Why This Is The REAL Hero Of The Lord Of The Rings
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- čas přidán 19. 12. 2023
- The Lord Of The Rings is a story about an unlikely hero vanquishing an unimaginable evil by destroying a magic ring. Though the real hero isn't the one holding the ring. Many fans maybe see Frodo as our main hero, others might see Aragorn as the main focus of The Lord of the Rings. But our real hero, Samwise Gamgee, is the sole reason the ring made it to Mount Doom at all. The Lord of the Rings is filled with unlikely heroes, but Samwise is the focal point to the ultimate destruction of the ring.
#lotr #lordoftherings #ringsofpower #nerdstalgic
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• The Fellowship of The ... - Zábava
I've never liked the Frodo erasure when people praise Sam. I love Sam. He's *one of* the heroes in the LotR. But we don't have to diminish Frodo in order to praise Sam. Frodo did something Sam couldn't do. And Sam did something Frodo couldn't do. The entire point of the Fellowship is that each character is a hero and each has a part to play in this great epic. No one can save the world alone
It's like they completed each other. Kind of like Harry and Ron or Zuko and Iroh.
I joke saying “of course he was the hero”, but i totally agree with your statement. The Fellowship wouldve failed if not for every member of it. Sam would not have been able to carry the load Frodo did for as long as he did
Frodo gave his life almost literally for the cause. He carried the ring longer than anyone, he showed mercy to gollum who ended up destroying the ring. He was stabbed by a morgul blade and he still chose to carry the ring when no one would have had the endurance to even touch it. He even lost a finger. He endured more punishment, physical and mental than anyone on the fellowship, and he saved the world and the Shire, not for him, but for others because completing the quest took all from him.
Came here to say this too! Frodo taking in the ring is already a heroic deed by itself.
The title of the video is lazy click-bait. I had thought Nerdstalgic better than that.
"I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you." Sam is the best friend anyone could ask for. He's loyal to Frodo until the very end, and is rewarded by getting to settle down with the love of his life at the end.
This quote applies to the fact he carried the plot
Character arc - achievement complete. For me the apex moment of the trilogy.
Favorite moment in the entire trilogy. And that was after Sam has already carried the ring and was influenced by the ring for a while.
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That part always makes me cry 😭
People say everyone should have a Sam in their life. But I always think people should try to be the Sam for others.
Very well said, thank you!
Not a lot of Sams out there in our era.
Everyone in England has a mate called Dave though!
I agree
@@ryostu1 Tell me about it
One of Sam’s most telling and heroic scenes in the book didn’t make it into the movies: during that brief period when he carried the ring, thinking that Frodo was dead, he experienced a vision of himself, wielding the ring, transforming all of Mordor into his own garden. He denied the temptation without hesitation. For one thing he knew it was a trap, but more importantly, in his mind, even if it could be done, he never saw himself as a commander or leader. If any gardening was to be done, it was by his own hands in his own garden
Sam was a humble and simple man. He just wanted to see elves, take care of a garden, get married, and be a friend.
@@joshuawilloughby2696and have a second (or third) breakfast hehehe
We don't know though what Sam would do if he was carrying the One Ring all the way from Shire. He might've succumb earlier than Frodo.
@@TheGeneralGrievous19 there's no way to know for sure but I have a feeling the ring could not really offer anything he truly wanted to Sam so it didn't hold much power over him. Sam was not proud or ambitious, didn't want riches and power, he was perfectly content with what he had already.
The last temptation of Sam
No one ever seems to note my favorite aspect of LotR’s story. Yes, Sam is a hero, as is Frodo and Aragorn and all of the Fellowship, truly, but in the end, the ring is too powerful. Frodo cannot, ultimately, cast it into the fire. And here’s the bit that so often gets overlooked, because it occurs outside of the main trilogy: Bilbo’s mercy, to not kill Gollum when he had the chance, is what saves the world.
No one can withstand the power of the ring. But evil destroys, in the very end. Even itself. And so Gollum falls to his own doom but also destroys the ring as he does. Mercy, however, is what allowed this to happen. A single act of kindness is what allows for the greatest evil in the world to be undone.
Not to mention that Frodo, too, had chosen to spare Gollum's life when he was given the chance to kill him.
Even Sam would have struck him down, which further shows how every single member of the Fellowship was a hero and necessary to save the world.
Gandalf had said something to the effect of, “Gollum may still have a part to play” after Frodo said it was a pity that Bilbo hadn’t killed him.
