English literature Essay 2

** Note: Last semester, students used Essay Three for research. Thus, this is a sample of research and also a sample topic for our third essay. One weakness of this sample is that it doesn’t have many quotes from the stories themselves.

Medievalism in The Lord of the Rings

The definition of medievalism is “the ongoing process of recreating, reinventing, and reenacting medieval culture in postmedieval times” (Emery and Utz). J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is an exemplary example of a medievalist work in modern culture. Some renderings of medieval culture in modern works inaccurately display the medieval culture in what is known as neomedievalism (Emery and Utz). However, Tolkien had a great respect for medieval history and culture which is evident in the way he developed Middle Earth. Tolkien was well-informed with Arthurian literature and carried Arthurian themes into The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s respectful approach to medievalism and Arthurian literature is the reason The Lord of the Rings has been a great success.

In Arthurian literature, chivalry presents itself as an unattainable ideal that can be extreme at times. For example, in King Arthur and his Knights, Guinevere’s jealousy causes Lancelot to lose his sanity for almost two years while he wonders around as a mad man (Malory). Tolkien transforms chivalry into something that is less extreme and relatable to his readers. In Arthurian literature, a definite king and a definite religion dictate the aspects of chivalry. However, in The Lord of the Rings, no one king rules Middle Earth and no common religion is shared by its peoples which enables Middle Earth to adapt and change (Edman). This adaptability makes chivalry relevant in the fast-changing modern world. As apparent in Frodo’s quest to destroy the ring and prevent one person from holding all power, “Tolkien rejects sovereignty” when he reflects King Arthur through Frodo (Edman). The literal and figurative little guy becomes the hero making chivalry accessible to everyone regardless of their situation as opposed to King Arthur and his knights who are born into chivalry.

Another aspect of chivalry that Tolkien focuses on is war culture. The Anglo-Saxon war culture influenced the war culture of Tolkien (Kundu). In stories like Beowulf, friendship and loyalty tie the bonds of a thane to his lord and inspired Tolkien in his literature (Kundu). The fellowship and comradery of the soldiers in Middle Earth fighting against Sauron is stronger than that of King Arthur’s knights who often go on quests alone (Kundu). In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Gawain accepts the beheading challenge on his own and embarks on the journey to the Green Chapel alone: “Why should I shy / away. If fate is kind / or cruel, man must still try.” ll. 362-365). Comparatively, Tolkien created a fellowship of his own knights, The Fellowship of the Ring, who quested together instead of alone which enabled them to build close friendships. Their mission to defend and protect the ring bearer helped their loyalty to each other grow. The loyalty amongst the members of the Fellowship of the Ring is arguably stronger than the loyalty between King Arthur and his knights as proven by Lancelot’s affair with King Arthur’s wife, Guinevere.

Tolkien further parallels the Anglo-Saxon war culture in his creation of Rohan (Kundu). The golden hall, Meduseld, in Rohan is similar to the hall in Beowulf, Heorot (Kundu). Both halls are property of the king but house banquets and represent the intimate relationship of a king and his subjects (Kundu). Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas further embody the friendship of the Anglo-Saxon war culture (Tolkien). Their friendship transcends racial boundaries and allows them to be stronger together than on their own.

Not only was Tolkien able to transform chivalry from its medieval context, Tolkien also transformed the portrayal of gender from its medieval context. In Arthurian literature, women are often love interests. Despite having power in terms of relationships, women in Arthurian tales do not hold positions of power. Guinevere is King Arthur’s queen, but her political power is non-existent outside of her ability to manipulate the men in her life. Nevertheless, Tolkien empowered women more so than their medieval counterparts. Arwen sets the tone for women in Middle Earth when she saves Frodo by outrunning the Black Riders and then sweeping them away in the river (Tolkien). Tolkien presents Arwen in a way that Arthurian literature neglects to present women. Tolkien establishes Arwen as a capable, independent woman who is not afraid of battle and actually participates in battle, something women never did in Arthurian literature. Arwen isn’t the only woman in Middle Earth to bear a sword. Éowyn kills the Witch-king; thus, further demonstrating Tolkien’s empowerment of women.

