse at his actions. Boromir dies, and his body is sent down the river on a funeral boat by the three remaining members of the Company - Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli - who decide to follow the orcs.
• II - The Riders of Rohan - Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Orcs for three days, eventually crossing into Rohan. On the fourth day of their chase, they instead encounter Éomer, who informs them that his company destroyed the Orcs the previous night, but had not spotted any hobbits. Éomer and Aragorn become friends, and he agrees to lend horses to the hunters to aid their search. Aragorn can find no signs on the edge of Fangorn, and in the middle night, the horses run off after a mysterious old man approaches the hunters' camp.
• III - The Uruk-hai - This chapter begins further back in time, telling the story of Merry and Pippin being captured by the orcs. As they flee west towards Isengard, the orcs are constantly arguing, for they serve different masters. The orcs camp near Fangorn, and Grishnákh, an Orc of Mordor, attempts to take the hobbits away with him, believing them to have the Ring. The hobbits escape as Grishnákh is killed by an arrow, and Éomer's company attacks the Orc-party.
• IV - Treebeard - Entering into Fangorn Forest, the hobbits meet Treebeard, leader of the Ents. The old Ent, initially labeling them as Orcs, eventually takes a liking to them, and leads them to his home, while discussing the history of the Ents and the treason of Isengard with the hobbits. Treebeard calls the Ents of Fangorn together at Entmoot, where they debate what should be done about Saruman. Merry and Pippin spend this time with another Ent, Quickbeam. Eventually, the Ents decide to attack Isengard, which lies just to the west.
• V - The White Rider - The chapter goes back to the story of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, who discover signs that the hobbits escaped the orcs into the forest. In the forest, they encounter an old man whom they presume to be Saruman. Only after attempting to fight him do they realize it is Gandalf, returned from death. Gandalf sizes up the current situation and the impending war (and also gives an account on his epic battle against the Balrog) before leading the companions to their horses, and heading south to Edoras, capital city of Rohan
• VI - The King of the Golden Hall - Arriving at Edoras, Gandalf and his companions find Gríma Wormtongue controlling the city in the name of King Théoden. Gandalf exposes Wormtongue as Saruman's spy, and cures the King of his depression and idleness brought on by Gríma's poisoned words. Éomer is released from his imprisonment, and Wormtongue flees the city. Gandalf persuades Théoden to fight against Saruman, and the King rides west with Éomer, Gandalf, the three hunters, and one thousand Rohirrim. He leaves his niece and Éomer's sister, Éowyn, to lead his people.
• VII - Helm's Deep - Riding west, the army encounters a messenger warning them of an impending attack by Saruman's massive army of Uruk-hai and Wild Men. Gandalf urges the King to fight at the Hornburg in Helm's Deep, an ancient, almost impregnable fortress. He leaves to arrange for help. Aragorn and Éomer lead Rohan's outnumbered forces in the fierce Battle of the Hornburg. After having to abandon the outer wall, Aragorn and Théoden lead a cavalry charge at dawn into the Orcs. Taken by surprise, the Orcs are driven back right into approaching reinforcements led by Gandalf, and a waiting forest of trees from Fangorn. Saruman's army is defeated.
• VIII - The Road to Isengard - Gandalf leads Théoden and the companions to Isengard. Upon their arrival, they see that the Ents have destroyed Saruman's machinery and factories. Merry and Pippin guard the ruined gate, and introduce themselves to Théoden.
• IX - Flotsam and Jetsam - Merry and Pippin tell Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, the story of their adventures with both the Orcs and Ents. They recount how the Ents attacked Isengard, killing many Orcs and destroying Saruman's war-machines. The Ents then flooded the Ring of Isengard, drowning Saruman's underground smithies and barracks. The hobbits happily reveal that they found their favorite pipe-weed from the Shire in one of Saruman's store-rooms.
• X - The Voice of Saruman - Gandalf leads Théoden, Éomer, and the other Fellowship members to a parley with Saruman at the tower of Orthanc in the midst of Isengard. Saruman, while defeated in battle, is still able to use his voice to gain power over others. He nearly convinces the King to make peace with him. Gandalf and Théoden, however, see through Saruman's lies. Gandalf offers Saruman a chance to repent and aid the forces of good in the war to come. When Saruman rejects the offer, Gandalf breaks Saruman's staff and casts him from the White Council. As they leave, Wormtongue, who had returned to Saruman, throws Saruman's Palantír down at the company. Pippin picks it up before Gandalf takes it from him. Gandalf entrusts control of Isengard (and Saruman) to Treebeard and the Ents before the company leaves.
• XI - The Palantír - At the camp south of Isengard, Pippin takes the Palantír from Gandalf as he sleeps, and looks into it. He encounters the Eye of Sauron and sees Sauron's plans to attack Gondor's capital city of Minas Tirith. He escapes unscathed, and Gandalf takes the stone back before giving it to Aragorn for safekeeping. A winged Nazgûl flies over the camp, and Gandalf realizes the war is arriving. He rides of with Pippin to Minas Tirith, while Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, Théoden, Éomer, and the Rohirrim ride back towards Helm's Deep. On the way to Gondor, Gandalf explains the Palantír to Pippin, revealing that it is the one of the last surviving Seeing-Stones which Elendil brough from Númenor.