This
I feel like people talk about this all the time! Like it's one of the main takeaways of the movie!
@@lolglolblolin the book, Sam is also about to kill Gollum but spares him also for mercy. All 3 of them spared his life
The beautiful thing about LOTR is that everyone is a hero. I often think of Faramir - if he would have taken the ring from Frodo or handed Frodo and Sam to Gondor - Everything would have been lost. His decision to let them go and give up his life was crucial. I can say the same about every character even beyond the fellowship. From Theoden to Eomer to Eowyn. Everyone is a hero in LOTR, that's what I love about it. A battle so big could have only been won by collective solidarity.
I love how we first see Sam happily tending his garden in Bagshot Row in Fellowship of the Ring. He’s content enough alone, even with his shyness and lack of confidence with Rosie. At first, it is Frodo who has to hold his hand and encourage him to literally step out of his comfort zone. Over the journey, the more Frodo fades the more Sam is compelled to step up, taking the lead and literally carrying the fate of the world on his back. At the end of Return of the King, we return to that same Bagshot Row garden and front porch with a family awaiting, his arc complete.
People forget that Frodo is carrying a divine object that even demi gods are afraid to touch. A lot of Frodos agency was taken out of the movies.
Yea, I think the "heaviness" of the ring is one of the few things that didn't translate well to the big screen
@@jonnnnniej For me it translated great, partly through Elijah Wood's acting, but also the writing and direction throughout. It's genuinely confusing to me that people don't get this.
"The Ring's getting heavy"
"It's such a weight to carry"
Many people who hear this will think of the actual physical weight of the One Ring increasing, but I think it was more like the mental burden that was increasing, and evil temptations and threats from the Ring being heard by Frodo in his mind or something by Sauron, out of focus because Frodo didn't put the Ring on.
Yeah, they had someone else be heroic at the Ford of Bruinen, so that took one of his big moments away. And that nonsense of him making weird bird sounds all the way there instead of keeping his wits about him was just silly.
@@BeeWhistler Eh?
I love what Sams character epitomizes in LotR. It's that you don't necessarily need to have any "skillset" to be a hero. All Sam had was a good heart and always did the right thing. He ended up being the real hero of the whole story. Whilst others were great fighters, leaders, diplomats or even wizards, it was ultimately because of Sam's unwavering goodness that the ring was destroyed, and he did it with nothing but love and gratitude in his heart.
So well written
don't need a skillset only need a skillet
Very well said, man.
Bilbos sparing gollum is what saved middle earth.
No offense to Sam, but this is simply untrue. Sam not always did the right thing, and many other characters played equally crucial role in the destruction of the One Ring, and especially Frodo who carried the burden from Shire to Mordor & showed mercy to Gollum which Sam didn't want.
Although I agree that he's a prototypical protagonist, I still think that Frodo is the hero. He knew that he was practically sacrificing himself when he chose to be the ring barer. Even though he may not have performed heroic actions like Sam, he ultimately chose to sacrifice himself for the good of the world.
Frodo's mercy towards Gollum is what destroyed the ring. If he had allowed Gollum to be killed, the ring wouldn't have been destroyed. Gandalf said to Frodo "Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play for good or evil before this is over."
@@gusandthetv
It helps that he's the ring bearer and he understand how the ring influences the bearer.
In my opinion, Frodo actively fought Sauron (or atleast the extension of the Dark Lord) by carrying the One Ring to Mordor with the intent of destroying it. He only failed at the very end.
That's so true. But both are the heroes, as Gandalf and Aragorn in a way, and the rest. People are too eager to critizice Frodo, but the burden he was carrying was nothing short of incredible and the way he so willingly accepted it is so pure. He wasn't that charismatic but he had a great heart.
Wholeheartedly agree. There needed to be a team effort in order to succeed, but I felt Frodo made huge sacrifices and volunteered despite knowing he might never return. Sam had a lot of heart, but Frodo made the more difficult choices that I find more compelling in my heroes.
That's the problem with "TRUE hero": it implies that only one character is the unsung hero, and the others are not heroes in fact. Tolkien himself used "CHIEF hero" in one of his letters, and that represents the truth for the character - he's the final protagonist of the story, and his efforts were crucial for the success of the Quest. And that's the beauty of LotR, that each character had their role to play in the grand scheme of things.
