Though the symbolism and parallels Tolkien suggests don’t fall in exact time sequence with that of the Bible (speaking of the time structure of The Two Towers), it is still important to follow the biblical chronology for complete understanding of Tolkien’s usage of the parables. By this creed, we will now refer to the hours before Jesus’ crucifixion in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is in this instance where we will see the first evidence of Sam’s dual role as any member of the disciples and also as Simon of Cyrene. Tolkien uses Sam Gamgee as a medium to display the actions of these crucial biblical players, all directly involved with Jesus in his days before the crucifixion on Golgotha. Specifically, Tolkien uses the initial indecisiveness of Master Samwise to make this allusion to the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Sam’s self-battle of emotions the story states, “Now the flicker of approaching torches and the clink of steel ahead was very near. In a minute they would reach the top and be on him” (Tolkien 717). This passage is strikingly similar to the actions taken by the Roman soldiers when Jesus was betrayed in the Garden by Judas. The Bible originally formed the mold for this symbolism that Tolkien has borrowed, as told in Matthew 26:47:
“And while He was still speaking, behold Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude came with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.”
The initial passage by Tolkien no doubt was very near the thoughts of the disciples who waited in Gethsemane while Jesus prayed, wondering what action they would take against this evil that drew closer to their Lord by the minute. Tolkien integrates this famous biblical parable into The Lord of the Rings with a sense of reverence, yet also great subtleness that would be easy to pass over if not familiar with the doctrine of Christianity.
Biblical text tells us that after the trial presided by Pontius Pilate, Jesus was called to be executed by crucifixion, and it is in this that we come to the heart of The Way of the Cross. In my readings of The Two Towers, I found two passages that I felt strongly conveyed the burden Jesus faced carrying the splintered wooden Cross, as well as the burden that Simon of Cyrene took upon his own shoulders when Jesus was too weak and fell on the path to Calvary. The following fragment of Tolkien’s work reveals the thoughts of Simon of Cyrene with uncanny accuracy. Again using Sam Gamgee as the medium, the passage states:
“How could he escape, or save himself, or save the Ring? The Ring. He was not aware of any thought or decision. He simply found himself drawing out the chain and taking the Ring in his hand. The head of the orc-company appeared in the Cleft right before him. Then he put it on” (Tolkien 717).
Without question, this was much the same situation that Simon the Cyrene faced when pulled from the crowd to take up the Cross of Jesus, with the only discrepancy being that Simon was pulled by the Roman soldiers (Orcs perhaps?) and didn’t “willfully” volunteer for the task. The Bible doesn’t speak much of the specific events of that moment, yet Matthew 27:32 says, “Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.” To delve further into The Lord of the Rings parallels, the final destination of that crucifixion journey was to Golgotha, “the Place of a Skull.” It does not take much to see the similarities between Golgotha and Mordor, the place of dwelling evil in The Lord of the Rings and also where the Ring was to be destroyed.
The second passage of The Two Towers that truly defines the meaning of The Way of the Cross is again found in Sam’s actions:
“And then he bent his own neck and put the chain upon it, and at once his head was bowed to the ground with the weight of the Ring, as if a great stone had been strung on him. But slowly, as if the weight became less, or new strength grew in him, he raised his head, and then with a great effort got to his feet and found that he could walk and bear his burden” (Tolkien 716).
The Ring, substituted for the Cross once more, has given more than just weight to the carrier. It has a burden, a weight that is more than physical in nature to the one who bears it. Just as the Cross bears the weight of all the sins of mankind in Christianity, the Ring also was indispensable in The Lord of the Rings because without its ultimate destruction, there would be no “salvation” for the inhabitants of Middle-Earth.
The conclusion of The Way of the Cross, I would suggest, is not in the death of Jesus on the Cross. Instead I would suggest that the true ending to this inspiring and uplifting Christian chronicle is in the Resurrection. That is where faith comes from, and where hope was born. Again borrowing a page from the Bible, Tolkien uses this rousing account of life after death in The Lord of the Rings to complete his “Way of the Ring” if you will. After Sam has pursued the Orcs who carried away his master’s body (Frodo), he is shocked to find that Frodo is not dead after all. Upon this revelation, Sam thinks, “You fool, he isn’t dead, and your heart knew it. Don’t trust your head, Samwise, it is not the best part of you. The trouble with you is that you never really had any hope” (Tolkien 723). This is again strikingly similar to the biblical text, specifically the revelation of the disciples when they were told the news of the Resurrection by Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene experienced this shocking miracle when she visited the tomb of Jesus after his burials described in Matthew 28:6: “He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” Though I am certainly not suggesting Frodo is a “Lord” of any sort, he will prove to be a savior as the storyline progresses, and that is the importance of this passage.
In conclusion, Frodo's momentary inability to carry the Ring and thus the passing of the Ring to Sam Gamgee is, in my opinion, the most prevalent and important theme of The Two Towers. The biblical allusions are everywhere in the text of The Two Towers, and this is quite a reflection of J.R.R. Tolkien’s personal convictions and beliefs. What hangs in the mind of the reader, conscious of Christianity or not, are themes that join the human race nearly everywhere. The sacrifice of self unto death. The demand that the world be saved by carrying this Ring. All of that is at the heart of the matter in “The Choices of Master Samwise,” and we cannot even begin to imagine that Tolkien would have had the Ring, without the Cross that came long before.
Works Cited
Holy Bible. New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Book 2. The Two Towers. NewYork: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. 715-723
