[The Saucepan Man]

A question to all those who dislike Arwen's role in the films: Do you think that she should be included in the trilogy (of films) at all?<P>If not, fine. Although her absence would, in my view, have robbed Aragorn of a big part of his motivation, made his resistance of Eowyn's charms seem rather strange, and disappointed audiences (I think) that he ends up on his own at the end.<P>If, on the other hand, Arwen is to take her rightful place in the films as the love of Aragorn's life and, ultimately, his bride, her expanded role makes a lot of sense. It would seem very strange to audiences who haven't read the books if the big finale in the third film involved Aragorn marrying some woman who they had only seen for a brief time in the first film (at Rivendell), if indeed they remembered her at all.<P>So, given that Aragorn's coronation and his marriage to Arwen is (as I understand it) going to form part of the joyful tension release scenes following the defeat of Sauron (prior to the bittersweet parting at the Grey Havens), it makes sense to me that Arwen be given greater involvement in the events portrayed throughout the three films.<BR>I therefore have little problem with her role in the two films so far (although I agree that the dream sequence was a little gratuitous, at least in the way that it was done, and I am very glad that they chose to drop Arwen from Helm's Deep).<P>One further question - why is film Arwen always being described on this site as a shieldmaiden? As far as I can see, the only vaguely "shieldmaiden-ish" thing that she has done so far is to ride to the Ford with Frodo and defy the Nazgul. Which, there being no swordplay or shields in sight, hardly qualifies her in my view as a shieldmaiden. Of course, she will undoubtedly qualify for the title if she turns up at Pelennor Fields - but let's hope that doesn't happen.