It's tragic: some deny Frodo his role just because you can't really see, grasp or even begin to understand the destructive power of the one ring. It's like the lack of understanding when it comes to mental illness, even though its effects can be way worse than physical wounds. There is a reason why not only Gandalf entrusted him with the ring, for only he could endure it long enough, despite all the odds. Don't forget Frodo and the others, they are a Fellowship after all. They are all real heroes - there is no need to emphasize just one ❤
I haven't made it through all three books but I think the best way to think of the corruption of the ring and its effects on Frodo is best described like terrible radiation strontium 90 poisoning....but he is choosing to continuously expose himself to it every day
Most people describe Sam as “The Hero” of the story as he is the protagonist who fully undergoes the “Hero’s Journey”. The actions of Frodo are obviously heroic, but he doesn’t complete a hero’s journey. Frodo doesn’t overcome the final hurdle. He isn’t changed for the better by his journey. Heroism has many meanings for different people, when people refer to Sam as the hero of Lord of the Rings they mean it in a literary sense, as in the specific role he plays within the story. Frodo instead fits more as a martyr in terms of roles.
kudos for thinking further then 99% of the people on earth, people think way to much with there emotion and feelings and forget about the main details and facts.
exactly this
I think all the characters in the Fellowship are the true heroes, including Boromir.
A man named Sam Gamgee wrote Tolkien to ask where he got the name for the character. He'd never read the books. Tolkien wrote back about the outstanding qualities and heroism of Samwise and gave the real life Sam an autographed set of the novels.
Did not know that...Thank you!
And that was enough to traumatize Tolkien to the point that he was afraid of receiving a letter signed S. Gollum.
We’re talking about Gollum right? Who guided them through Mordor? Who actually destroyed the ring? Put some respect on my man Smeagol’s name.
To say that Sam is just a gardener is like saying Anakin Skywalker was just a “guy with mommy issues”. There’s more to it
We all know why he is a hero but I'll never pass up on a video about Samwise Gamgee.
Personally I never liked how Sam is so highly praised at Frodo's expense. They were both brave, heroic, and willing to sacrifice.
@HouseBellplump-zv5mwshut up
True, no-one else could have done what Frodo did, yet he still needed Sam and in the end, they needed Gollum. Gollum was spared by Bilbo, then Sauron, then Aragorn and Gandalf, Frodo and even Sam. Yet, in an internet roast, there is no mercy for Frodo🤷 Sam is portrayed as a great hero (and also clumsy, which is OK)
"One does not simply walk into Mordor."
"I'm walking into mordor and those frying pans are coming with me."
For those who didn't read the books:
Sam ends up having 13 kids and becomes the mayor of the Shire for 49 years. At the age of 102, after his wife Rosie dies, he sails to the West and reunites with Frodo and other members of the Fellowship to live out the rest of his days.
what is the west? issit like a heaven or something?
@@Mobius123Basically
@@Mobius123 it's where Frodo, Gandalf, Bilbo, etc sail to at the end of Return of the King. It's basically Heaven for Middle Earth.
So did rosie go to the west after she died?
@@Mobius123 You have to physically go there.
It's not really right to call him the REAL hero, because it implies that Frodo is somehow not the real hero. I see this notion come up a lot. Sam is a fan favorite but he didn't have to carry the ring anywhere near as long as Frodo. Frodo had the ring in his possession for 17 years, and actively carried it across Middle Earth for nearly a year. Who knows what it would have done to Sam if he'd had it that long. Sam is a hero of the story for sure, but calling him the REAL hero takes away from Frodo and just isn't the right connotation. Frodo is so much the hero that everyone thinks someone else is the real hero. He was truly selfless, and he did not get to live a full, happy life afterward like Sam did. He sacrificed everything so that people who would never even know his name could continue living in peace and freedom.
I feel that often people underestimate the struggle that Frodo had to endure in the story. He had to withstand the corrupting seductive whispers of an ancient dark artifact that had turned great kings and leaders of middle earth into monsters or worse. Even Gandalf feared the ring's influence., but Frodo had the mental fortitude to take the ring to mount doom. Frodo's struggle in the trilogy was the mental health toll Frodo suffered. Like in real life often we have family or friends who suffer immense inner turmoil and it is the duty of those closest to us to try and help us get through those dark whispers or temptations. Sam was the light that Frodo needed to survive the journey, and Frodo was the one who had to see things through because if he could not then nobody could. Frodo and Sam as well as all the members of the fellowship are the heroes of this story. One might argue Sam is the best, but I think we should remember Tolkien intended Frodo be a main character for a reason.
