📖👀 The Black Gate is Closed

[m4r35n357]

Just a hand-me-down reference from the thoughts of Frodo:

". . . it was like a chapter in the story of the world's youth, when the Trees of Silver and Gold were still in bloom."

I suppose the source could be anyone from Bilbo, to Elves, to Gandalf!

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Frodo spent two months in Rivendell, the main repository for Elven-lore in Middle-earth, and must have absorbed a lot of it.

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

Frodo spent two months in Rivendell, the main repository for Elven-lore in Middle-earth, and must have absorbed a lot of it.

Excellent hobbit that Frodo: polite, studious, well read and showed a keen interest in the Rivendell collection, unlike one or two other hobbits I could mention!

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

A brief but important chapter. We get up close to Mordor for the first time and it's overpoweringly daunting. This is a realm that is so much more powerful than Isengard, with fortifications (ironically built by Gondor) that utilise the natural mountainous defences. What kind of a factory could produce such an iron gate even now? And then there would be the little matter of putting the gate in place; but this is fantasy of course.

This is one of the big attractions of Tolkien's descriptions. How the various places (Rivendell, Lothlorien, Isengard) fit in with their natural surroundings. Meduseld springs from the pages of Beowulf et al.

There is a Greek tragedy feeling of inevitability to the drawing of Frodo and Sam to Shelob's lair. Gollum is deceptive about whether his secret way into Mordor is guarded, or not, but there clearly is no way in by this north gate (unless there is another secret way - we know of none here though). Gollum prefers to be evasive rather than lie about whether his third way is guarded. Frodo is resolved to fulfil his task and this puts him and Sam in Gollum's power.

Gollum rather pathetically suggests that Frodo should just give up, give the Ring (back) to nice little Smeagol and the two hobbits return to their nice Shire. That doesn't work of course but shows how desperate Gollum is to take back the Precious.

Frodo is beginning to work Gollum out now. He understands the significance of Gollum using "we" or "I". He has also worked out that Gollum did not escape from Mordor, but rather was allowed to escape. Sam keeps what he overheard in the last chapter to himself even though it is relevant to Gollum's proposed way into Mordor.

The impregnable nature of Mordor's defences begs the question as to how Gandalf (or Strider) proposed to get into Mordor. There was no "if we get split up this is what you should do" conversation. Gandalf would have expected to consult with Galadriel and Celeborn but again neither of them give much help in this matter.

But rather than a plot hole I take this to mean that neither Gandalf, Aragorn, Galadriel nor Celeborn knew how this could be done. And remarkably the one person who does is lowly little Smeagol.

 

[Eljorahir]

The impregnable nature of Mordor's defenses begs the question as to how Gandalf (or Strider) proposed to get into Mordor.

This reminds me of a humorous line from the vicinity of a different doorstep:

'They debated long on what was to be done, but they could think of no way of getting rid of Smaug--which had always been a weak point in their plans...'

Here at the Black Gate Frodo meets the weak point of the plan.

 

[TrackerOrc]

The impregnable nature of Mordor's defences

'None could pass the Teeth of Mordor and not feel their bite, unless they were summoned by Sauron, or knew the secret passwords that would open the Morannon' So obviously there would be comings and goings from the various allies and underlings serving Sauron; could there have been some kind of desperate plan to try and obtain entry disguised as Easterlings or Men from the South?

'Don't take the Precious to him! He'll eat us all, if He gets it, eat all the world'. Rather stunning description of the malice of Sauron there by poor old Gollum.

This chapter gives us a better idea of the physical power of Sauron as well: the impregnable defences, the armies of men gathering to the summons of their overlord - we can often forget that Sauron has an awful lot of mundane, yet nonetheless deadly, force at his disposal. He is evil personified, but he's also a powerful commander on a physical level.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

could there have been some kind of desperate plan to try and obtain entry disguised as Easterlings or Men from the South?

