# Main Character?



## Arda's Bane (Jun 13, 2002)

Apart from Frodo who in my view is undisputedly the main character of lotr who do you think is 2nd I was leaning towards Gandalf but now im starting to think that it may be Aragorn.


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## Merry (Jun 13, 2002)

First of all, I'm not sure that Frodo is the main character, he does feature a lot but main character? Not sure...

Anyway, I chose Aragorn although Gollum came close.


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## YayGollum (Jun 13, 2002)

The answer is definitely Gollum.


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## Gamil Zirak (Jun 13, 2002)

I don't think Frodo is the main character either. In fact, I don't think any of them are. It's hard to have a main character when everyone is split up into groups and you cover each groups stories seperately. I did vote for Gandalf because he comes the closest to a main character (in my opinion anyway).


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## Lantarion (Jun 13, 2002)

I think Aragorn is the next main character, I mean they named an entire part of the book after him! (RotK)
The book sort of leads up to both the destruction of the Ring and the crowning of Aragorn as lord of the Reunited Kingdom.


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## Gil-Galad (Jun 13, 2002)

I think that Gandalf is next.His development through the book is amazing,from Gandalf the Grey he becomes Gandalf the White.But that's not of great importance.
I've read UT and I think that Gandalf is the main character.He is the one who discovers the truth about Sauron and his coming back.He does things which are of great imprtance,he chooses Bilbo,later Frodo,and does so many things which help for defeating Sauron.


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## Ithrynluin (Jun 13, 2002)

I agree there is no obvious main character but I chose Gandalf too because he's really the chief mover of things.


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## YayGollum (Jun 13, 2002)

Ack! Why do all these people think Gandalf is the main character? Sure, he's in there a lot, but he's more like Obi-Wan Kenobi in the old Star Wars movies. I would agree with the Aragorn thing more, but I have to stick with Gollum.


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## Ithrynluin (Jun 13, 2002)

No need to get upset YayGollum, we all know that Gollum is an essential and priceless character 
What Star Wars character would Gollum be then? His looks are closest to Yoda or Jabba the hut!


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## YayGollum (Jun 13, 2002)

Gollum looks nothing like Jabba (even though Jabba is the coolest)! Ack! Hard question! I'd say he's the most like Darth Vader. Lots of people think he's evil, but he saves the day in the end.


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## Theoden (Jun 13, 2002)

Aragorn. 
Because it is about returning Gondor to her glory and about returning him to his throne. 

-me


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## Flame of Anor (Jun 13, 2002)

I would have to say that it is Aragorn half of the time and Gandalf that other half. They seem to me that their rolls in the story are of equal importance, and one without the other the whole shabang would not work.

-Flame


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## Gamil Zirak (Jun 13, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Flame_of_Anor _
> *They seem to me that their rolls in the story are of equal importance, and one without the other the whole shabang would not work.*


That could be said for just about any character. That's why there isn't really one main character. Either none of them are or all of them are.


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## HLGStrider (Jun 13, 2002)

I would have to say Frodo is the main character... All characters have importance in this story, but Frodo is the one who the main drama focuses on. After him it is Aragorn, of course, and though I am rather biased about my true love  I think that he is the one who sews up the side plot. 
One plot is the destruction of the ring
the side plot is the crowing of the king...
And this is why the singers sing...

Sorry, couldn't help myself...


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## Darth Saruman (Jun 13, 2002)

Characters in order of importance...

Frodo- the main character, the "everyman"; he represents us.
Gandalf- brings everything together; the person who EVERYBODY, including Aragorn, looks up to.
Aragorn-just a hair behind Gandalf; the third book is named after him after all. However, so is "The Lord of the Rings" named after Sauron, but it doesn't mean that Sauron's the main character.
Sam- Frodo's right hand man.
Merry and Pippen- equal to each other.
Legolas and Glimli- equal, but after the hobbits.
Gollum- the villain with the most book time.


