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Old 08-07-2005, 03:49 PM   #1
Estelyn Telcontar
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Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!
Silmaril LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 06 - The Battle of Pelennor Fields

This chapter picks up the narrative where Chapter 4 ended - with the Nazgûl King at the Gate of Minas Tirith. Though things are not going as he planned, he is not defeated yet.

The narrator describes the battle scene, following Théoden, and only after he falls do we get Merry's point of view again. Dernhelm is revealed and Éowyn's bravery sparks Merry's courage so that, between the two of them, they accomplish the seemingly impossible task. This scene provides us with some of the most famous lines of the story - and sheer endless debates on the prophecy concerning the Witch King's death and the part the two and their weapons had to play in it.

I was struck by Éowyn's fearlessness in rereading this chapter. Do you think this results from her upbringing and Rohirric tradition, or is it because of her hopelessness, which is greater than any fear?

How does Théoden's death scene with his words to Merry affect you?

Merry asks the question about Gandalf's whereabouts for the readers; it will be answered in the next chapter.

What do you suppose Éomer thought when he saw his sister on the battlefield instead of safe at home, where he must have assumed she was? He asks if it is madness or devilry, so he obviously didn't know of her presence with the troops. Does his fey mood help or hinder the battle? A bit later, we read, "his fury had betrayed him".

Isn't it unusual that Snowmane, a horse that has such a terrible role in the death of its master, is buried with a gravestone that even has a poem on it?

Do you remember your first reading of the book - did you think Éowyn was dead, as did Merry and the Rohirrim? Prince Imrahil, a favourite minor character of many, plays a small but important part here.

The battle continues, and things worsen for the allies, seeming to get even worse with the arrival of the Corsair ships. Even the wind that had seemed friendly to them now seems to have brought more hosts of enemies.

Then comes Arwen's finest hour! The banner she made for Aragorn turns their hearts to hope and the tides of the battle to victory.

Hard fighting and high losses finish off the chapter, with a glimpse of a future song by a Rohirric poet.

Let's discuss the poetry in this chapter as well as the events - there are several short poems in addition to the longer one at the end. Though relatively short in length, the chapter is packed full and gives us much to talk about!
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'
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