View Single Post
Old 10-27-2004, 12:54 PM   #10
davem
Illustrious Ulair
 
davem's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Perhaps we can look at the roles of Galadriel & Celeborn - at least at the beginning of this chapter - in a different way.

What they seem to symbolise is 'Justice' & 'Mercy'. Celeborn is 'Justice' - he judges (quite fairly) each member of the Felowship - He says Gandalf has fallen from wisdom in confronting the Balrog alone. He then declares Gimli is at fault, at representative of his people.

Galadriel symbolises 'Mercy' - she offers compassion & understanding. From this perspective it is Celeborn, not Galadriel, who plays thee 'satan' role, playing Devil's Advocate. He states the 'facts', the case for the prosecution, while Galadriel supplies the defence. I think its wrong to judge Celeborn too harshly, or to criticise his actions. Clearly he & Galadriel play specific roles in the rule of Lorien. He is not simple or unlearned. 'Wisdom' is not always manifested in obvious ways. Without Galadriel the rule of Lorien would be unduly harsh & perhaps cruel, without Celeborn it may have been too weak & overly compassionate. Justice untempered by Mercy leads to injustice, but so does Merce untempered by Justice. They provide a balance.

There is always a danger in attributing human values, motives & behaviour to non-human beings. In the context of LotR alone the events of this chapter have a deeper significance.

The Company have entered the Earthly Paradise, literally Heaven on Earth. But we could also say they have entered the 'Workhouse' & Celeborn & Galadriel represent the First &Second 'voices' in the Niggle story. They are to be judged as to their motives in their spiritual Quest.

All the members of the Company are to be tested by their encounter - they are all on trial - & the 'personal' aspects of the judges are not really relevant - actually as judges Celeborn & Galadriel are 'above' judgement themselves. The 'defendants are on trial, not the judges. It is irrelevant what Galadriel's motives are - so Boromir is wrong in attempting to judge her - he misses the point.

Of course, at the end, Frodo turns the test back on Galadriel by offering her the Ring, but at this point that's valid she has set herself up as judge, & has to be able to justify her actions, & show that she herself is not above the Law. That she succeeds & passes that test proves that she is qualified to judge others. Frodo, however, is tested most, because he has the greatest task & his failure would lead to ultimate defeat for all.

Perhaps this accounts for Galadriel's 'genderlessness' - her role is to be a judge of hearts & minds. By the end of the chapter certainly she has taken over the shared role she had with Celeborn. She is not a 'woman', but an Archetype, testing, questioning, the defendents, but in a real sense they will all judge themselves - or be given the opportunity to.

Leaving Lorien they leave the heart of Elvendom on Earth, they pass out of the Earthly Paradise & return to the world to act on what they have learned about themselves. Judgement will be passed on all of them by their actions. Frodo & Sam particularly have been confronted by their worst hopes & fears (mostly unconscious till they looked into the Mirror), & must now face the future in full knowledge of their situation. They have seen, as clearly as possible, what they face, what the real stakes are.
davem is offline   Reply With Quote