I Go to My Fathers - The Heroic Masculinity of King Theoden

what does it mean to be a king the ruler of a Nation wields tremendous power and influence lives in Comfort or even Splendor and can command a legion of servants and soldiers to do his bidding and yet that same Sovereign simultaneously Bears a tremendous burden as the well-being of every man woman and child within his realm is entrusted to his care and if he falters in his duty they suffer and die that responsibility is not the totality of a king's Duty no the Monarch is also bound to other nations other kings those who have need of the power that he wields a sovereign must not act only on the behalf of his kingdom but for the good of all men to truly be a king not a gluttonous Tyrant or a power seeking desperate one must use his strength and Authority for the good of others even though doing so may cost him dearly this ideal does not just apply to the leaders of Nations but rather to any person who is charged to lead to guide others in pursuit of a goal everyone who holds some form of authority from presidents and Generals to coaches teachers and parents should seek to live according to the principles displayed by Theoden fle son king of Rohan a quick note before we really dive into this video there are two versions of Theoden JRR token's original character and Peter Jackson's adaptation there are distinct differences between the two mostly in that Jackson Theoden has a much more pronounced character Arc he has to grow and change far more than does Theoden from the book I won't really get into my feelings on which version is better that's not the point of the video both Renditions have much to teach us and that's what I want to focus on I will say this though normally I prefer characters with more of an arc as seeing their progress throughout the story is incredibly satisfying many of my favorite characters have long gradual arcs that require them to embark on a painful journey of self-discovery growth and healing for example Zuko from Avatar The Last Airbender actually most everyone from that show Sam wise gamji of course Kratos from God of War as I just laid out in my last video and Walter White in Jimmy McGill from the Breaking Bad Universe hey inverted arcs are still arcs but the thing is those characters are all Central characters if not the main character in their stories theodent is a side character that appears in just two of the three books and movies while supporting characters certainly can and should have some measure of development it isn't as crucial to the story is the Arc of your main character and having a shallower Arc does not mean that book Theoden is a worse character creatively than movie Theoden he's just different you might like some of those differences you might not like some of the others again that's really neither here nor there we will certainly talk about those differences but more through the lens of what does each of these versions have to teach us instead of actually book Theoden is better because though I can't promise I won't ever do that cool cool cool all right let's dive in when we first meet Theoden he is at just about the lowest point that any man can reach his very will has been almost totally stripped from him the lies and deceit of grima have wormed their way into theoden's heart corrupting it and bending theoden's mind to the will of Eisen guard it's hard to imagine a worse fate for a man than to live out his days under the sway of another of one who would see his land destroyed for the sake of a sliver of power before Theoden ever appears on screen or page he has already lost a great battle not on the battlefield but within his own mind and heart he has submitted to the foul whisperings of Worm tongue and lost his sense of hope a king without hope will not fight but will swiftly give into the demands of another Power if only to preserve what little influence he may have left from despair come inaction passivity and the unwillingness to do what is necessary because Victory seems impossible trusting in Hope doing what we must even if all seems lost and we cannot fight fathom how we will ever escape our current darkness is the defining principle that King Theoden lives out eventually in the midst of his wretchedness frail and weak on his throne with a snake whispering in his ear Theoden is brought by Gandalf a sign of hope he raised his staff there was a roll of thunder the sunlight was blotted out from the Eastern Windows the whole Hall became suddenly dark as night the fire faded to Sullen Embers only Gandalf could be seen standing white and Tall before the blackened hearth now Theoden son of thangal will you hearken to me said Gandalf do you ask for help he lifted his staff and pointed to a high window there the darkness seemed to clear and through the opening could be seen high and far a patch of shining Sky not all is dark the symbolic imagery of this passage is just simply wonderful gandal first shows Theoden how the king now perceives the world dark and without even a spark of joy but then he reveals a light Breaking Through The Darkness the promise of a new and brighter day it is incredibly easy for us to fall into a state like that of Theoden upon his throne depressed despondent and hopeless we look at the world around us and see every kind of ill news from violence and War to the anger and divisiveness that pervades the modern internet the temptation to give in to despair to declare that the days of our children are fated to be worse than our own to Simply give up trying is an enticing one but Gandalf tells Theoden no counsel have I to give to those that despair yet counsel I could give and words I could speak to you if we have truly fallen into despair every ounce of Hope purged from our hearts we have put ourselves beyond help but as long as we still live and can choose what we do next there is always the possibility that we choose to push down that gloom and turn our eyes eyes upward and