Instant death?

[Legolas]

She did not "give up" her immortality, spontaneously changing from an elf to a man.

She was half-elven - not an elf to begin with. So was her father, Elrond. As half-elves, their family was given a choice - to be immortal or mortal.

Elrond had already decided to be immortal. His children - Arwen, Elrohir, and Elladan - were given the choice also (since their mother was a full elf). They had until their father left Midde-earth to decide.

Until they made their decision, they aged slowly as elves do. From what happened, we can tell that when she chose mortality, her body started the mortal course of aging from her current physical state - not from where she'd be physically had she been mortal all along.

[Farael]

Originally Posted by Legolas

From what happened, we can tell that when she chose mortality, her body started the mortal course of aging from her current physical state - not from where she'd be physically had she been mortal all along.

Can we? I can't recall anything saying that she aged as well. She outlived Aragon and he lived a long life (even for a descendent of the Numenoreans) and I'm not sure whether it says she died of old age or it just does not say.

[Legolas]

Arwen would've been expected to live longer than Aragorn. The precedence is Elros, Elrond's brother. Elros lived five hundred years. Arwen was just a generation removed from Elros genetically, and she had even more elven 'blood' because her mother was wholly elven.

[davem]

In the new 'LotR: A Reader's Companion' Hammond & Scull cite Tolkien's unpublished letter to Eileen Elgar, begun 22 September 1963:

Tolkien suggests that Arwen could have surrendered her life at the same time as Aragorn, but she was not yet prepared to do so. Although she had become mortal, by nature she was still Elvish, with the long view of life held by that immortal race, to whom 'the gift of the One to Men' ... is bitter to recieve.

It would seem, therefore, that on becoming mortal she became like Aragorn, with the Numenorean 'grace' to lay down her life when she chose. She just couldn't bring herself to do it at that point.

This puts their parting in a whole new light. It wasn't so much a case of Aragorn 'deserting' Arwen, leaving her alone. It was more a case that he knew it was his time to die while she retained the option to go on - which she took.

So, Arwen died on Cerin Amroth because by that time she was prepared to do so.

[Elu Ancalime]

Arwen could have, although it would have been preposterous, to stretch her life out like the later numenorean kings did, to lengthen their lives. Now, of course arwen would not do that, but the fact she could......And Aragorn suggested she find a ship to the Havens, but 'No ship will bear me now,' or something to the extent. So even though i doubt Mandos would be happy to figure out what the heck is going on when arwen set anchor in Avallone, she gave up her life on her own, and couldve extended it. She would not have wanted to live a mortal life after aragorn died, in a land where nobody dwells. So she laid down her life, which sense i have not experianced death i can not say for sure who this happened. Was it by 'letting go,' or giving up the will to live, or by stopping her resistence to death? I dont know, and sense this is a death topic nobody can say for sure unless they died or something and can still post. I dont know how much farther this topic can get without guessing.

I think as far as PJ adding the 'fate tied to the ring' part, it would have left out aso much as afore mentioned. Maybe elrond was just stating the obvious, that a victory by Sauron would ensure the death of many elves. <-------From Encyclopedia of Arda, On the Movies, RotK
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[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by davem

In the new 'LotR: A Reader's Companion' Hammond & Scull cite Tolkien's unpublished letter to Eileen Elgar, begun 22 September 1963:

I would have greatly regretted such a dual death scene. It would remind me too starkly of the practice of suttee (also called sati), wherebye a widow was expected to immolate herself on her husband's funeral pyre. That does not seem a practice in keeping with the values of Middle-earth.

[Legolas]

No offense, but a dual death scene would've been a bit corny and lame in my opinion. How do you explain one without something weird happening? They "loved each other so much" that when one died, the other died instantly? Yawn.