This thesis will discuss how Le Guin has adapted both the standard medieval dragon and the dragons in the narratives of Tolkien and Lewis in her own work, The Books of Earthsea.
Reading Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings through the literary criticism trauma theory. Investigates the impact of war trauma on the presence of heroism, evil and post-war developments.
For his deeply considered secondary world Middle-earth, J.R.R. Tolkien shaped and reshaped all the elements of this fictional realm, not least the way that he conceived his Elves. In doing so, he...Show moreFor his deeply considered secondary world Middle-earth, J.R.R. Tolkien shaped and reshaped all the elements of this fictional realm, not least the way that he conceived his Elves. In doing so, he deviated from the popular and traditional Germanic concept of elves with regards to their origins, their inner characters, their external appearance, and their function and significance within society. This thesis shows how, why and to what end Tolkien’s Elves are different from the conventional figure of the elf.Show less
J.R.R. Tolkien took the values and virtues found in Anglo-Saxon heroic literature and applied them to his Legendarium. Tolkien established his own form of modern heroism by examining Old English...Show moreJ.R.R. Tolkien took the values and virtues found in Anglo-Saxon heroic literature and applied them to his Legendarium. Tolkien established his own form of modern heroism by examining Old English works such as "Beowulf" and "The Battle of Maldon". He admired the Germanic heroic tradition, yet condemned its pagan nature. This comparative paper discusses four works of heroic literature - i.e. "Beowulf", "The Battle of Maldon", "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Children of Húrin" - focusing on the heroes of each work and how their actions reflect their ethics. The author emphasises Tolkien's disapproving views of Anglo-Saxon heroism found in "The Children of Húrin" in which its prideful hero Túrin brings about disaster and tragedy upon himself and those around him.Show less
This project examines Tolkien's utilisation of migration in his fantasy world-building. Firstly, it explores the utilisation of Medieval tropes, themes and imagery in Middle-Earth, and how this...Show moreThis project examines Tolkien's utilisation of migration in his fantasy world-building. Firstly, it explores the utilisation of Medieval tropes, themes and imagery in Middle-Earth, and how this creates the basis for believable fictional societies. Following this, it shows how the interactions between Tolkien's societies and characters contribute to the development of Middle-Earth as a fantasy world. Finally, these insights become a lens through which to view the theme of race in Tolkien's fantasy, and show a particular conception of racial issues that repeats itself throughout Tolkien's fiction.Show less
It is believed that Tolkien's knowledge of Anglo-Saxon culture did not only inspire him to write The Lord of the Rings, but that he also reproduced the Anglo-Saxons and their warrior culture in his...Show moreIt is believed that Tolkien's knowledge of Anglo-Saxon culture did not only inspire him to write The Lord of the Rings, but that he also reproduced the Anglo-Saxons and their warrior culture in his works. However, the heroic ethos that the characters live up to in The Lord of the Rings, and in particular oath-taking, diverges intentionally from the heroic ethos and oaths of loyalty in Anglo-Saxon warrior culture. This thesis explores Tolkien’s views on and presentation of oath-making and –breaking in his trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s works and his representation of oaths are compared to sworn speech in the Old English poems Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon. This thesis shows that Tolkien created a heroic code that is different from the traditional Anglo-Saxon heroic ethos, one in which free will plays an important part. Tolkien made a conscious attempt to reshape the heroic code and attached other values to the oath of loyalty in The Lord of the Rings.Show less
“Never look a gift horse in the mouth”. However sensible the advice in this proverb may be, raising questions about gifts is exactly what this thesis will do, because it will make an inquiry into...Show more“Never look a gift horse in the mouth”. However sensible the advice in this proverb may be, raising questions about gifts is exactly what this thesis will do, because it will make an inquiry into two primary sources, Beowulf and The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), and explore the functions of gift giving in both works. As Tom Shippey rightly states, J.R.R. Tolkien was a noted expert on Beowulf and his literary work was often inspired by the medieval literature he studied. In both LOTR and Beowulf, gift giving plays an important role; however, the function of gift exchange in the medieval poem somewhat differs from Tolkien’s work.Show less
Since Tolkien was a noted philologist, his writing was inspired greatly by Old English poetry such as Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon. Taking into account Tolkien's comments on the portrayal of...Show moreSince Tolkien was a noted philologist, his writing was inspired greatly by Old English poetry such as Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon. Taking into account Tolkien's comments on the portrayal of heroism in these poems, this thesis presents a comparison between several heroes from Tolkien’s own fiction – Aragorn, Beren and Fëanor – and the Germanic heroic ethos.Show less
After a summary of Old English poetic techniques and the use of these in the Old English poems "Beowulf" and "Judith", this thesis will aim to determine how well these poetic techniques were used...Show moreAfter a summary of Old English poetic techniques and the use of these in the Old English poems "Beowulf" and "Judith", this thesis will aim to determine how well these poetic techniques were used by J.R.R. Tolkien in his long poems "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth" and "The Fall of Arthur", in order to determine which of these poems was written (mostly) last.Show less