In the initial draft Gollum leads them through the Dead Marshes directly to the Morgul Vale (here called Kirith Ungol, before the separation into two ways) and IIRC the main gate in the north had not yet appeared.

It's here that Frodo is stung by "one" of the spiders, who are at this stage envisioned as like those in The Hobbit's Mirkwood. Sam takes the Ring, and Frodo is carried into Minas Morgul by the orcs. Sam slips in unseen, after which action follows similar to that in the Tower of Cirith Ungol, except there's more fighting and bluffing their way out, with Sam dressed as an orc-captain, and Frodo wearing the Ring.

Here's Tolkien's original idea for the Gate of Minas Morgul:

There's a note that "Minas Morgul must be made more horrible. The usual 'goblin' stuff is not good enough here".

In the event, he made it so "horrible" that entry became impossible, leading to the Cirith Ungol plot.

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

'Don't take the Precious to him! He'll eat us all, if He gets it, eat all the world'. Rather stunning description of the malice of Sauron there by poor old Gollum.

Tolkien's use of the word "eat" here is a brilliant bit of writing.

 

[TrackerOrc]

Tolkien's use of the word "eat" here is a brilliant bit of writing.

Absolutely.
And how fitting that it's Gollum who describes Sauron here; I forgot that Gollum seems to have actually met Sauron in Mordor:
'It was Isildur who cut off the finger of the Enemy.'
'Yes. He has only four on the Black Hand, but they are enough,' said Gollum shuddering.

Pehaps he was dragged into Sauron's presence after being tortured, or, (even worse!) perhaps Sauron took part in the actual torture of the poor old thing!

Just another thought as well - Gollum's description of Sauron's 'Black Hand' fits perfectly with how Sauron is described in Appendix A after the Downfall of Numenor:
'He was unable ever again to assume a form that seemed fair to men, but became black and hideous, and his power thereafter was through terror alone.'

It's almost as though someone has given a lot of thought to this stuff!

 

[Rivendell_librarian]

Yes Sauron would be especially interested in someone who held his Ring for so long

 

[TrackerOrc]

Yes Sauron would be especially interested in someone who held his Ring for so long

Really, really would not want Sauron to be interested in me at all!

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

A few additional notes on this chapter:

"The Teeth of Mordor" -- this isn't the first time Tolkien has used the image of teeth as the symbol and metaphor of death or danger; it's used in the description of the stones on the Barrow-downs, the pillars leading to the Paths of the Dead (although this comes later), and other places.

Although the descriptions of the winged Nazgul increase in clarity as we go through the story -- here "dark bird-like figure(s)", "like great carrion birds" -- we never get a "closeup" view, until the climactic confrontation between Eowyn and the Witch-king, a bit of subtlety on Tolkien's part I think is easily overlooked (and I have to say, was overlooked by the filmmakers).

Also often overlooked by readers who despise Tolkien's poetry as "doggerel" are Sam's repeated admissions that it's "nonsense" or "just a bit of rhyme"; in fact, most of the poems and songs in the story are represented as "Hobbit poetry", the kind of thing a rustic people would create, without making claims for high art.

And the author emphasizes his "rule of threes" once again in this chapter:
-- 'for twice now we have been in your power, and you have done no harm to us [. . .] May the third time prove the best!'
-- 'Well, Smeagol, the third turn may turn the best.'

This "third turn" refers to the three ways out of the crossroads towards which Gollum proposes to lead them, the descriptions of which pose interesting implications: one leads down to Osgiliath, and ultimately Minas Tirith; that way offers safety of a kind, but Frodo's experience with Boromir has shown the danger that would invite. The second leads to the "Great Water", the Sea, a means of escape from the troubles of Middle-earth for Elves -- but not for hobbits. The third way leads directly into horror and almost certain death: "This was an evil choice" -- but the seemingly worst choice was the one that brought about the fulfillment of the quest. One of the many ironies to be seen in the story.

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