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## Arda's Bane (Jun 14, 2002)

Well it looks like Aragorn and Gandalf are tied to 1st with 5 each sam in secound(2 votes) and gollum(looks at yaygollum) and Bilbo? with 1.
Who would think bilbo?
Anyone to split the tie?


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## YayGollum (Jun 14, 2002)

Woah! DS! How could you put Sam, Merry, Pippin, Legolas, and Gimli in front of Gollum!?! There is no character development with the evil Sam, Merry and Pippin hardly ever do anything, and the only thing Legolas and Gimli do is help out with the fighting and maybe have a little character development! Argh! Gollum saves the day! He has all kinds of character development! Gollum was the most intriguing character Tolkien ever thought up! And you put him last among those people!?! oh well. Difference of opinion.


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## The Necromancer (Jun 14, 2002)

Well, don't you guys think Sauron? I mean, think. The whole trilogy is about him, the One Ring, the enemys of the Fellowship are mostly his, they have to go to HIS land, all they talk about is HIM. He is THE Lord of The Rings. But Gollum, the hero that he is. Also, I must say I feel rather stupid, but isn't it kinda weird how Sauron and Frodo lost the SAME finger, and in the end Frodo kinda turned into Sauron?


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## HLGStrider (Jun 14, 2002)

Sauron in the book seems almost more like a force of nature than a character. He has no lines. He is this invisible bad thing that we have to destroy, totally impersonal with no character traits besides an overwhelming evilness... He is vital to the plot, but hardly a main character.

While Gollum is important, he does not effect both halfs of the story... AKA, though he does "save the day" in the end, he is practically never mentioned in the great battle part of things in Gondor, where as Frodo definately is. Aragorn is mentioned in both sides of things (Being announced by Frodo to Faramir and the statue crowned by nature, which I believe represents him).

Gandalf is definately important, and it was very close, but I think that the true end of the struggle is when the crown goes on Aragorn's head.


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## Gamil Zirak (Jun 14, 2002)

> _Originally posted by The Necromancer _
> *Also, I must say I feel rather stupid, but isn't it kinda weird how Sauron and Frodo lost the SAME finger, and in the end Frodo kinda turned into Sauron? *



I didn't realize the book told us which finger they lost. Also, how does Frodo turn in to Sauron?


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## pohuist (Jun 14, 2002)

The "main character" thing comes from Hollywood movies which are supposed to have a lead actor/actress and therefore main characters. The book is done in a different style, there are no main characters there.


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## The Necromancer (Jun 14, 2002)

Gamgil, I know because they both wore the ring on their ring finger right hand...he acts like Sauron in the fact that he puts on the ring and claims the world his, and will not give it up. Gollum plays Isildur in cutting(or in this case biting) the ring from Frodos hand. So it ends up being just like the past.


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## Lily from Bree (Jun 14, 2002)

Frodo is THE main character. After him, hmmm.......not sure. Probably either, Sam, Gandalf, or Aragorn.


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## Bilbo Baggins57 (Jun 14, 2002)

In FOTR Frodo's definately the main character, but in TTT & ROTK they're all equally important. YG, what do u mean that Merry & Pippin didn't do anything?! Merry helped Eowyn kill the Lord of the Nazgul. And if it weren't 4 Pippin & Gandalf, Faramir would've gotten burned alive.


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## HLGStrider (Jun 14, 2002)

Don't worry about Yay, Bilbo... He's just a tadbit hyper.


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## Lily from Bree (Jun 14, 2002)

Way to go, BilboBaggins! Merry and Pippin are very important. In fact, Gandalf says, "If Elrond had not yielded to me, neither of you would have set out, and then far more grievous would the evils of this day have been.", meaning Merry and Pippin, cause Pippin saved Faramir from burning and helped Eowyn kill the Nazgul.


