The Return of the King (1955) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Frodo Baggins: A Hobbit who was given the task of bearing the Ring of Power to Mordor, and tossing it into the fires of Mount Doom. In the Two Towers he was taken as prisoner by Orcs after a run-in with the giant spider, Shelob.
• Aragorn: Heir of Isildur and Chieftain of the Dunedain. Betrothed to Arwen, and a member of the Fellowship.
• Gandalf: A wizard who traveled with the Fellowship of the Ring till Moria, where he fell into darkness, thought to be dead. But is brought back as Gandalf the White.
• Samwise Gamgee: Gardener and most faithful companion of Frodo Baggins.
• Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck: Hobbit. Member of the Fellowship.
• Peregrin "Pippin" Took: Hobbit. The youngest in the Fellowship.
• Legolas: Son of the King of Mirkwood. Member of the Fellowhsip. He is good with the bow. Friends with Gimli the Dwarf, which is rare between elves and dwarves.
• Gimli: Dwarf. A member of the Fellowship. He is loyal and handy with an axe. Friends with Legolas the elf, which is rare between elves and dwarves.
• Éowyn: The niece of King Théoden.
• Éomer: Brother to Éowyn and Third Marshal of the Mark.
• Théoden: King of Rohan.
• The Witch King: The strongest and most feared of the Nazgul.
• Sauron: a.k.a. the Dark Lord. Originally a Maia corrupted by Morgoth, he seeks to enslave all of Middle-earth to his will. Forged the One Ring.
• Faramir: Younger brother of Boromir and Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien.
• Arwen: Known as the Evenstar of her Elven people. She fell in love with Aragorn, a human, and now has a choice. To go with her people and stay immortal, or to stay with Aragorn and become mortal.
• Denethor: The Steward of Gondor, father of Boromir and Faramir.
• Imrahil: The Prince of Dol Amroth. Fights in the battle of the Pelennor Fields.
• Ioreth: Wise-woman of Gondor, working in the Houses of Healing.
• Saruman: Wizard; betrayer of his order and ally of Sauron.
• Shadowfax: Horse; one of the Mearas, the fathers of horses. Gandalf is given him from King Théoden.
• Shagrat: An orc.
• Bergil: A man of Gondor.
• Gorbag: An orc.
• Ghan-buri-Ghan: A Wild Man, who aids the Rohirrim in their ride to Gondor.
• Isildur: Man; son of Elendil. Isildur cut the Ring from the hand of Sauron, but failed to destroy it.
• Barliman Butterbur: Owner and proprietor of The Prancing Pony inn in Bree.
• Rosie Cotton: Hobbit; one of Farmer Cotton's daughters, eventually married to Sam Gamgee.
• Gollum: The Ring is orginally his, but Bilbo Baggins (Frodo Baggins's "uncle") found it in a treasure hunting quest in "The Hobbit" and it came to Frodo's inheritance.
• Bilbo Baggins: He is Frodo's uncle; and it is he who gave the Ring to Frodo.
• Tree beard: The leader of the Ents and friend of merry and Pippin
• Shelob: One of the ancient great spiders who lives near the pass of Cirth Ungol

Quotes edit see section history

• “But I have been too deeply hurt, Sam. I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them.”

  Frodo

• “Those without swords can still die by them”

  Eowyn

• “Oft hope is born, when all is forlorn”

  Legolas

• “Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the sea comes the end of our fellowship in middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep for not all tears are an evil.”

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.

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• in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.

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• ‘Many folk like to know beforehand what is to be set on the table; but those who have laboured to prepare the feast like to keep their secret; for wonder makes the words of praise louder.

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• ‘What do you fear, lady?’ he asked. ‘A cage,’ she said. ‘To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.’

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• ‘It needs but one foe to breed a war, not two, Master Warden,’ answered Éowyn. ‘And those who have not swords can still die upon them.

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• ‘Here is a thing unheard of!’ he said. ‘An Elf will go underground and a Dwarf dare not!’ With that he plunged in.

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• ‘Come, Mr. Frodo!’ he cried. ‘I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you

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• I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them.

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• Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old. Great beasts drew it, orcs surrounded it, and behind walked mountain-trolls to wield it.