outward looking away from our own misery and Misfortune and choosing to trust in hope to despair is to die but Theoden at the urging of Gandalf chooses to live and this is where book Theoden stands out as an example of redemption the movement away from Despair and T hope happens due to the choice that Theoden makes his decision to heed the Council of Gandalf and reject the whisperings of GMA I do love the scene in the movie though and this shot of theoden's transformation is superbly creative and I'll never not be asru when watching it happen Jackson though not without reason did sell Theoden a little short in this scene having his reversal happen due to Gandalf directly freeing Theoden from the magical possession of soromon rather than letting the king choose for himself as tolken theen does go aoan sister daughter said the Old King the time for fear is passed these are the first words Theoden speaks in response to Gandalf's Council they are a simple message of Hope and a sign of the king's changed state of of mind telling the reader without having to spell it out that Theoden has chosen to believe that the future is not already condemned to Darkness this Choice the resolve to cling to whatever trace of Hope may be left is the one that will resonate and be repeated in one form or another throughout the rest of theoden's story this is a man who allowed himself to be dragged down into the mud by a conniving little snake of a man who failed his country his people and even his own son but who persists nonetheless who discerns the right course of action and pursues it decisively and wholeheartedly doing so is not easy of course and just because Theoden has newly discovered his hope does not mean that he is still not pained by the present alas that these evil days should be mine and should come in my old age instead of that peace which I have earned there is a distinct difference between anguish and despair emotions are largely beyond our control we cannot help but feel distress at the misfortunes large or small that we face theoden's attit itude in this scene is hardly inappropriate it is entirely natural and normal to bemoan the loss of Peace especially after the many years of war that assumingly dominated theoden's youth sorrow is fitting in such a time and grief at the death of a loved one is expected and necessary only a soulless robot would not feel theoden's pain or weep as he weeps near the grave of his son for whose death Theoden certainly blames himself his corruption by grima and ensuing in action weakened his nation and perhaps his son would still be alive had theoda not fallen into warm tongue snares and although sorrow grief and anguish are certainly appropriate wallowing in those emotions allowing them to dictate our choices and failing to act despite them is not here is where book and movie Theoden begin to diverge and their arcs won't really intersect again until after the battle at Helms Deep and yet as mentioned both have something to teach us think of movie Theoden as Saka he has to learn to put aside his pride and lead with humility and graciousness while book Theoden is much more similar to Uncle iro a paragon of virtue pure of heart and a model of self-sacrificial love we love both characters and we learn from both characters arguably far more so in the case of iro despite one developing significantly while the other has minimal growth throughout the story The steadfast man one who has already achieved Great Heights of virtue is an example to which we can Aspire but the man who has to struggle to grow in virtue is far more relatable to the viewer and can show us the path along which we might follow returning to the story at hand essentially tolken Theoden is much further along his Arc than his Jackson's interpretation which makes sense as tolken describes Theoden having white hair and a white beard which don't magically regain color the change in Theoden is not so much in his appearance but rather in his bearing tolken preserves the image of Theoden as someone in his 70s or even older a man who is on his last strength but who has fought many wars and gained a great deal of wisdom slowly Theoden stretched forth his hand as his fingers took the hilt it seemed to the Watchers that firmness and strength returned to his thin arm how Comes This said Theoden sternly he turned towards aare and the men looked in Wonder at him standing now proud and erect where was the old man whom they had left crouching in his chair or leaning on his stick from the king's hand the black staff fell clattering on the stones he drew himself up slowly as a man that is stiff from long bending over some dull to o now tall and straight he stood and his eyes were blue as he looked into the opening Sky it makes sense then that this Old King would not choose to retreat to safety and dun herrow and let aomr lead his Riders to battle against Eisen guard but instead would himself ride at the front of the RO herum if he can be of even a little service in battle that would be enough even though it cost him his life what good would a few more years be if it meant once again leaving his men to fight without their King at their side hope yes said Gandalf but Eisen guard is strong and other perils draw Ever nearer do not delay Theoden when we are gone lead your people swiftly to the hold of Don herrow in the Hills nay Gandalf said the king you do not know your own skill in healing it shall not be so I myself will go to war to fall in the front of the battle if it must be thus shall I sleep better additionally having such an old man go on a significant character Journey wouldn't feel quite right not that there's no room for growth at Advanced ages but age is supposed to bring with it wisdom especially for the noble and virtuous and aside from his failings recently in regards to grima we have no reason to believe that Theoden is anything other than an upright man side note this is why rings of power trying trying to give gadriel a character