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## Courtney (Jun 14, 2002)

I had to vote for Gollum, because although he is not always directly in the story, you can always feel that he is lurking somewhere off to the side. And he did have a big role in the two towers and the return of the king. He did save the day after all...


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## YayGollum (Jun 15, 2002)

BB27,000, I said they hardly ever do anything. The things you mentioned are the only things that help out at all. oh well. Yay Courtney!


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## Ruby Tussle (Jun 15, 2002)

*Best character*

Frodo is DEFINITELY the BEST character!! No doubt about it!!!!!


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## Gamil Zirak (Jun 15, 2002)

*Re: Best character*



> _Originally posted by Ruby Tussle _
> *Frodo is DEFINITELY the BEST character!! No doubt about it!!!!! *


This isn't about the best character. It's about who we think is the main character. I think that they all are main characters or none of them are main characters.


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## Landroval (Jun 15, 2002)

Other: The Ring


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## Lily from Bree (Jun 15, 2002)

Way to go Ruby Tussle!!!! I was hoping you'd get on here. If you want to talk about favorite characters, there's another thread, I think under Lord of the Rings movies. Check there.


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## Arda's Bane (Jun 18, 2002)

"other: the ring"
umm, although the ring shad a sort of will of its own it is not a character and even if it was counted as a character it wouldnt be a main character


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## HLGStrider (Jun 18, 2002)

If the ring was a character it would be an antagonist... Can an antagonist be a main character?


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## Tyaronumen (Jun 18, 2002)

> _Originally posted by YayGollum _
> *Gollum looks nothing like Jabba (even though Jabba is the coolest)! Ack! Hard question! I'd say he's the most like Darth Vader. Lots of people think he's evil, but he saves the day in the end. *



Naw -- that's pretty inaccurate. Gollum's like Jar Jar! He's annoying and talks funny. 

(j/k)


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## Elfarmari (Jun 18, 2002)

If you had to pick a main character, I think Gandalf would be it. If it were not for him, LotR would not have happened. Thorin &co would not have gone to defea smaug; hence Bilbo would not have recieved the ring; so Frodo would not have inherited it; etc., etc, etc.


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## Landroval (Jun 18, 2002)

Character:
1. the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.
2. a part or role, as in a play or film.

The One Ring certainly is a character.


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## HLGStrider (Jun 18, 2002)

But still an antagonist... I always divide story characters into two camps, good and bad... and have the main protaganist, then the main antagonist...

I would keep the camps seperate, with a few go betweens and bystanders.


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## YayGollum (Jun 19, 2002)

Tyaronumen, I have but one thing to say: Argh! And also,  how can you think Gollum is anything like Jar Jar? Jar Jar never does anything useful ever! Ack! Darth Vader saves the day in the end. So does Gollum. Gollum is like Darth Vader. oh well.


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## Lantarion (Jun 19, 2002)

It's actually the brat-Anakin, who isn't Darth Vader yet, who saves the day, but that's hardly important..


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## Arrhia El. (Jun 19, 2002)

Who's the enemy they're all fighting? I think Sauron is obviously the main character, although I noticed nobody else voted for him. If it weren't for him there would be no LotR at all. And if you think the ring is the main character that's really Sauron too because it's kind of part of him.


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## Sam_Gamgee (Jun 19, 2002)

i put gandalf but i dunno i think alot of them are pretty equal in there maincarachterness.


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## Oren (Jun 22, 2002)

I choose Aragorn. And if you want a reason, too bad. I don't have one.


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## YayGollum (Jun 22, 2002)

Pontifex, I meant to say that Darth Vader was the hero in the end of the whole series. Whoops! Okay, I'm leaving.


