LotR, Book VI, Ch-1: The Tower of Cirith Ungol

[Earniel]

Is it ironic that the Ring itself aided Sam by making him seem more powerful than he was, to the Orcs?

The Ring's powers seem often to delay his return to Sauron's hand instead of hastening it. It was the Ring's attraction also that made Gollum turn his back on the world and hide in a deep and dark cave where nobody else was likely to come by it. It seems to be able to so short bursts of mind-domination, but is often set back by it's own power of attraction. It could get the orcs to attack Isildur, but led to being lost in the Gladden Fields. It managed to incite Deagol to find it in the river (possibly even influenced the fish to get him in the water?) but only managed to wind up in a deep cave. It succeeded in getting Bilbo to notice it on the floor, but ended up with a rather resiliant carrier.

Although I reckon that making Sam look like a warrior was a bit of a side effect. Sauron would have used the Ring to keep control of his orcs, so I'm thinking the Ring had a natural effect of impressing orcs, making the bearer look commandeering. And the Ring also seems to have the strongest force of mind-domination when it's worn or held thightly, like Sam was doing.

How much of Sam's deeds can be attributed to his credit, and how much to pure chance?

I think Sam still deserves a good deal of credit for what he did. Granted, the orcs had made it easier for him, but he still went inside a tower full of orcs all by himself. That takes some bravery. Only inside did he see there was barely anyone left. Still, I dare say there have to have been more orcs right up the moment Sam entered the tower. Below they might all have been dead for a few minutes, but higher up (where it took Sam longer to get) there must still have been orcs fighting when Sam passed the guards. Who else shot the two orcs Sam saw running out of the entrance? And those archers would have to be killed shortly after that.

How does the description of orcs in this chapter tally with your previous impressions of them? Does it reinforce the idea that 'orcs deserve no pity'... or does it make you feel sorry for them?

They definitely don't get great press, that's for sure. They're vicious, ugly, back-stabbing and have quite a few other nasty habits. And yet, I have to admit, they engender some amusement. The way they act makes you think of them as charicatures instead of normal characters, mirrors of the bad sides of humanity. It made me think that by fighting orcs, you're esentially fighting a not-so-glorious side of yourself. Even the noble and good Elves have bad sides, shown in the Silmarillion. So the orcs must have some good sides of their own, yet it is never shown.

At one point, it is said: "He felt that he had from now on only two choices: to forbear the Ring, though it would torment him; or to claim it, and challenge the Power that sat in its dark hold beyond the valley of shadows" Sam takes the first choice, and resists its power. Is this Tolkien's way of showing the choice that Frodo had to face, then and later in Mount Doom? Sam's choice is influenced partly by love of his master, and partly by his unconquered hobbit-sense. Do you think that it was harder for Frodo to resist, as he was less like a hobbit, and more Elvish? (He is called Elf-friend many times in the story)

I think Sam was in a way lucky that he didn't have to wear the Ring for so long. Up until now Frodo had been carrying the Ring for weeks and even months on end, and that must have had a great deal of effect. Frodo is weary and worn which can't have been caused merely by Shelob's bite or the brief and nightmarish stay at Cirith Ungol, it must have been the effect of the Ring, grinding down his defenses. If Sam had been the one to carry the Ring alone from Cirith Ungol too, he would have experienced the worsening effect too. His condition on arriving at Mount Doom would not have been much better than Frodo's, I think.

So I don't think their personalities were as much at play here as the lenght of time carrying the Ring.

Originally Posted by Olmer

Seems to me, much of Sam's luck has to be attributed to the Ring. His miraculous passing of ever vigil Watchers, unexpected instigation of bloody fight between the best corps of Mordor, and subsequent travelling with orcs troops , completely unrecognizable, could be related to the power which chanelled his thoughts as a will in some way to dominate others, thus to overcome obstacles, and arranged it accordingly. The power of the One.

I'm not sure that much can be attributed to the Ring. Sam passed the Watchers with help from Galadriel's phial. And the orcs fought among themselves not for the Ring, but over Frodo's mithril mail, which would have been worth much even to orcs.