Book IV

• I - The Taming of Sméagol - Frodo and Sam become lost in the Emyn Muil and eventually encounter the creature Gollum, who had been tracking them, desiring the Ring. After capturing him, Frodo makes Gollum lead them to Mordor in exchange for Sam untying him. Gollum agrees to this plan, swearing "on the Precious".
• II - The Passage of the Marshes - Gollum shows Frodo and Sam a secret way through the Dead Marshes in order to escape being noticed by Orcs. In the Marshes, Frodo and Sam discover more about their new guide. They also narrowly escape detection by a winged Nazgûl.
• III - The Black Gate is Closed - Arriving at the Black Gate of Mordor, Frodo and Sam see it is impenetrable. While hiding within sight of the Towers of the Teeth, Gollum persuades the hobbits to take a "secret way" into Mordor he knows of further to the south. Seeing that he has no chance to enter Mordor via the Black Gate, Frodo agrees to the southward route.
• IV - Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit - Frodo, Sam, and Gollum enter Ithilien, a pleasant land once belonging to Gondor. Making camp, Sam coaxes Gollum into procuring some rabbits for a meal. The smoke from Sam's fire catches the eye of Gondorian Rangers, led by Boromir's younger brother Faramir. Frodo and Sam watch while the Rangers engage a host of Haradrim, who are bringing a Mûmakil to Mordor. Meanwhile, Gollum runs off.
• V - The Window on the West - After the Rangers defeat the Haradrim, Frodo and Sam are taken by Faramir to the secret outpost of Henneth Annûn. There, Faramir questions Frodo about the circumstances of Boromir's death. When Sam accidentally reveals that Frodo carries the Ring, and that Boromir had attempted to seize it, Faramir reveals that he would not use the Ring or try to take it; he sees the evil it can do.
• VI - The Forbidden Pool - In the middle of the night, Faramir shows Frodo that his men have found Gollum in Henneth Annûn's forbidden pool. Frodo convinces Faramir not to shoot Gollum. Faramir questions the wretch over where he is leading Frodo. When Gollum reveals he intends to take the hobbits past Minas Morgul, Faramir grows alarmed and urges Frodo to not use that way. He warns of evil in the pass above the city.
• VII - Journey to the Cross-roads - Faramir sends Frodo and Sam off with provisions and directions to Morgul-vale. He also allows Gollum to leave, but denounces him as evil and untrustworthy. Gollum brings the hobbits to the road between Osgiliath and Minas Morgul, and leads them east towards the Mountains of Shadow. At the Cross-roads, where the Harad Road meets the Osgiliath Road, the hobbits encounter an old, headless statue of a Gondorian king. When Frodo sees the head lying nearby, he perceives that "The king has got a crown again". At this same time, darkness from Mordor covers the Sun.
• VIII - The Stairs of Cirith Ungol - Approaching the evil city of Minas Morgul, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum witness a great host of Sauron leaving the city to make war on Gondor. They are led by the Witch-king of Angmar. Climbing the stairs towards Gollum's secret pass, Gollum runs off for a short time. Sam suspects he may be alerting Orcs to their presence.
• IX - Shelob's Lair - Gollum returns and leads the hobbits into a dark tunnel, which is really the lair of Shelob the spider. Encountering the monsterous arachnid, Frodo and Sam realize Gollum has fled, leaving them to die. Making use of the Phial of Galadriel and his sword Sting, Frodo is able to drive Shelob back for a short time. However, as the hobbits escape the lair, Gollum subdues Sam while Shelob reappears and attacks Frodo.
• X - The Choices of Master Samwise - Sam overcomes Gollum and sends him fleeing in terror. Seeing that Shelob has attacked Frodo, Sam battles her fiercely, eventually wounding her with Sting and blinding her with the Phial. Sam sees that Shelob has stung Frodo, who lies seemingly dead in the pass. With Gollum's betrayal complete, Sam resolves to take the Ring and continue the Quest on his own, leaving his master's body. Shortly after taking the Ring, a company of Orcs from the nearby Tower of Cirith Ungol arrives and meets a company from Minas Morgul. They take Frodo's body back to the Tower. Sam, pursuing them, overhears the two commanders say that Shelob has not killed Frodo, but rendered him unconcious for several hours. The Orcs reach the Tower, but Sam cannot catch up to them in time. He is left out in a secret passageway, unable to enter as the novel ends.

Adaptations

Some of the events of The Two Towers along with The Fellowship of Ring were depicted in the 1978 film of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, directed by Ralph Bakshi.

In 1999, The Lifeline Theatre in Chicago presented the world premiere of The Two Towers, adapted for the stage by James Sie and Karen Tarjan, directed by Ned Mochel.

In 2002 the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, directed by Peter Jackson, was released. Both The Two Towers and the succeeding film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King abandoned the parallel storytelling of the volume in favour of a more chronological presentation. The first chapter from the volume actually appears at the end of Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Later events of The Two Towers involving Frodo and Sam were filmed for Jackson's The Return of the King. Other significant changes were made in the plot line, partially to give each of the characters a story arc in which they could develop and change. Although all three of Jackson's films differ from their source material, "The Two Towers" arguably contains the most major alterations. There was initial concern over using the title "The Two Towers" due to the real-life association with the World Trade Center and the terrorist attacks the previous year. The WTC was also commonly called The Twin Towers and due to that similarity, the filmmakers were reportedly considering alternate titles. It was decided, eventually, to retain the original title.

Various games also adapt The Two Towers, including online role-playing games like The Two Towers Mud and graphically-oriented console games.

External links

• The Two Towers at the Internet Book List