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## Diabless (Jun 23, 2002)

*story vs. book*

Lord of the Rings is so complex and has so much history that there are two types of characters. 
There are main characters in the story and plot of the History of ME.The ones who make a difference. These are such as
Frodo
Gandalf 
Aragorn
They are also very important characters. There is a difference between important and main. For example:
Galadriel
Gollum
So we can distinguish between main book chracters and main story chracters. Some overlap. If I had to pick three for each...
Wait...I am a genius. In the book the main chracters change by section. it's alot about Frodo in the 1st. In the TTT Sam has a lot of thinking aloud and talk time...
Main book characters
FOTR
Frodo

TTT
Merry and Pip
Sam

ROTK
Aragorn 
Eowyn
Faramir
Gandalf

Important people in the story of ME that are featured in LOTR
Frodo
Aragorn
Galadriel
Gandalf

Now, you decide...


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## HelplessModAddi (Jun 25, 2002)

I always viewed the "main character" as the one who we follow in the story.

Book 1:
Frodo

Book 2:
everyone

Book 3:
Pippin in one half, Gimli + Legolas in the other (not Gandalf or Aragorn, they seem a bit too remote)

Book 4:
Sam

Book 5:
Mostly Pippin + Merry with a few Aragorn + Legolas + Gimli moments

Book 6:
Sam

So overall? I'd have to say Sam.


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## HelplessModAddi (Jun 27, 2002)

> Hey, this is actually my favorite sentence from all of Tolkien's works.
> It states, that not even the worst of the bad guys will ever change the overall outcome of God's (Eru's) Creation.



 

I like it because it describes how bad guys unwittingly cause good things. It's fun to think of Melkor fuming over that.


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## Lantarion (Jun 27, 2002)

Haha, in your face, Melkor! 
That is a very powerful quote, and I would call it my favorite if I didn't feel there was another quote (which I can't remember!) which I like even more.. Hmm..


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## HLGStrider (Jun 27, 2002)

If there is no deeper meaning than beauty than ugliness is a crime... then if someone is cluttering up things they deserve to die... read Rainbow Six or research nazi Germany... world needs deeper meaning and a reason for humans to have the right to live.

Rainbow Six has the worst language in any book that I have ever read, but I like the lesson... The bad guys are terrible


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## Arrhia El. (Jun 28, 2002)

So where did humans get the idea of beaty from if it does not exist outside ourselves? And how do we know what is beautiful??


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## Gamil Zirak (Jun 28, 2002)

We only know what we perceive as being beauty. Different people see different things as beauty.


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## Gamil Zirak (Jun 28, 2002)

Evil will fall, but you can't wait around for it to happen. You have to do something about it (i.e. Europe standing up to Hitler, Russia driving Hitler's army out, etc).


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## Landroval (Jun 29, 2002)

Do not say that this is beautiful or this is ugly for it is neither. Beauty and ugliness exist only in the human mind.


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## Selkieschild64 (Jun 30, 2002)

> I think Aragorn is the next main character, I mean they named an entire part of the book after him! (RotK)



The title that Tolkien originally wanted for Return of the King was "The War of the Ring." He felt that ROTK spoiled the story. I'm not sure why the publishers didn't go with this title.

I don't think there's one *main* character, including Frodo. After FOTR, the story splinters into quite a few parts...Merry and Pippin each have their own story, and Aragorn has his. I don't think Gandalf is the main character, although he's important to the story (as is everyone). Sam certainly is essential to the destruction of the Ring--the focus shifts from Frodo to Sam in ROTK, perhaps as early as the Two Towers.

So, no, I can't see any "main character". 

Kelly


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## HLGStrider (Jun 30, 2002)

I agree with you that evil cannot win, and I do see this as God's plan, but I also believe in a right to live, which is why I happen to be prolife...
Existance does give the right to live, I suppose. The fact that God put you there is the reason why you should stay and no one has the right to take you off...
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness... I believe these freedoms are biblical as well as Patriot.


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## Xanaphia (Jul 5, 2002)

hmmmmm.... Well, I don't know maybe Sam because he had quite a big role beside Frodo, but without Suaron the book would have had no plot at all. Gandalf was also a very big part though.


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