From Faramir’s expedition to Osgiliath to the end of
the chapter
Summary— The Siege of Gondor
“You cannot enter here. . . . Go back
to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that
awaits you and your Master. Go!”
See Important Quotations Explained
The next morning, Denethor sends Faramir to protect the
outlying ruins of Osgiliath, where Mordor’s armies are likely to
strike first. Faramir dutifully accepts the perilous—possibly suicidal—assignment
from his father. News arrives the following morning of a battle for
the nearby Pelennor Fields.
The Lord of the Nazgûl, the Black Captain against whom
none can stand, leads the armies from Mordor. Gandalf rides off
toward Osgiliath to help fight the Black Captain. The wizard returns
the next day, leading many wounded men. Faramir remains at Pelennor, trying
to hold his men together to execute a safe retreat.
Not long after, the armies of Mordor approach Minas Tirith. Thousands
of black-clad Men and Orcs stream onto the plains. A small, beleaguered
ensemble rides before them—the last of Gondor’s rearguard in retreat.
Lord Denethor, clad in armor, sends a small army of horsemen out
to protect the retreat. Gandalf rides among them, using his white
fire to deter the front lines of the Enemy. The retreating men reach
the city safely, but one of the Nazgûl’s poisoned arrows strikes
Faramir.
Sauron’s armies besiege the city in a vale of fire, cutting
off all roads. They use huge catapults to lob blazing missiles into
the first ring of the city. As the forces of Minas Tirith try to
put these fires out, they realize to their horror that the Enemy’s
missiles are the burning heads of those who have died defending
Osgiliath.
Stricken with sudden bitterness and grief, Denethor locks
himself in the Tower with Faramir, who is now delirious with fever
from his arrow wound. Pippin looks on as Denethor weeps, cursing
Gandalf and bewailing the end of his lineage as Steward of Gondor.
As Denethor is holed up, Gandalf takes over the defense of Minas Tirith.
The army of Mordor launches an attack on the outer wall of the city.
Denethor instructs the desperate messengers who arrive in his court
that everyone in the city should give up and burn in the fires.
Denethor calls for his servants. He has Faramir carried
out of the Citadel to the Hall of Kings, where Gondor’s leaders
are laid to rest. Denethor places Faramir on a marble table and
calls for dry wood and a torch. Pippin warns the servants not to
obey Denethor’s orders, as it is clear that the Steward has gone
mad. Pippin breaks the rule of the Tower Guard by leaving his post.
He sends Beregond up to the Hall of Kings to try to intervene with
Denethor, and then the hobbit goes in frantic search of Gandalf.
The armies of Mordor, led by the Lord of the Nazgûl, approach the
gate of Minas Tirith with a great battering ram. The servants of the
Enemy strike the great iron door three times. On the third strike, the
door shatters. The Black Captain enters the first ring of the city, and
all flee in terror before him. Pippin watches as Gandalf alone stands
before the Black Captain. Gandalf orders the Lord of the Nazgûl
to return to Mordor—to nothingness—but the Ringwraith laughs. He
throws back his hood to reveal a crown on a headless body. His sword
bursts into flame, ready to strike. Suddenly, a cock crows, and
a great clamor of horns emanates from the north. The Riders of Rohan
have arrived.
Analysis
As some commentators have observed, one of Tolkien’s great strengths
in The Lord of the Rings is his ability to write
convincingly about war. Tolkien not only fought and sustained injury
in World War I, but he also wrote his novel in
the years surrounding World War II—a war in which Germany bombed
the heart of England. Tolkien writes about the battle generally,
without graphic detail and only briefly from the viewpoint of those
actually fighting. As such, his descriptions of war maintain a refreshing
sense of perspective. “The Siege of Gondor” is narrated in the usual
third person, but it is limited to the perspective of the chapter’s
only hobbit, Pippin. We are not occupied with Pippin’s thoughts
and emotions; the only information available to us is that which
Pippin overhears in Denethor’s court, discusses with Gandalf, or
observes as might a citizen of Minas Tirith. From this perspective,
we watch from afar as retreating men stumble frantically for the
city gates, their pursuers close behind. We learn in horror, alongside
the occupants of Minas Tirith, that the Enemy’s firebombs are not
actually bombs, but human heads. This restricted knowledge of events
increases our sense of suspense and fear. Tolkien’s account seems
realistic, for it depicts war against the backdrop of the human
city.
Recalling the image of Nero fiddling as Rome burned, Dene-thor’s
actions in the midst of impending doom reveal much about his character.
While a war for the freedom of Middle-earth rages outside Gondor’s
walls, Denethor turns his attention inward, locking himself in the
Citadel and mourning his own demise. Denethor desires complete power
or none at all; with the destruction of Minas Tirith seemingly at
hand, he feels he must exert control over the only things he is
still able to control—his and Faramir’s lives. Denethor believes
that he would have safely hidden the Ring had Boromir procured it
for him. Gandalf, however, notes that Denethor, like Boromir, would
have coveted and used the Ring for himself. In truth, Denethor appears
to want to use the power of the Ring to return glory to Gondor.
Denethor’s desire for the Ring leads to his descent into madness,
paranoia, and insecurity. As critic Rose Zimbardo notes, the Ring’s
wicked effect on individuals in The Lord of the Rings is
a loss of personal identity. Just as those who wear the Ring become
invisible, so those who focus their energies on obtaining the Ring
lose their sense of self in the overwhelming desire to harness power
to control others.
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