He isn't the real hero, it's floating a lot but it's coming from people who, I'm sorry to say, didn't understand Tolkien's work.
The hero is friendship, humility and self sacrifice. Evil in Tolkien's world has anti heroes, huge figures that monopolize power and attention and act for themselves and most of the time alone.
Good isn't it, it's a group effort, the ring couldn't have been destroyed without Sam it's true, but it coudln't have been destroyed without Frodo, Gandalf, Boromir and the other memebers of the fellowship either.
The free people are weaker than the dark lord by any metric, they have a much smaller army, and no one could ever imagine to truly engage with him one on one and most not even with manyof his servants, what they have is the willingness to be faithful to one another, to sacrifice themselves for the greater good and to never break their bonds no matter the cost.
The first time I read the books, I thought Frodo really died in the spider's lair and Sam had to take up the ring and carry on alone. I thought that was a really interesting plot twist and I was excited to see what happened. I knew the books were loosely based on Tolkien's experience of war, and Frodo's sudden death made sense in that framework.
I agree, and I was disappointed when Frodo did not "stay dead".
This was my first thought when I watched the films a couple of weeks ago and I was totally prepared for Sam to have to carry the Ring from there on out
@@michaelshevlane9132 Fake deaths are very disappointing, they undermine my emotional investment in all deaths or possible deaths.
The entire fellowship are real heroes.
While I love this video essay, there should definitely be some credit given to Elijah Wood who portrayed Frodo as well. For me, anyway, Frodo and Sam helped EACH other. I feel there is no main hero in Lord of the Rings. Elijah Wood was only 18 years old when he began filming and he had an immense weight to carry on his shoulders. It’s honestly such a shame he doesn’t get enough credit as Frodo. I do love this video, but Elijah Wood deserves waaay more credit for what he has captured on film ♥️
Yes the hero of the films...! Unless we are thinking 'outside the box' again (people not seen in it!) then Peter Jackson has to be the hero there - it was his idea, but if he hadn't made them perhaps someone else would have eventually. I'd also say those actors who suffered the most while filming and kept going anyway - marching/fighting under heavy prosthetics... or having sore feet or accidents, or having to walk miles to avoid going by helicopter...!!
Or even more perhaps Howard Shore... without whom it would not sound the same!!
“I can’t carry it for you , but I can carry you!” If you don’t cry everytime idk what to tell you ❤️
There is also a very interesting thing that happens in the books. In the Fellowship of the Ring and the first half of the Two Towers, when we read the chapters about Frodo and Sam, they are focused on Frodo's perspective. But on the second half of the Two Towers and the Return of the King, the perspective shifts and the story ends with Sam. I find this beautiful because it is a way of showing how Sam developed so much throughout the journey that he slowly took the role of the protagonist. The story starts with Frodo and ends with Sam.
I always return to the books as the main source. In my view, Sam is the biggest hero (among many heroes). The book shares how Sam gives Frodo his food and water, leads Frodo towards Mordor when Frodo cannot focus due to the ring. At the end, Frodo, due to the effect of the ring, is just mindlessly following Sam's lead. It is all Frodo can do. Sam carries everything, eats and drinks next to nothing, makes all the plans, and does everything to make it easier for Frodo. Without Sam's leadership and encouragement Frodo would have given up at some point. I am not taking anything away from Frodo and what he did, but without Sam the journey would have failed.
And without Frodo the journey would not have even started. People are really obnoxious about entirely praising Sam and completely forgetting about what Frodo did and sacrificed. Even the title of this video feels more like an out-of-touch click bait than anything else.
Nerdstalgic missing out a core element of Tolkien's work. They were all in the fight together. Frodo had to be the one to carry the ring that is basically an physical embodiment of pure evil. Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas all had their roles at thwarting Isengard and Mordor and remind Sauron of the dangers of free men with a goal. Merry and Pippin were necessary too. It was Pippin that lit the beacon, and Merry that rode with the Rohirrim.
Tolkien was an officer in WWI. As such, he had an enlisted man - called a Batman - that was his aide. Batmen became close confidants and the most trusted of friends and advisors. Tolkien based Samwise on those unsung heroes supporting people in service.
Sam: I wonder if we'll ever be put into songs or tales.
