LOTR Discussion Project: Book V, Chapter 4: The Siege of Gondor

[Beren3000]

So, here’s my intro as promised. I’ve chosen to present it in point-form, because long paragraphs can appear too daunting; so here we go:

Book V, Chapter 4: The Siege of Gondor



• Gandalf summons Pippin to see Denethor
• Denethor echoes an earlier thought of Pippin’s, so at this point:

Pippin had an uncomfortable feeling that most of what he had said or done was somehow known to the Lord of the City

This is the first hint we get that Denethor is using the Palantir.
• Denethor appoints Pippin to wait on him and run errands for him
• Commanded to sing, Pippin is too shy at first, because he feels that the Shire’s songs are too “rustic� for Minas Tirith (refer to discussion point 1)
• Relieved from his duty, Pippin meets Beregond and they sit together on the walls where they see the dark cloud first coming out of Mordor
• Faramir returns from Ithilien and is brought into the city after being rescued from the Nazgûl by Gandalf (refer to discussion point 2)
• Pippin sees Faramir and recognizes an air of nobility and charisma around him (the air of Numenor?)
• Faramir, Denethor, Gandalf and Pippin gather in the throne room where Faramir relates the assault of the mûmak in Ithilien and the meeting with Frodo and Sam
• While he was telling his news, Faramir kept looking at Gandalf for approval; this sparks off Denethor’s complaint that Faramir is a “wizard’s pupil� and that Boromir would have brought the Ring to Minas Tirith (refer to plotline 1)
• When Gandalf asks what Denethor would do with the Ring, Denethor says that he would have it hidden instead of sent into Mordor, to which Gandalf retorts:

You think, as is your wont, my lord, of Gondor only, yet there are other men and other lives, and time still to be. And for me, I pity even his slaves.

( refer to discussion point 3 )
Here, we also see Gandalf revealed as Olorin, an emissary of the Valar whose task is to care for all the world and all the coming Ages. (refer to plotline 2)
• At this point, Gandalf and Denethor have a staring contest from which Pippin gets another glimpse at the tension between them. Here Denethor is presented as almost an equal of Gandalf (refer to discussion point 4)
• Gandalf and Pippin have a rather interesting conversation where Gandalf, meditating on Faramir’s news, guesses that Aragorn has dared to challenge Sauron through the Palantir of Saruman. We also get a hint at future events on Gandalf’s tongue. Speaking about Gollum, he says:

Let us remember that a traitor may betray himself and do good that he does not intend.

• The next day, Denethor holds counsel with his generals and announces that he intends not to let Osgiliath fall cheaply. At this point, Faramir volunteers to do Denethor’s bidding and rides out to Osgiliath (refer to plotline 1)
• When a messenger reports that the Witch King is leading the assault on Osgiliath, Gandalf rides out to help Faramir’s retreat.
• Gandalf returns and hints at his apprehension towards the Witch King (refer to discussion point 2)
• Gandalf encourages Denethor to prepare a sortie to aid Faramir.
• Denethor reveals that he was walking clad in mail and girt with a sword all the time, he also reveals that the idea of a sortie was not far from his mind, which goes to show that he hadn’t despaired yet.
• Faramir is attacked by the Nazgûl again and Denethor sends out the sortie, led by Gandalf.
• The sortie rescues Faramir and brings him back to the City, feverish and unconscious.
• Denethor, seeing Faramir, goes up into the tower where (we can only assume) he used the Palantir. He comes back down with a pale face. It is at this point that he lost the will to live.
• Gondor is now under siege and the gates of Minas Tirith are shut; the last people in are Ingold (the one who admitted Pippin and Gandalf earlier) and his company, who confirm the reports of an army coming forth from the Black Gate.
• The besieging army digs trenches filled with fire and uses siege engines to throw balls that burst into flame behind the walls (this sounds suspiciously like bombs to me) (refer to discussion point 5) they also bombard the City with the heads of the dead.
• Denethor, in madness, prepares a pyre for him and Faramir. Gandalf and Imrahil take command of the City.
• Pippin, appalled at Denethor’s madness flees the House of the Dead and goes seeking Gandalf. On the way, he meets Beregond and asks him to do his best to prevent the murder that Denethor intends. Here we get the impression that Pippin has matured a lot over this chapter (refer to plotline 3)
• Meanwhile, Grond (the huge battering ram) is used to batter the gates of Minas Tirith; to help it, the Witch King shouts something like an evil spell.
• The Witch King enters the City where he faces Gandalf (we are told that Shadowfax is the only horse that could withstand the terror of the Witch King); just as the Witch King is about to strike at Gandalf with his flaming sword, a rooster’s crowing announces the dawn and the distant sound of horns heralds the arrival of the Riders of Rohan.

