Re:Why do the spiders in the hobbit talk?
 

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Animated Skeleton
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Ok weird question but I read somewhere that the spiders in Mirkwood were the offspring of the spider Shelob and she was desendent of Ungoliant.Now heres the question,if the spiders in Mirkwood talked to Bilbo,then why didnt Shelob talk to Sam and Frodo you know goow when Sam stabbed her or something?
a perplexed
Samwise

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<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wraith of Angmar
Posts: 1997</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: Re:Why do the spiders in the hobbit talk?

Shelob must have known how to speak because she and Gollum had communicated a deal for him to bring her food. I guess she was just so busy trying to kill Frodo and Sam that she didn't feel like conversation.

The Barrow-Wight (RKittle)
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<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wight
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Re: Re:Why do the spiders in the hobbit talk?

Postulations concerning the spawn of Ungoliant might include the following considerations:

1) Shelob was loner.

2) The Spiders of Mirkwood were a somewhat more social group.

Thus, I think it far more likely that the Mirkwood spiders would talk to one another and even to their prey.

Shelob, on the other hand, as the Wight points out, was certainly intent upon her prey, and enraged that they had already eluded her. She had nothing to say to them. Spindly shriveled little Gollum, however, came softly tricksy along and was no doubt quite careful and crafty in dealing with her.

Also, Gollum escaped through her lair before. This was suspiciously easy. One suspects that Sauron had told his &quot;kitty&quot; to let this one go. She was thus, more inclined not to catch and eat Gollum when he returned, promising nice soft scrumptuously juicy prey.

Going back to Morgoth and Ungoliant, this may be a weakness of the spider-spawn. They may give up one in the hand, for two in the bush.

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This crackpot theory may have you saying "he's smoking Old Toady", but I think that the spiders in The Hobbit seem more menacing given evil thoughts and voices, otherwise they would just be a bunch of overgrown house-arachnids. Shelob on the other hand is a single, huge malevolent presence. Not only does she not need to speak to seem more evil, but her talking would surely detract from the alien horror of her and her lair.

Thanks, doug*platypus, you've most probably cured my arachnophobia. Now next time I see a spider I'll recall the phrase and simply giggle to hiccups [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
I've been diong just that for half an hour already [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

I agree with Doug. Shelob is more ominus in silence.

To take what Gilthalion said a step further, I think the reason that the Mirkwood spiders talked was because, as aforementioned, they were more social, so it is possible that the Mirkwood spiders developed vocal chords over time, since they would need some way to communicate, whereas Shelob, being a loner, wouldn't have much use of a voice.
This theory would probably only work if Darwin was right about evolution.

[ January 16, 2003: Message edited by: Nevfeniel ]

Because it was a fairy tale. Everything talks in fairy tales.

I'll agree with doug*platypus on this one. Shelob is more of a melevolent silence. The Mirkwood spiders are still scary, but in a fairy tale kind of way.

I actually really like spiders. So, either way, the Middle-earthean arachnids have my total appriciation! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]