Arc makes no sense she's thousands of years old she shouldn't have to learn Life Lessons as if she's barely 20 but getting back to things that we actually like I'm fairly certain that Jackson's decision to make Theoden look 20 or 30 years younger than he is supposed to be in the book stemmed from his desire to give the king more of an arc where the original Theoden simply regained the hope he had lost Jackson's Theoden has to take a longer road to reach that hope which makes perfect sense considering the age Gap and thus difference in experience and wisdom between the two characters as a result we are going to spend a bit more time talking about movie Theoden just because there ends up being more to talk about when a character has to grow more they see to the mountains when they should stand and fight earlier I mentioned how the movie does not have Theoden choose to trust Gandalf's wisdom and thus to Hope and now that I think about it this line makes a lot more sense in light of that fact if Theoden had truly chosen to reject gma's despairing Whispers and accept Gandalf's message of hope he should by all means continue to listen to The Wizard and thus meet Eisen guard's forces head on or at least ride out to do so ride out and meet him head on gandal is actually the one who advises Theoden to go to helm steep in the book by the way once they receive news of the strength of sauron's army but without that relationship of trust being fully established theoden's choice to reject Gandalf's Council makes much more sense movie Theoden is younger more immature less accustomed to though not totally unfamiliar with violence and death and he still believes he can avoid war altogether he's not truly able to read the signs of the time and understand what needs to be done open war is upon you whether you would risk it or not when last I looked Theoden not Aragon was king of Rohan again here's where a younger Theoden was necessary Aragorn being 87 years old at the time of these events has been around for several decades longer than has his counterpart his wisdom and experience should and do exceed that of King Theoden rather than more or less equaling them as they do in the book however Aragorn does not look his age being of num manorian descent and all that and so his Council appears to the king Theoden to be worth less than it truly is Theoden does not understand how a man apparently so young could know better than him of course even if aror were in fact younger than Theoden he still could be wiser theoden's perception of Aragorn whether he is right or wrong about the Rangers relative lack of experience and wisdom is based in Pride in believing that he knows what is best for his people because he is the king pride is a powerful motivator that drives us to other vices it makes us turn inward focusing on what we want in need and making us think the problems of others is less than our own where was gundle when the westf fell where was gondle when our enemies closed in around us where was Gondor uh yeah they seem pretty busy to me jokes aside this is the pride of Theoden talking where the burning of the westfold and the collapse of rohan's outer defenses the fault of a land many leagues to the South or should the blame not rest on the should shoulders of the man who failed in his duty to govern and fell prey to foul words that spoke of hopelessness and despair the answer is clear of course but theoden's ego will not now let him admit that the prideful man feels shame at his failures and hating that feeling thus seeks to shift the blame unto others The Humble man would simply accept that he has failed and seek to remedy his mistakes as Theoden does in the book humility is often defined as accurate self- knowledge a trait which this line of Theoden demonstrates his lack thereof who am I caming it's no Small Wonder that theodent asks this question men are incredibly Purpose Driven often to a fault and if we fail or falter in that purpose it can cause us to question what we are doing why we are here who we are but when the [ __ ] hits the fan or the ux ram the gate it should become clear that ultimately our purpose is people our mission in whatever role we find ourselves in life is protecting and sustaining the good of others you are our King sire your men will follow you to whatever end this is an incredibly High call a challenge that any man would struggle to take on with confidence Leading Men into battle knowing some of them will certainly die has got to bring with it a burden that is seemingly unbearable and yet it is the duty of a king Theoden did not ask to be made ruler of Rohan but who Among Us has asked for every hand we've been dealt in life all we have to decide is what to do with the time with all its burdens and strife that is given us theen for a brief while chooses to fight to lead by example personally stepping into the breach and defending his own gate although wounded his precedent inspires his men and buys valuable time however as time itself begins to run out for the Defenders of Helms Deep Theoden once again begins to fall into the trap in which GMA had ens snared him despairing losing the will to fight The Fortress is taken it is over virtue is not always a steadily growing flame within the human heart faced with adversity and Temptation it can falter and dim what can men do against such Reckless hate quick side note this line like most from the movies is lifted straight from the book and altered and recontextualized a bit for all Jackson's changes he clearly still recognizes the absolute Brilliance of tolken especially tolan's pros and kept a great deal of it even if his characters were quite different than or tolens to be rekindled back to life virtue needs new fuel and breath New Hope that inspiration often must come from others who are above us on the mountain of virtue and the only way for us to grow is to humbly accept the wisdom and the aid they have to offer ride out with me ride out and meet