Lead, Follow, of Go Over the Sea

A reading of the heroic relationships in

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

In his 1953 essay "Ofermod," J.R.R. Tolkien addresses the subject of the leader and the subordinate in the northern heroic epic. Of the subordinate's place in the Old English poem "The Battle of Maldon" he says that he was one: "...who had no responsibility downwards, only loyalty upwards. Personal pride was therefore in him at its lowest, and love and loyalty at their highest." The leader, in his role as provider "may indeed receive credit from the deeds of his knights, but he must not use their loyalty or imperil them simply for that purpose." Part of the heroic relationship, therefore, involves unswerving loyalty by the subordinate and the mastery of pride by the leader.

In Lord of the Rings, Tolkien develops several relationships in keeping with the ideas on loyalty he expresses in "Ofermod." These ideas can also be applied to the famous Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, and thus a reading of Beowulf reveals many parallels to the leaders and subordinates in Lord of the Rings. Like Beowulf and Hrothgar, the dominant figures in the many quests and battles of Middle-Earth have characters who support them and follow their lead. While none of the individual participants in these relationships is depicted as perfect, the relationship itself is shown to stem from an ideal conception of the leader and servant dynamic, and the degree to which the relationship approaches this ideal helps to define the characters involved.

The central pair in Lord of the Rings (LOTR), Frodo and his subordinate Sam, represent perhaps the most ideal bond in the book. In the beginning of the trilogy, Frodo's initial defining trait is his innocence. As a Hobbit, Frodo is small, and as a hole-dwelling inhabitant of the far-western, rural land called the Shire, Frodo's distance from the workings of Sauron and the events of the men of Gondor and Rohan is emphasized. When told by Gandalf of Sauron's plans, Frodo cannot relate, asking the Wizard, "Revenge for what? I still don't understand what all this has to do with Bilbo and myself, and our Ring" (Volume I, 58). By demonstrating Frodo’s naivete in this fashion, Tolkien is showing a side of the hero-to-be that is not in keeping with the traditional hero like Beowulf. Tolkien also portrays Frodo's fear through his shuddering and quavering (I, 58-59). By the end of their conversation, however, Frodo accepts the sacrifice he must make with bravery and humility:

"I hope that you may find some other better keeper soon. But in the meanwhile it seems that I am a danger, a danger to all that live near me. I cannot keep the Ring and stay here. I ought to leave Bag End, leave the Shire, leave everything and go away." He sighed. (I, 71)

Frodo is shown throughout the beginning of the series to be a sympathetic figure by his understandable fear, admirable sacrifice, and unexpected bravery.

Samwise Gamgee is depicted initially as one taken by notions of fantastic beings, possessing a deep sense of loyalty and a certain sensitivity. These traits provide a natural impetus for his desire to follow and serve "Master" Frodo. Sam "believed he had once seen an Elf in the woods, and still hoped to see more one day" (I, 54), and once he hears from Gandalf that he will go away with Frodo he shows unabashed enthusiasm: "Me sir!" cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk. "Me go and see Elves and all! Hooray!" he shouted, and then burst into tears" (I, 71). This scene sums up all three traits of Sam in the excitement, comparison to a dog, and the eventual tears. The characterization as a dog is important in my discussion, as it is the loyalty to a master associated with dogs that Sam possesses throughout the trilogy.