So much for trying to keep it simple!

Plotlines and Discussion Points

Major plotlines in this chapter:

1. Denethor & Faramir:
From the first moments we feel a great tension between Denethor and Faramir. Denethor is jealous of the influence Gandalf has on Faramir’s mind. When Faramir asks him whether he would’ve wanted him to die instead of Boromir, Denethor bluntly answers: “Yes.� This comment sounds very cruel to me. What do you guys think drove Denethor to such jealousy?
But that said, Denethor really loves his son as we see him driven to madness by Faramir’s fever. Why do you think Denethor had such a complex relationship with Faramir?
2. Gandalf’s power:
In many points in this chapter, Gandalf is revealed as the White Rider, and his staff is seen to produce a long shaft of white light that has the power to drive off even Nazgûl. Gandalf also shows good leadership qualities when he takes command of the City. The question here is, weren’t the Istari forbidden to ride “in open display of power�? Weren’t they supposed to achieve their tasks subtly?
3. Pippin’s growth:
From the moment Pippin swears fealty to Denethor, we get the impression that this little Hobbit has come a long way from the sleepy Shire. Even he feels changed into a grim person, waiting on the edge of battle and wearing the livery of the tower. We also get a glimpse of how mature he has become when he almost commands Beregond to go help Faramir. What do you think caused Pippin to mature thus?

Discussion points:

1. Pippin feels that his songs are too “rustic� for Minas Tirith, and well he might: the description of the hall of Denethor presents us with imposing grandeur (marble columns and lifelike statues, etc...) I wonder however whether Pippin would have felt the same way in Meduseld. When I first read the description of Meduseld, I couldn’t help but think that it has too much “country� feel to be a palace (with tapestries, stone walls and garish colors everywhere) I always thought that this contrast between Meduseld and Minas Tirith served to emphasize the contrast between the attitudes of Denethor and Theoden: the simplicity of Theoden’s halls contrast with the (now decadent) solemnity of Minas Tirith. I wonder if this is why PJ included a scene of Merry and Pippin dancing and singing in Meduseld. What do you guys think of such a comparison?

2. When Gandalf returns to Minas Tirith after riding against the Nazgûl, Pippin sees him “pale in the twilight as if his fire was spent or veiled.� Which do you think it is? Was Gandalf’s power spent or was he simply masking them from the people of Minas Tirith? If you choose the second, why? If Gandalf can face the Nazgûl, why does he appear afraid from (or at least worried about) the Witch King?

3. Gandalf says that he pities Sauron’s slaves, do you?

4. Denethor shows outstanding strength of character when he matches Gandalf stare for stare. Where does he get this strength from? I mean, this is a man who is an inch away from becoming insane and desperate… Also, why do you think Denethor harbors so much animosity towards Gandalf?

5. The missiles of the orc army sound like bombs; we have also encountered some explosive pyrotechnics courtesy of Saruman in the battle of Helm’s Deep. Is this Tolkien’s way of saying that science is evil? Or is he only talking about weapon technology? Any relations to WWII ?