Aside from obvious representations of gender in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien also uses the races in Middle Earth as a way to “escape from the limitations of modern gender roles” (Miller). Tolkien explores the races as they relate to one another and to the earth itself (Miller). Men in Middle Earth build structures atop the earth in a race for power which represents masculinity’s struggle to be dominant (Miller). As an alternative, Elves live in the woods and offer a feminine mystique (Miller). Elves are elegant, beautiful creatures and the femininity ascribed to them can be interpreted as an ideal state of womanhood. Although “men like Boromir tend to be wary of them” because of their mysterious nature (Miller), Elves are independent from the world of men proving their intelligence and power; thus, Tolkien’s feminist stance is reaffirmed. Perhaps the most notable characteristic of Elves is their immortality. Tolkien appeals to the life-giving ability of women when he attributes power over death to Elves (Miller).

With the depiction of masculinity and femininity established, the Orcs represent a severe perversion of masculinity (Miller). Because Tolkien wrote during the time of the world wars, he experienced the destruction of the modern war machine and industrialization (Edman). The Orcs signify the representation of this destruction as they abuse the resources of Middle Earth (Tolkien). Alternatively, the Hobbits represent a civilization untouched by war and industrialization (Tolkien). More specifically, Hobbits represent childhood and the Shire represents a world untouched by conflict and industry (Miller). Hobbits are able to carry out the impossible task of destroying the Ring because of their childlike innocence.

In relation, children rarely appear in Arthurian literature. In King Arthur and his Knights, Lancelot has a child with Elaine, Galahad (Malory). Instead of witnessing his son being knighted, Lancelot chose to heed the call of Guinevere (Malory). Tolkien’s approach to children appeals to readers; whereas, the approach to children in Arthurian literature is aloof. Samwise and Aragorn dream of having children (Tolkien) which offers a perspective of fatherhood that counters the fatherhood presented by Lancelot.

The most evident theme that Tolkien carries on from Arthurian literature would be the use of the sword. Unlike other weapons, the sword places the opponent in direct proximity offering a battle that is more direct and “allows those without power to gain access to respect in cultures which marginalize them” (Brisbois). Like in the case of Merry offering his sword to Théoden, he was able to join the ranks of Rohan (Tolkien). The sword in The Lord of the Rings proves to be more powerful than the Ring because the Ring has power over the bearer, but the sword bearer has power over the sword (Brisbois). The sword also serves as a direct link to Arthurian literature. King Arthur has Excalibur and Aragorn has Andúril.

In the end, Aragorn’s wisdom with the sword is ultimately what defines his rightful kingship (Brisbois). Tolkien’s treatment of Arthurian themes is what has made The Lord of the Rings so successful. His creative approach to chivalry and gender continues to be inspriring. As opposed to characters like Lancelot whose love for Guinevere was romantic but controversial as it caused him to neglect chivalric obligations to King Arthur and to God. Lancelot and Guinevere's affair is responsible for the disintegration of the Knights of the Round Table (Malory). Tolkien, however, created a world where the ideal of chivalry could be practiced amidst the imperfections of his characters and still resonate as a believable aspiration amongst readers in the modern world. 

Works Cited

Borroff, Marie, and Howes, Laura L., editors. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. W. W. Norton and Company, 2010.

Brisbois, Michael J. “The Blade Against the Burden: The Iconography of the Sword in The Lord of the Rings.” Mythlore, vol. 27, no. ½, 2008, pp. 93-103.

Edmun, Timuçin Buğra. “Power in Jeopardy: A Poststructuralist Reading of the Arthurian Legend from Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur and Tennyson’s Idylls of the King to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.” Tarih Kültür ve Sanat Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 4, no. 2, 2015, pp. 88-102.

Emery, Elizabeth and Richard Utz, editors. Medievalism: Key Critical Terms. D.S. Brewer, 2014.

Kundu, Pritha. “The Anglo-Saxon War Culture and The Lord of the Rings: Legacy and Reappraisal.” War, Literature, and Arts: An International Journal of the Humanities, vol. 26, 2014, libez.lib.georgiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search-ebscohost-com.libez.lib.georgiasouthern.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=2016395722. Accessed 23 November 2018.

Malory, Sir Thomas. King Arthur and His Knights. Oxford University Press, 1975.

Miller, John. “Mapping Gender in Middle Earth.” Mythlore, vol. 34, no. 2, 2016, pp. 133-152.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Fellowship of the Ring. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.

---. The Return of the King. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.

---. The Two Towers. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.