them what can we do when faced with all the pains and sufferings of life when all seems dark and hopeless when we are at our weakest and seemingly unable to prevent whatever happens next we can fight we can choose to act in whatever way is right and just we can act out of hope that somehow despite there being no apparent way forward if we do what we ought to do perhaps we will emerge Victorious after all and if not at least maybe we shall cleave a road or make such an end as will be worth a song If any be left to sing of us Hereafter again we see the difference between book and movie here the idea to write out being Aragorn in the film and Theoden in the novel and both are just plain wonderful growth in virtue is beautiful but so too is its realization even if we didn't happen to see its development and yet there is much more to learn both for King Theoden and for us ride out and meet them for death and glory for Rohan for your people Pride looks inward asking what do I stand to gain from this while humility looks outward seeking the good of others and asking how can I best serve them Aragorn's gentle reminder to Theoden of his kingly duty Echoes that of gamblings from earlier his men will follow him to whatever end because they love him all they ask in return is that he love them that he wills and seeks their good that is the mark of a true king that he places the good of those whom he rules ahead of his own in this scene book and movie converge as Theoden chooses to act to fight whatever and make come and my goodness what a scene it is the Horn of Helm hammerand shall sound in the Deep one last time but even as the gate fell and the Orcs about it yelled preparing to charge a murmur arose behind them like a wind in the distance and it grew to a clamor of many voices crying strange news in the dawn the Orcs upon the rock hearing the rumor of dismay wavered and looked back and then sudden and terrible from the tower above the sound of the Great Horn of Helm rang [Music] out seriously pause this video go watch the scene and come back I'll wait all right let's continue first the tolken nerd in me needs to point out something I'm hardly an advanced tolken nerd by the way uh I'm very much an amateur but nonetheless this charge of the RO herum is accompanied by the horn of Helm hammerhand the last of the first line of kings of Rohan who was an incredibly Fierce Warrior whose wraith was believed to defend the hornberg even in death but more important than who horn is the simple fact that a horn produces music and it was through music that Aro alvatar created the world which these men now inhabit music has an incredible power in token's World Tom Bombadil who embodies the land around him sings constantly and it is his song that frees Mary and Pippen from old man Willow it is the song of the GS that draws Lego Lo to the Seas and eventually to his ancestral home in valinor when tolken describes the Cry of the nosul it is a perversion of music and awful wailing or screeching that terrifies good-hearted creatures who hear it all that to say that the music created by the horn of hm hammerhand plays a central role in this scene because it wields in some small way the very power of creation which the Servants of Darkness cannot endure combine that with dozens of hardened Warriors charging at a full gallop and and it is no Small Wonder that the urai flee before Theoden and his host none of that is all that illustrative of token's growth or established virtue but more of a recognition of the incredible creativity care and love that was put into these stories those elements are part of why they have stayed with us for so long why 20 years after the movie I am still writing this and you are watching it characters especially Side characters are of Forgotten but in the stories that really matter they live on in our our minds and when we revisit those stories as I am doing now their depth their example and their inspiring nature become all the more clear but that story is hardly over yet the victory at Helms Deep is like the other great battles in this story a victory of Hope over dispair a seemingly impossible Mountain that our heroes Summit Against All Odds it's worth noting that even in the book Theoden is not fully convinced of the wisdom of Gandalf and his hope is not unwavering but being able to act despite that faltering optimism is what makes him such an inspiring character with the battle now won Theoden must complete his victory over Sauron by journeying to Eisen guard where he encounters Mary and Pippen a meeting I would like to touch on briefly Farewell My Hobbits may we meet again in my house there you shall sit beside me and tell me all that your hearts desire the Deeds of your grandsires as far as you can reckon them and we will speak also of tobo the old and his herblore Farewell theodent has just won a great victory and is about to meet face to face with the Enemy whom he has just conquered his mind is doubtless preoccupied with Saron and the coming fight against Sauron and yet he expresses his desire to meet with the hobbits again to hear of their Heritage and to learn about their culture a fine old fellow indeed instead of being entirely wrapped up in his own problems and interests Theoden reaches out to the young Hobbits and seeks relationship with them this is a beautiful display of masculine humility a pride king would ignore the halflings as beneath him their history and culture as irrelevant what use would two child-sized men be to a King riding to war but the humble man doesn't see others in terms of their utility but rather in their Humanity Theoden humbles himself to hear and learn from Mary and Pippen naturally their Tales of pipeweed have no use in a time of War but the passion they express the Artistry of the hobbits they speak of and the peaceful life they left behind are the very reasons that Theoden and all men even bother to go to war in the first place Wars are only worth fighting if they are