Episode 60 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 60

Comment on fairness and foulness:

• In Macbeth, the Witches in the first act speak of “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”. Is there any connection with Frodo’s juxtaposition of fair and foul in his description of Strider?
• In Frodo’s case he is speaking about the difference between appearances and reality.
• Note: It’s possible that Tolkien was influenced by Macbeth, because he explicitly alluded to this on several occasions and in multiple ways. It’s also possible that he just enjoyed the alliteration.
• In Macbeth, he is the victorious general and heroic warrior who wins a battle against rebels.
• Note: James I wrote a book on witches and demonology, and this was influential on Shakespeare’s later plays, as shown here by making the Witches the villains of Macbeth.
• This is the reason that the Witches declare reversals of fair and foul, both in perception and reality. This is both a prophecy and a curse about what is coming for Macbeth.
• Macbeth is as fair as fair gets, being the most faithful and valiant follower of Duncan, the king.
• The Witches are predicting his fall from the height of fairness to the depths of foulness. They are both prophesying this, and also reveling in his fall with pleasure.
• By prophesying to Macbeth about his ascent to king, they are encouraging him to look to fair things in the future, each fairer than the next.
• Immediately after having been promised these fair things, he starts to plot foul things to get them. So, the fair things are made foul, and the foul things are made fair.
• They have also taken his high position of becoming thane and made it small by comparison.
• The Witches are playing with means and ends to confuse fairness and foulness.
• Frodo is not considering means and ends, nor is he confusing fairness with foulness, but he is saying that there is disjunction between what he is perceiving with his senses and what he feels.
• He is also saying that he is experiencing the opposite of what he would expect from a spy of the Enemy. The key words are “seem fairer and feel fouler”.
• Frodo’s words are premised on the idea that fair is fair, and foul is foul, despite appearances.
• Is there an explicit connection between “seeming” with sight? Not literally, though Frodo’s usage mostly points to that. It has to do with physical senses.
• The “feeling” Frodo is referring to has more to do with intuition or spiritual insight, similar to what Gandalf and Elrond reference when he talks about what his heart tells him.

A note on Sam’s permission:

• Is Strider gently mocking Sam for asking for Frodo’s leave to tell him “no” earlier?
• Strider does seem to be echoing Sam’s words, in order to playfully banter with him.

Gandalf is missing:

• Note: At the point at which Gandalf receives the message from Radagast about Saruman’s offer of help much has happened. He had been in the Shire in April, then heard something that caused him to leave Bag End to meet with Aragorn at the beginning of May and then leave to eventually meet with Radagast in June. Aragorn’s information comes from this conversation.
• Aragorn had not heard any bad news at the time he saw Gandalf, which allows him to leave Eriador. It’s when he returns that he realizes the Ringwraiths are there and Gandalf is missing.
• Aragorn speaks of Gandalf as missing, as he cannot imagine Gandalf not being where he said he would do. He can only imagine that the Black Riders could be involved at this point.
• Aragorn has had two meetings or contacts with Gildor’s folk, once before Gildor met Frodo informing Aragorn that the Ringwraiths are around.
• Gildor’s folk are not surprised that the Ringwraiths are abroad. Their surprise is that the Black Riders are in the Shire and the hobbits are asking about them.
• Gildor realizes that Frodo was nearly captured by the Enemy in the Shire, and this is why he invites the hobbits to join them on their road for the night.
• Aragorn had another meeting with Gildor’s folk after meeting Frodo, and that’s where he got the information that Frodo was on the road and in danger.
• Gandalf had probably had contact with Gildor, and it was understood that he had taken charge of the business in the Shire, which is why they are surprised that he is not with the hobbits.
• Gildor doesn’t know that Gandalf went to see Saruman, because Gandalf did not meet with anyone else before meeting with Butterbur, leaving Bree, and traveling to Isengard.
• Gildor knew that Gandalf was missing, but his concerned are heightened when he learns that he had a definite meeting point with Frodo, and he did not arrive.
• The concept of Saruman’s treachery is completely foreign to Aragorn at this point; therefore, he can only think that the Nazgûl or Sauron himself as possible reasons to delay Gandalf.
• Note: In the early drafts, Gandalf was actually trapped by the Nazgûl in a tower, and this was the reason for his delay. It’s as if he had been treed like a hunted animal.
• This gives Aragorn the chance to reveal something of Gandalf’s true power to the hobbits.
• Neither Aragorn nor Frodo are willing to say that Gandalf is dead, though that would be the more likely outcome if confronted. The Enemy would not be interested in taking him prisoner.
• This worry about Gandalf’s death is what Aragorn means when he tells them not to lose hope.

