Wormtongue and Gollum

[ForthDauntless3]

During my most recent read through, I noticed some striking similarities between Gollum and Wormtongue. They both start out as cunning and clever, but they wind up broken and enslaved to the power that controls them. Some of Tolkien's descriptions of their motions (e.g. Wormtongue's motion along the road toward the Shire) are even fairly similar. Given that Saruman is known to have made a ring for himself, this might be interesting.

Obviously we're really far from looking at this, but maybe it's something to keep in mind.

 

[Johannes]

The power Saruman has over Wormtongue does remind you of the power the Ring has over Gollum. Wormtongue wants to leave Saruman, but he can't; Saruman is wearing down Wormtongue similarly to the way the Ring is wearing down Gollum. Both cases has the whole love/hate-relationship going.

In the end though, Wormtongue manages to do what Gollum never could; but they both pay the same price.

 

[No One in Particular]

In both cases it is utter dominance of a mortal by the power or will of a Maia (different Maia, but still...). Never really compared the two, but there are some parallels.

 

[amysrevenge]

Have to be careful when describing the Istari as Maia. Sort of, but sort of not. Mostly not, I think.

 

[Faelivrin]

Istari are Maiar in origin, but they were incarnated into real, flesh-and-blood bodies, and in the process forgot much of their memories and knowledge, and lost much of their original power. They also seem to require food, water, and sleep the way normal Ainur probably don't, and they can get addicted to tobacco.

Whether they still count as Maiar after all that, may be a matter of opinion.

 

[No One in Particular]

All true. But he was still, in origin, a Maia. Yes, he had to sacrifice an unknown quantity of power and knowledge to become incarnate as a human. But the power and knowledge he retained were still derived from his essential nature. In my opinion, of course.