protecting something worth protecting in speaking with Mary and Pippen Theoden learns more about what he defends strengthening his desire to resist Sauron and his armies as he comes to understand that this war is for far more than merely the survival of Rohan but before Sauron can be dealt with foden must face Saron the man who Bears the responsibility for the death and suffering of theoden's soldiers and subjects from the Tower of orthon Saron attempts to cajo and seduce his listeners with sweet words speaking of friendship and peace and to the ears of many of the writers he sounds agreable and sensible saran's power is that of persuasion of bending others to his will but Theoden is far too familiar with such methods having fallen for this trap before he will easily resist it now we shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the the West fo and the children that lie dead there one might be tempted to think that Theoden should try to find forgiveness for sarmon in his heart is Mercy not a virtue Vengeance can certainly be emotionally satisfying but it is hardly a virtuous course of action should theoda not at least try to seek reconciliation with saon no absolutely not for several reasons first San is not actually seeking Mercy or forgiveness he is speaking deceitfully and with no no intention of finding a peaceful solution to take him at his word would be absurdly foolish second San is negotiating from a position of power within his Tower Fortress of orthon he is not then at theoden's Mercy an enemy who refuses to surrender cannot reasonably be pied and forgiven when you hang from a for the sport of your own crows we shall have peace AR theoden's words completely and thoroughly virtuous not really they are passionate and angry and the desire to see sarmon hang skus towards Vengeance rather than justice but this scene in the movie does make it clear as did a prior scene in the book that Theoden still does have a great capacity for Mercy primma you need not follow him you were not always as you are now you were once a man of Rohan this is the man who whispered lies of Despair into theoden's ear who corrupted him and dragged him down into the mud who quite reasonably could be assigned a share of the blame for theodred's death and yet despite all those horrendous sins Theoden is willing to accept GMA back into his service if only he would repent and turn from the path he had chosen our Mercy must be prudent seeking friendship with those who clearly only intend to cause us further harm would be imprudent saon is set in his ways and unwilling to change which Theoden recognizes but the king also knows that GMA is capable of service and is willing to give him the chance to be of service once again Mercy is wonderful and beautiful but it is a two-party transaction it is not and cannot be unrestrained and unconditional though this singular condition may be that the offending party truly desires mercy and forgiveness before we leave this scene I want to touch on a couple of quotes from theoden's speech in the book even if your war on me was just as it was not for were you 10 times as wise you would have no right to rule me and mine for your own profit as you desired this is such a simple notion and yet it is so often the defining line between good and evil strength of any kind does not bring with it the right to use that strength for your own gain whether that is physical strength influence over others great intelligence and cleverness or any kind of power you can imagine they must be wielded for the good of others not solely for our own don't make me quote uncle benan or dinar the second line of thein is actually given to Saron in the movie you are a lesser son of Greater sers a lesser son of great sers am I but I do not need to lick your your fingers turn Els with her but I fear your voice has lost its charm note how in the book Theoden admits this fact out loud and in the movie he simply ignores and seemingly accepts The Words which were intended as a provocative jab by saon in both cases we see that Theoden does view himself as inferior to the kings of Rohan who came before him this seems to be humility in the typical sense that is thinking less of oneself but I don't believe that tolken meant this line to show that Theoden is self-deprecating or overly harsh on himself but rather that he acknowledges the reality of the history of rohan's kings and that so many of his forbears had done great deeds in service of their country to which he simply cannot measure up under King theoden's rule Rohan has been plunged into chaos and disarray and he himself admitted earlier that he believes he will be the last of rohan's Kings for I fear that already you have come too late only to see the last days of my house not long now shall stand the high Hall which Breo son of AOL built fire shall Devour the high seat what is to be done knowing the Deeds of his forbears driving off the easterlings destroying every orc that set foot in Rohan riding to the aid of Gondor how could Theoden not see himself as less that simply seems to be the reality and humility is nothing less than accurately knowing oneself but even acknowledging this unfortunate fact Theoden does not wallow in self-pity as he has now twice before he turns his gaze outward towards the good of his people hail the Victorious dead this celebration is not for Theoden who led his people to victory over an Eisen guard nor even for the men who fought beside him and now stand in meduseld with him no it is for the soldiers of Rohan who fell in battle who made the ultimate sacrifice so that their brothers and their families could live on in one sentence Theoden honors and Mourns those who have died while simultaneously celebrating the victory they won with their lives it's a beautiful inspiring sentiment but did Theoden actually lead his men to victory at Helm steep again this is where book and movie diverge Jackson's Theoden had to be urged by Aragorn to ReDiscover