Frodo: [turns around] What?
Sam: I wonder if people will ever say, 'Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring.' And they'll say 'Yes, that's one of my favorite stories. Frodo was really courageous, wasn't he, Dad?' 'Yes, my boy, the most famousest of hobbits. And that's saying a lot.'
Frodo: [continue walking] You've left out one of the chief characters - Samwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Sam. [stops and turns to Sam]
Frodo: Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam.
Sam: Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun; I was being serious.
Frodo: So was I. [they continue to walk]
Sam: Samwise the Brave...
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers.
samwise the brave!!! i want to hear more about him!!!
Thank you for such a great video and for highlighting Samwise The Brave.
Samwise Gamgee is the archetypical hero: a workaday fellow, ordinary in all respects, but with courage, loyalty and sense of duty to spare, which drives him to carry on when everybody else would pack and go home. You get it from your first reading of LotR.
It saddens me that it had to be done, but I notice and appreciate the effort that went through filtering out the music that was playing over all the dialogue.
everyone should have a friend as loving & loyal as Sam,that being said,the Fellowship helped each other and let’s no forget Sméagol,he played an important role too… 😉
Without the fellowship no single one would have finished the journey. They all had a vital role.
I always thought Sam was a central character of the story. But he needed Frodo as much as Frodo needed him. They are an inseperable team. More so in the books.
It’s been LOTR everyday in CZcams. Fuck yeah, I love it.
''IT'S YOUR SAM'' BRO HE ALWAYS GOT ME CRYING ISTG
Faramir: “Wait, you’re his gardener?! Damn… I need to get a gardener.” 🤣
I know everyone loves Sam. Guy is shockingly loyal and has a heart full of love. His feats are clearly amazing. But Frodo doesn't get his due because the movies did him dirty. Also the movie skips some of Sams lower character moments and lack of character development.
Frodo starts out as a fat hobbit who puts off his work to those around. But by the end of the book we get quotes from Gandalf calling him "the best hobbit in all the shire. Galadriel calls him her equal. At the very end in the scouring of the shire Saurumon proclaims Frodo "has grown in wisdom" and that he is jealous of him.
Frodo makes all the hardest choices in the book and he does so against the advice of great people around him and even Sam. He chose to leave the fellowship. He chose to spare golum, a critical move that Sam protested against and could never have the heart to do himself. Frodo sacrifices more than anyone else. He sacrificed everything.
The scene in the movie where Frodo abandons Sam in favor of Golum is pure Peter Jackson. Book Frodo NEVER believed in Golum and NEVER lost faith in Sam.
I'm unconvinced that the one quote from Tolkien is proof of Sam's being the true hero, death of the author arguments aside, I'm sure at times in his life he expressed the opinion both ways. We can't take a letter he wrote about Sam one time to a fan asking a question about Sam as the man's whole opinion.
TLDR. No hate on Sam but Frodo is the hero
Tolkien wasn't even talking about Sam. In the context of that letter, the "Chief Hero" Tolkien was talking about was Aragorn, not Sam. I don't know how people can be so obtuse. lol
My buddy Frodo walked the samen route as Sam but with the heavy burden of the ring and the whispers of smeagol in his ears. Frodo is the true hero
I just started watching Lord Of The Rings recently. So this video came at a perfect time.
Sean Astin not even receiving an Oscar nomination is still one of the biggest snubs in history.
Sam just always was the best
Oh no, what have you done? I'm embarking on another quest to watch the full trilogy before the end of the year because of your video.
There are lots of heroes in this epic story. Or just characters with heroic moments as you say, all of which helped the story go in the right direction. But it was Frodo's task and what he said at the end 'he couldn't have done it without Sam'... so you're right in so many ways.
But my hero of the story is of course JRR Tolkien without whom we would not know of all those heroic characters he imagined! Perhaps that's going 'outside the box' too much, but if we come outside the box and ask Tolkien who the real hero is in the box/book and he says it's Samwise - then you're spot-on. It's all about the little ordinary people doing the little good they can at just the right time out there in a big scary world -especially at times when it takes so much courage to keep going and do what needs to be done.
Who knows how many unsung heroes there were in the first world war trying to look after their friends in dangerous situations... Tolkien must have seen a lot there which gave him ideas for a story...!
