In Defence of Frodo: The Trial and Heroism of Self-Sacrifice

"I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."

- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

In this episode, Jacob Moran returns to join me on a dive back into Middle-Earth, this time to explore the character of Frodo Baggins. Even among fans of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo comes in for a deal of criticism and even maligning, usually centred around his likeability and his failure at the end of the quest. Yet to misunderstand Frodo is to misunderstand a crucial part of what Tolkien is saying about heroism and virtue. In this episode Rachel and Jacob discuss Frodo's qualities, his example of self-sacrifice and his willingness to lay down even his likeability in order to save his friends and his home.

Hosts: Rachel Sherlock and Jacob Moran

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Works Mentioned:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed Humphrey Carpenter

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot

 

What We're Enjoying at the Moment:

Rachel: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

Jacob: DnD campaign planning