his will to fight and so he States it was not theen of Rohan who led our people to Victory the first step we need to take on the road to Virtue is to acknowledge our own weaknesses and failings Theoden sees himself as a weaker leader than his country deserves aing who would have abandoned his duty if it were not for the words of another and the thing is he's not wrong to this point in the story he has not been the leader that Rohan needed him to be not fully anyway acknowledging one's own failings is often the easy part however the next step often proves more difficult once we know where we are deficient we must be willing to accept those shortcomings to forgive ourselves for our sins and missteps and to resolve to do better next time don't listen to me me you are young and tonight is for you this is such a seemingly small moment but I can hardly stress enough how important it is for theoden's character Arc in these films right after admitting that he was not the man who led his writers to Victory Theoden simply shrugs off those brooding thoughts and turns his attention to aen that is genuine heartfelt love being able to turn away from one's own struggles and focus on another's happiness and well-being is one of the highest Heights that love can reach and theoden's humility has grown to the point where he can now accept his failures as a king without letting his pride keep him mired in self-pity and shame he has come a long way from the man who once declared when last I looked Theoden not Aron was king of Rohan obtaining the ability to accept that another man especially one who appears to be younger and less experienced than you is braver more perseverant or really better in any way and not get caught up in comparison and envy is no small achievement rejecting such a temptation as Theoden shows in The Two Towers is not an easy task but it is possible and furthermore it is possible to accept that reality and yet still strive to be better not out of any sense of competition but rather due to the inspiration given by the Paragon of virtue you see before you we all need an Aragorn in our lives to show us what to strive for and we all need a Theoden movie theen anyway to show us how to get there however theoden's growth is still not quite complete why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours Theoden is still clinging in a fashion to his attitude before the Battle of Helm's Deep to his desire to Simply preserve the lives of his people in they Here and Now Imagining the call for aid from Gondor makes him think only of the men he would surely lose should they ride to battle but not beyond that it's easy when reality has yet to truly hit us to think think in this way to speak and act out of passion instead of considering the bigger picture and the greater good Theoden has grown greatly and is better than these words betray but we won't see that until the beac of City the beac great this is the moment that will Define theoden's kingship for all his failures and shortcomings he is still a good and loving King but can he be more than that can he accept that the good of the people whom he loves who have entrusted their well-being to him is not an ultimate good can he turn aside his rashly spoken words from days before and replace them with words of action words that will prove to those around him that he is a man worthy of the Throne of course he can and Rohan will answer with those four words our two versions of Theoden merge near seamlessly Jackson's adaptation now having reached the heights of virtue that tolken original had already attained Whatever May happen next Theoden has chosen to fight to face down the overwhelming odds to Hope but even in the hectic and Urgent preparations for war Theoden does not forget the Hobbit whose tales and histories he was eager to hear I have a sword said Mary may I lay the sword of maradok of the Shire on your lap Theoden King receive my service if you will gladly I will take it said the king rise now marad Esquire of Rohan of the House of meusel he said take your sword and bear it unto Good Fortune as a father you shall be to me said Mary for a little while said Theoden it would be easy to dismiss Mary as unimportant and his gesture is pointless and yet Theoden gladly accepts the hobbit's pledge and takes Mary into his own house theoden's ability to hold in Balance the two Natures of hardened Warrior and loving father is truly admirable and make no mistake Theoden is still very much a warrior even in his old age he will ride with his rerum to Gondor even at Great risk to to his life but if you would take my counsel said alare in a low voice you would then return hither until the war is over lost or won Theoden smiled nay my son for so I will call you speak not the soft words of Worm tongue in my old ears if the war is lost what good will be my hiding in the hills and if it is won what grief will it be even if I fall spending my last strength the Council of aomar is not evil or even ill advised it comes from a place of genuine love on the part of theoden's nephew who simply desires safety for the man whom he now sees as a father but theoden's place is not hiding in Eros waiting for news of the battle if any were to come at all he has spent too long biing his time and waiting in the wings now the king's place is with his men at the front truly leading them into battle no matter the odds we cannot defeat the armies of Mordor but we will meet them in battle nonetheless theoden's message is not one of desperation or resignation he is not telling his men we're going to die so let's just get this over with rather he is proclaiming a message of Hope declaring to the r herum that although they themselves are insufficient for victory the future is far from certain when all seems hopeless and the Darkness is overwhelming as it literally is at this point in the story all we can do is do what we can what we ought what we must even the wise cannot see all ends that includes Theoden