About Tolkien's women, there are, indeed, many meanings of 'tragic', as
Legate has suggested.
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Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc
But if I had to say if there were some whose fate was really tragic, REALLY TRAGIC, without any compensation for their suffering, or at least which I consider not to have died by such a heroic death, you know, those who were not celebrated at least in their death, I'd say Túrin Turambar.
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Originally Posted by Nogrod
A most tragic individual fate: Turin Turambar
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Turin surely is Tolkien's classic tragic hero, undeserving of the terrible fate meted out to him.
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Originally Posted by Child
We're talking about the "most tragic" part of the books as a whole, which I assume includes the whole of Tolkien's subcreation. To me these words sum up the tragedy of Tolkien's world.
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Men may sail now West, if they will, as far as they may, and come no nearer to Valinor or the Blessed Realm, but return only into the east and so back again; for the world is round and finite, and a circle inescapable---save by death. Only the "immortals", the lingering Elves, may still if they will, wearying of the circle of the world, take ship and find the 'straight way', and come to the ancient or True West, and be at peace.
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And it is not just the men of Arda who are pulled into this tragedy. It's us as well. There's that sense of standing on the shore with Sam and watching Frodo's boat set sail and disappear over the horison but there is nothing you can do to join him. Something is gone from the world, when you come to the end of LotR. Long before, men had lost the chance to sail to the Blessed Lands and now even the Elves depart the shores of Middle-earth. Men are left behind, and there is no way to close that gap. |
If we consider the meaning of tragic which pertains to Turin, does this meaning apply to this situation which
Child has poignantly described? What is it about Eru's creation that has to fall short of its perfection?
Tolkien seems to have explored many of the word's meanings.