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[Tony Meade]

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Merry’s news from Bree:

• Merry does not have his confrontation in a back alley of Bree. Rather, it is right outside the Pony. That is how Nob found him so quickly.
• Merry notes that there was no horse, which is why he did not identify it at once. This is the first time that he has seen a Black Rider, aside from the strange shadow on the ferry landing.
• His experience of fear highlights the true power of the Nazgûl, to spread fear and horror.
• The fact that the Ringwraith is right outside the inn shows how close the threat truly is.
• Merry is understandably surprised to have a Man in their room, but Frodo uses his friendship with Gandalf as a shortcut to explain it. This is what he wished Aragorn had also done for him.
• Merry shows a degree of courage in following the Black Rider after seeing it the first time. This impresses Aragorn, as very few people would respond this way.
• Note: This is a bit of foreshadowing as to Merry’s career involving the Nazgûl.
• Merry seems to have been compelled to follow the Ringwraith, but it is unclear where the compulsion came from. It may have been from the Ringwraith itself, for unknown reasons.
• Note: Nearly all the occasions in which a Ringwraith tries to impose their will on someone, it will be on Frodo to gain the Ring. We don’t know why it happens here, if this is what happened.
• Merry may have been drawn by curiosity, but he perceived that some external force was active.
• His sense of adventure may have prompted him to do things like go through the Old Forest, but this seems to be different, if we believe Merry is not just making an excuse for foolishness.
• Such an excuse would be conspicuous, as this is something that the Nazgûl are known to do.
• Is the Ringwraith aware of Merry or trying to draw him? Probably not, and Merry follows the wraith to what will later be revealed to be Bill Ferny’s house.
• The drawing forth of Merry seems to be an unconscious effect on the people around the Ringwraith. This is different from the animals reacting to the sense of something dreadful.
• This is closer to the impulse seen with Frodo to leap out and reveal himself to the Riders.
• This is separate from the compulsion to put on the Ring, which comes from the Ring itself.
• This effect may come from the power of their own Rings to dominate others in the area.
• However, the Ringwraiths are not acting in concert with the Ring; the two powers are separate, though they may unknowingly play off of each other to make Frodo more vulnerable.
• These are the same powers that were able to defeat the Gondorian armies, which is why it is so threatening to find them here in Eriador seeking Frodo.

A feeling of drowning:

• Note: It is notable that Merry had this dream of drowning in the house of Tom Bombadil.
• Merry is being picked up by Nob, and he is being rescued from two Men, not the Black Rider.
• These were probably Bill Ferny and the southerner on behalf of the Black Rider. Ferny was likely taking Merry back to be interrogated at his house.
• Note: The Nazgûl rarely interact physically with enemies, and we haven’t seen them do it yet.
• What the Black Rider does do in the situation upon realizing he’s being followed is to overwhelm Merry with its power of fear. This is the first incident of an attack by a Black Rider.
• Nob is able to save Merry because Ferny and his friend do not want a witness that can identify them, even though Nob can’t prove it was them or clearly recognize them in the dark.
• In a small town like Bree, no one would tolerate Ferny committing kidnapping or murder. They may have recognized Nob’s voice and did not want to deal with Butterbur, who is important.
• Ferny was already a subject of contempt and suspicion in the small town of Bree.
• The Ringwraith does not run from Nob, but also does not attack. This must mean that the Black Rider had already left to report to the Witch-king after giving instructions to Ferny.
• Nob shows a lot of courage to try to rescue one hobbit from two large men by shouting. He probably thinks that Merry is drunk and being mugged or kidnapped.
• The Ringwraith feels safe leaving before the consummation of the kidnapping because he has reinforcements nearby and knows where to find the Shire-hobbits.
• Ferny would not be able to recognize Merry, as he was not in the common-room. So, capturing a Shire-hobbit is a bonus to the news of Frodo’s disappearance to report to the Witch-king.
• They know that there was a party of four hobbits coming out of the Shire, and they have only seen three in the common-room, so they could assume that Merry was the fourth.
• The Ringwraith must have deduced that the Ring is in Bree and at The Prancing Pony now.

END OF SESSION