by the way keep that in mind for a while the king sat silent at last he spoke so we come to it in the end he said the great battle of our time in which many things shall pass away but at least there is no longer need for hiding we will ride the straight way in the open road and with all our speed as The Great Battle of our time approaches theodent has two conversations in which he counsels as aom just did and the results of which are pretty much exactly the same Mary begged for the last time not to be parted from him why Lord did you receive me as swordthe if not to stay by your side and I would not have it said of me in song only that I was always left behind I received you for your safekeeping answered Theoden and also to do as I might bid none of my Riders can bear you as a burden if the battle were before my Gates maybe your Deeds would be remembered by the minstrels but it is 100 leagues and two to mundur where danathor is Lord I will say no more before we move on to aen I did want to note how Theoden would have gladly accepted Mary's service in battle if it would not require him to ride all the way to Gondor the loving desire to keep our friends and family safe cannot be unconditional we have to accept their agency and their desire to sacrifice on our behalf you have to let people love you as you love them theoden's refusal to marry is simply practical in nature as is his desire for aoan to remain behind long may you defend edas if the battle goes ill Theoden does not encourage aoan to flee the war entirely to hide in the hills and simply try to survive no he encourages her to protect their ancestral home dying with it if need be although he certainly hopes to protect aen by leaving her in Rohan as he rides to Gondor his decision is once again quite sensible but again even the wise cannot see all ends even at the peak of his ark Theoden doesn't have to be and shouldn't be right about everything it's okay to be mistaken as long as you were acting out of selfless love as Theoden is what other du would you have me do my Lord I would have you smile again not grieve for those whose time has come love can be defined simply as willing the good of another seeking for them peace and joy you know how there's this stereotype about creepy guys telling women they barely know that hey you should smile more I think the reason that those words strike such a nasty chord is because they imply an emotional intimacy that simply does not exist between the two parties those who know know us understand our emotional states often times better than we do and so they have the prerogative to encourage Us in ways that strangers acquaintances or co-workers simply don't this uncle and niece who are more like father and daughter in their bond absolutely do have that depth in their relationship this beautiful moment of connection between Theoden and aoan demonstrates his deep heartfelt love for her he is willing to die so that she can be free and unbeknownst to him she feels that exact same way and is willing to act accordingly but we're going to save all that for another video now it appears to be the Moment of Truth having arrived at Min tith with his 6,000 rerum Theoden is paralyzed by the horror which confronts him for all his assertions that we will meet them in battle nonetheless he could hardly imagine the vastness of mordor's army nor the destruction being rought upon the White City the king sat upon snowman motionless gazing upon the agony of minister as if stricken Suddenly by anguish or by dread he seemed to shrink down cowed by age Mary himself felt as if a great weight of horror and doubt had settled on him his heart beat slowly time seemed poised in uncertainty they were too late once again Theoden is faced with a choice will he be the man whom grima corrupted or the man who led his Riders forth from Helm's Deep will he fight or will he hide will he let Min tith perish in the Darkness or will he bring a new dawn to Gondor will he despair or will he now dare to Hope one last time in an instant as the Gate of the city is shattered with a deafening boom all doubt is washed away and well I'll let tolken tell you at that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect tall and proud he seemed again and rising in his stups he cried in a loud voice more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieved before arise arise Riders of Theoden fell Deeds awake fire and Slaughter spear shall be shaken Shield shall be splintered a sword day a red day and the sun rises Ride Now Ride Now ride to Gondor with that he seized a Great Horn from guthoff his Banner Bearer and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst aunder and straight away all the horns in the host were lifted up in music and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains Ride Now Ride Now ride to Gondor suddenly the king cried to Snowman and the horse sprang away behind him his Banner blew in the wind White Horse upon a field of green but he outpaced it after him thundered the Knights of his house but he was ever before them aare rode there the white horse tail of his Helm floating in his speed and the front of the first aired roared like a breaker foaming to the shore but Theoden could not be overtaken F he seemed or the battle Fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins and he was born up on snowman like a god of old even as or the great in the battle of the Valor when the world was young his gold shield was uncovered and low it Shone like an image of the sun and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his Steed for morning came mourning and a wind from the sea and darkness was removed and the hosts of mortar wailed and Terror took them and they fled and died and the hoofs of Wrath rode over them and then all the host of Rohan burst into song and they sang as they slew for the joy of battle was on them and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the city what more can I say I already made a