Similarities between Sam...and Beren?

Enoch_Arden_5

New Member
I know this does have anything to do with the current passage in Exploring the Lord of the Rings, but I was reading the Silmarillion, and to me it seemed there was a similarity between Sam and Beren that I was curious about.

I was reading through the passage in the Silmarillion in which Thingol received the Nauglamir, and he then has the dwarves fashion it as a necklace for the silmaril. Yada yada yada, Thingol is killed by the dwarves and Beren recovers the silmaril from the dwarves. And I was struck by something that makes Beren different. He doesn't show any desire to possess the silmaril or to deny the silmaril to someone else. During his first encounter with the silmaril, he (in a roundabout way) gives it to Thingol; and during his second encounter with the silmaril, he gives it to Luthien. I realize when he gives it to Luthien, he still sees it all the time, but he still doesn't possess it for himself (contrast with Feanor, who doesn't even let other people see the silmarils).

Both before and after this we see multiple people come into contact with the silmarils, and almost without fail every person who encounters the silmarils wants to possess the silmarils for himself - Feanor, the sons of Feanor, Morgoth, Thingol, and the dwarves who killed Thingol.

Beren possesses a silmaril on two separate occasions, and both times he gives up the silmaril. He is one of the few people who does not become overwhelmed by a desire to possess the silmaril for himself alone. His love for Luthien seems to surpass his love for even the most desirable object in the first age: an object which almost everyone else wants for himself.

To me it seems that Sam is put into a similar situation when he takes the ring from the (seemingly) dead body of Frodo. After Sam finds Frodo in the tower, he is also faced with a choice - to keep the ring for himself or give it back to Frodo. Sam chooses love for his master over a desire to possess the ring, and that love and loyalty seems to be the thing that allows him to give up the ring.

Both Sam and Beren are not swayed by a desire to possess the most desirable object of their age because their love and devotion to someone is stronger than a desire to possess the ring or the simaril for themselves. They are obviously very different characters, but it seems like there is something of a parallel between these two here. Am I mistaken in this, or am I extremely late in this comparison, or totally wrong? Thanks.
 
Beren did have a moment of weakness when he tried to get another Silmaril out of Morgoth's crown (his goal was only one for Thranduil, but he was tempted to rescue them all). His knife broke and Morgoth began to wake, so they had to run and Lúthien hadn't had time to recover when they met Carcharoth. And he lost his hand with the Silmaril. But I imagine everything changed when they returned from the Halls of Mandos. What could compare to the beauty of Lúthien: "wearing that necklace and that immortal jewel [she] was the vision of greatest beauty and glory that has ever been outside the realm of Valinor." Both he and Sam are saved from temptation by love. And humility.
Although I think one might actually make a stronger comparison between Sam and Lúthien, who did all she did for love of Beren. She sang a song at Sauron's stronghold, which Beren heard and responded to, and so was found. Lots of parallels in their stories.
 
But did he try to take the other Silmarils because he desired to possess them for himself, or because the opportunity was there and he thought he might thereby increase his standing with Thingol?

I guess the question then becomes what would Beren have done with the extra jewels if he had successfully retrieved them. Kept them? Distributed them? Returned them he the sons of Feanor? (I find that last choice somewhat unlikely.)
 
But did he try to take the other Silmarils because he desired to possess them for himself, or because the opportunity was there and he thought he might thereby increase his standing with Thingol?

I guess the question then becomes what would Beren have done with the extra jewels if he had successfully retrieved them. Kept them? Distributed them? Returned them he the sons of Feanor? (I find that last choice somewhat unlikely.)
I don’t recall a specific reason beyond the fact that they were too lovely to be left with Morgoth — kinda like it was wrong for them to be there. I don’t recall his motive being possessiveness, but possibly excessive hubris regarding his ability to attempt that additional goal. I’d have to re-read the Lay of Leithian
 
No, we aren't given any specific reason in any version I've read. But I think that there are other possibilities for Beren wanting to retrieve the other Silmarils besides simple lust for the jewels. Ultimately, it's all speculation, with hubris being as possible as anything else.
 
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