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• And he sang to them, now in the elven-tongue, now in the speech of the West, until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Gondor: A southern kingdom of Men, who guard Middle-earth against Mordor.
• Mordor: The Black Land, home of the Dark Lord, Sauron.
• Rohan: Home of the Rohirrim, the horse lords.
• The Shire: The land of the Hobbits, in the Northwest of Middle-earth.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Tilth: Tillage; arable land that is worked by plowing and sowing and raising crops.
• Oast: A kiln for drying hops.
• Garner: A granary or store of grain; an accumulation, supply, store, or hoard of something.
• Byre: A barn, especially one used for keeping cattle.
• Rill: A rivulet or small stream.
• Surcoat: A loose outer coat, usually of rich material.
• Sward: An expanse of land covered in grass; a lawn or meadow.
• Dais: A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it; usually for a throne.
• Kine: Cattle; domesticated bovine animals as a group, regardless of sex or age.
• Salver: A flat tray of silver or other metal used for carrying or serving glasses, cups and dishes at table.
• Wain: A horse-drawn wagon.
• Fell: Extremely cruel or fierce.
• Ere: Before.
• Coomb: A small valley, often wooded and with no river.
• Wight: An archaic term for a human being or another sentient creature.
• Wroth: Full of anger; wrathful.
• Hauberk: A long (usually sleeveless) tunic of chain mail formerly worn as defensive armor.
• Gloaming: Twilight, as at early morning or (especially) early evening; dusk.
• Dwimor: Magic, sorcery, spells.
• Pavilion: A large and often sumptuous tent.
• Board: Food or meals in general; a table where food and meals are served.
• Fey: Fated, bewitched, unlucky; acting in a manner that presages death.
• Jerkin: A tight sleeveless and collarless jacket (often made of leather) worn by men in former times.
• Lithe: Moving and bending with ease.
• Wold: An unforested or deforested plain, a grassland, a moor; a wood or forest, especially a wooded upland.
• Livery: A uniform or other insignia or symbol, often using elements of heraldry.
• Brazier: A container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box.
• Furlong: A measure of distance, equal to 220 yards.
• Sortie: A military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position.
• Wose: A wild man.
• Pinion: The wing of a bird.
• Dwimmer: Magic, sorcery, spells.
• Dwimmerlaik: An archaic word meaning phantom ("dwimmer": magic or sorcery; "laik": work or creation).
• Van: Vanguard; the leading units moving at the head of an army.
• Truncheon: A stick or club of less than arm's length, usually made of wood or metal.
• Burnished: Made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow.
• Vambrace: The piece of armor designed to protect the arm, from the elbow to the wrist.
• Variag: One of the people of Middle-earth, a name deriving from the word Varangian, another name for the Vikings who fought in Constantinople.
• Dromund: A warship.
• Corsair: A pirate.
• Recreant: A deserter; a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause.
• Jetsam: The part of a ship's equipment or cargo that is thrown overboard to lighten the load in a storm. Used colloquially to mean a clutter of items.
• Noisome: Nauseating; hurtful, offensive or noxious.
• Ghyll: A ravine with a stream.
• Slaver: Drooling saliva.
• Hue and cry: A cry for help to which all within earshot were required to give chase to the malefactor.
• Tor: A prominent rock or pile of rocks on a hill.
• Brake: Bracken; a thicket, or an area overgrown with briers, etc.
• Lay: A narrative song with a recurrent refrain.
• Raiment: Clothing, garments, dress, or material.
• Puissant: Powerful, mighty; having authority.
• Argent: Colored silver.
• Fillet: A narrow flat band.
• Loth: Loath; unwilling.
• Hallow: A consecrated thing or place.
• Wont: Habit or established custom.
• Scion: A descendent or heir.
• Palfrey: A type of horse highly valued as a riding horse in the Middle Ages.
• Barrow: A burial mound; a heap of earth placed over prehistoric tombs.
• Baldric: A belt used to hold a sword, sometimes richly ornamented, worn diagonally from shoulder to hip.
• Garth: A small piece of enclosed land next to a house, often a garden.
• Flotsam: Debris floating in a river or sea, in particular fragments from a shipwreck. Used colloquially to mean a clutter of items.
• Mere: A lake that is broad in relation to its depth; a pool or marsh.
• Eyot: A little island, especially in a river or lake.
• Errantry: The state of roving in search of chivalrous adventure.
• Cavalcade: A procession traveling on horseback.
• Grange: A farm or a granary.
• Firth: An arm of the sea, extending into the land; a fjord.
• Dearth: An acute insufficiency.
• Drake: A dragon; usually a small, wingless type.
• Thrawn: Twisted or misshapen; difficult or awkward.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Preceded by The Two Towers.

Preceded by Holes, and followed by The Fellowship of the Ring.

Preceded by The Floating Opera, and followed by The Talented Mr. Ripley.

Preceded by The Lightning Thief, and followed by Wicked.

Followed by Dust of Dreams.

Preceded by Tuesdays With Morrie, and followed by The Chronicles of Narnia.

Preceded by The Two Towers, and followed by The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.

Preceded by One Hundred Years of Solitude, and followed by Wicked.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. J. R. R. Tolkien (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. J. R. R. Tolkien (Cover Artist) - ISBN: 0345272609

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 828'.912

Notes for Parents edit see section history

contains violence

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Science Fiction & Fantasy › Fantasy › Epic
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Classics

Movie Connections edit see section history

• The Return of the King (IMDb): 1980
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (IMDb): 2003

More Books Like This edit see section history

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history