whole video about this one scene so I don't want to repeat myself too much but I have to just a little to say this this is why fantasy stories stay with us for for decades after they are told not merely because of the incredible pros of Professor tolken nor even because of the depth of His World building no these stories really matter to us we return to them year after year to read and watch them because of the incredible virtue displayed by the men and women Within These Tales whether they have to grow in virtue or are already established Paragons characters like Theoden aan and Mary give us shining examples of Courage perseverance and hope we need need stories like this to show us the heights to which we should Aspire wanting fiction to reflect our own world is depressing inward-looking and reflects in inability to hope we should not want our heroes dragged down to our level We should strive to be like them to follow their example to be better and more than we are Theoden on the fields of plor is now finally the man the king that he needs to be his final words before being struck down as the approach of the witch King scatters terrified Horse and Rider around him are up a Lingus fear no darkness and though Theoden Falls crushed by his own Steed he has already won a great Victory his arrival at menth his decision to ride to the aid of Gondor has drawn away the black Captain and allowed the men of Gondor to Sally Forth in battle against the host of Mordor I won't say much about the death of the witch King not in this video anyway save for this if theoden's every wish had granted the chief of the nozal would not have been slain at least not in this manner even the wise cannot see all ends this is not a mark against Theoden but rather a reminder that no matter how prudent our judgment no matter how hearty our courage and no matter how steadfast our resolve we are by ourselves insufficient for victory we need help we need those whom we love in order to win the day and if we are truly humble we will not begrudge them their love for us as theoden's life Fades from his eyes we we see that he's not ashamed of having fallen nor of having his foe struck down by another he's not too proud to see the glory and the Victory one even if it was not by his own hand I go to my fathers in whose Mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed theoden's death is one of seeming igny crushed by his own horse before he could even face his greatest enemy and yet Theoden feels no such humiliation he understands that it is not the unpredictable outcome of battle that defines him but rather the choices that he made that led him to this point and while he may have faltered along the way he ultimately chose to put aside his own desires and well-being to recognize that being a king means far more than protecting one's own land and people and to hope that his actions would bring about a brighter future in doing so he became worthy of the title he bore can any of us ask for a better death than this passing away no knowing that we have carried out our mission one line of the final verse of the American Civil War song The Battle Hymn of the Republic goes like this as he died to make man holy let us die to make man free many modern versions of this song change it to say let us live to make men free but that is a mistake it undercuts the message that we are called to give of ourselves totally without reluctance or restraint For A Cause worthy of the ultimate sacrifice the peace safety and freedom of those we love is undoubtedly such a cause Mary could not speak but wept a new forgive me Lord he said if I broke your command and yet have done no more in your service than to weep at our parting the Old King smiled grief not it is Forgiven great heart will not be denied live now in blessedness and when you sit in peace with your pipe think of me for never now shall I sit with you in medel as I promised or listen to your heror he closed his eyes and Mary bowed beside him presently he spoke again where is aare for my eyes darken and I would see him a I go he must be king after me and I would send word to aoan she would not have me leave her and now I shall not see her again dearer than daughter theoden's last thoughts and words are not of himself but of his loved ones even as he passes from this life to the next his concern is for the good of his people that is the mark of a true king I I got to pull myself together the Arc of King Theoden can be summed up in three words learning to hope that is to strive to work to fight where it would be far easier to Simply do nothing to believe that if he simply does what he must he and his people will find happiness in this life or the next while Jackson's adaptation also has to conquer his kingly pride and token's original takes a far shorter road to Virtue the character of Theoden in every instance emerges Victorious over the despair which which had nearly engulfed him when he first entered the story by hoping for a brighter tomorrow and by daring to act on that hope Theoden becomes truly worthy of the mighty company of his fathers I hope you enjoyed this video half as much as I enjoyed baking it I love that I get to return to these Amazing Stories think about them write down my thoughts and then share those thoughts with thousands of people it's truly an incredible gift thank you so much for watching please share other stories or characters you are inspired by or just love in any way and I will add them to my ever growing list of topics my next video will likely be a return to an old favorite however so stay tuned for that again thank you for watching and listening I appreciate you if you're watching this close to when I release it Merry Christmas Happy New Year God bless and I will see you in the next one

Channel: Master Samwise

Views: 240,629

Keywords: masculinity, lordoftherings, theoden

Id: slv1yzee_E0

Length: 48min 52sec (2932 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 16 2023