LotR -- Book 3 - Chapter 02 - The Riders of Rohan

[davem]

Originally Posted by Lalwende

The name Lancelot has roots in Celtic words for 'white', which is reflected in Aragorn's 'light'.

And if Aragorn is 'Lancelot', is Frodo then Galahad, the one who achieves the Grail Quest? Of coursem the similarities an't be pushed too far, as Lancelot failed, & betrayed Arthur, while Aragorn succeeded, but in a sense Aragorn is a successful Lancelot - he didn't sucumb to his desires but accepted his true destiny.

Its this distinction between Destiny & Fate which Tolkien seems to be exploring in the tales of Aragorn & Frodo. Destiny is not fate, because it can be accepted or rejected. There is freedom of choice in Destiny, but not so with fate. Frodo's fate was sealed when he took up the Ring - effectively he became a 'servant' & had to submit - in fact, the times he comes closest to failing are those moments when he tries to take control of situations - when he casts aside that 'power of another kind' which Gandalf says is present in the Shire - humility. Frodo is humble before his fate, submitting to it & it carries him forward to his destined end. When Frodo refuses to be humble, when he treats fate as destiny, something he can accept or reject is when he comes closest to disaster.

Aragorn, on the other hand, comes closest to failing when he treats his Destiny as fate - expecting circumstances to sweep him along without effort - hence all his complaints about things not working out as he wished. These early chapters of books 3&4 show the two heroes coming to a realisation of their respective roles. Frodo realises he must become a 'servant' of fate, Aragorn a master of his destiny.

As Aragorn says of Frodo & Sam, theirs has been the hardest road, & so it was, because submission, humility, service, is harder to bear than rulership, yet it is Frodo & Sam's humble service which saves the world, not Aragorn's power & dominance in battle.

Not a very 21st century message.