Frodo was consumed by the ring. I suspect he knew he was lost to it early on. He knew Gollum was similarly consumed by the ring, as well as Bilbo, hence his empathy and hope for his salvation since that meant that there was some hope for him as well. Unfortunately, the fight Frodo was in during most of it remained largely invisible to us though Sam knew. :)
After i read the book (back in the 1900s), i had the interpretation that the narrator was Frodo, telling Sam’s children the tale of their father’s heroic adventure. Obviously, Sam is far too humble to tell it himself.
My understanding is that Sam is based on officers' servants Tolkien witnessed in the war - who, in some cases, Tolkien felt may have carried their wards.
Sean Astin deserved an Oscar for his performance in Return of the King.
So many Best Supporting Actors in that film.
@@harbl99I think that was part of the issue. So many performances from male stars but I agree Sean Astin stood above the rest. His own mother, Patty Duke said the same. His growth as an actor from Goonies as a child actor to this performance proves he was a actor to contend with. Would love to see more of him.
*"Gimly and Legolas are... there"* - Wise words from Nerdstalgic
Sam is the epitome of a true friend.
Crazy to think that if Sam didn’t choose to go with him, Frodo wouldn’t have survived.
Funny note: There was a letter sent to Tolkien in March of 1956 (I think its letter 184 or so). The real Sam Gamgee write to him since he heard about the radio version of LOTR. They talk about the Gamgee lineage and Tolkien expresses how Sam IS the hero of the story. He then sends Dr. Gamgee a signed copy of all the books, its a fun little side note.
the "chief hero" doesn't seem to stand for sam in the letter. it seems more like it stands for frodo. I think he means love stories around frodo explain frodos character.
Sam never wavered, but then again, he never had to carry the One Ring and resist its corrupting influences pretty much the entire journey.
We will never have anything like LOTR on the big screen ever again.
I'm just happy it happened and that I can always rewatch it.
You have to cry at the end of the two towers with Sam’s speech. I almost feel the same as “my friends, you bow to no one”
"I speak of peace because I'd rather be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war."
-Bruce Lee
"And I took that personally."
-Samwise Gamgee
They're all heroes. Even in his demise, Boromir died a hero.
Tolkien stated that Sam was based on his batman from WW1; for my American cousins, this is a personal enlisted valet that officers would have attached to them, and most of them would form a deferential friendship with their boss…
One of my criticism of the Fellowship movie was how they never fleshed out Frodo as a good guy, he was just sort of around having very little to do until the task landed in his hands. Would be much more interesting seeing minor details to give him more character before changing him to better understand what the rings corruption does. I've seen so many people not liking Frodo by the end of the trilogy which always annoyed me, not sure Sam would have done a better job if the roles was reversed.
We should follow the therminology of Tolkien: Chief Hero. What does it mean? He is the main hero since he is the embodiment of Tolkiens virtues. But he is not the „real“ hero in a sense that he is kind of more essential than anybody else. It is like picking one piece of the puzzle and claiming that this particular one is the most essential since the puzzle is not completed without it.
Tolkien wrote a story of a task beyond the abilities of one „real“ hero. Every piece of this puzzle had to be in the right place at the right time. Sam was maybe the last piece, but this does not make him the most important one.
Claiming that Sam drives the plot is quite rich btw. Frodo is the protagonist all the way to Mordor (making all the crucial decisions like taking the ring to Imladris/Mordor, following Gandalf’s advice and pass through Moria, taking Gollum as a guide etc.) and only when he is physically spent, Sam steps up to this role.
Ring : "I will give you power"
Sam : " How about a wide garden with taters in it"
Tolkien would disagree. Sam is a hero within the story, but it is Frodo who is the main hero/protagonist (both are real heroes tho). He carried the weight of the One Ring from Shire to Mordor. He showed mercy to Gollum which allowed the ultimate destruction of the Ring. Sam is no greater hero than Frodo, Aragorn or Gandalf.
Tolkien literally called Sam "the chief hero" at the end of this video. Try watching it next time.
it is not about one super hero...its about playing your part and adding up
I dont think we should put down frodo in order to praise sam, sam is the real mvp dont get me wrong but it took Sam AND Frodo along with the felloship of the ring to finish the quest and it was literally stated by tolken I think that while the quest failed because frodo gave out at the last second tolken literally said that NO ONE would have gotten the ring as far as frodo did meaning not even sam, ive seen conversations about who is the real hero in LOTR and people say that sam is the real hero but thats false why people put frodo down of all people in the series to praise sam is because obviously frodo is the easiest to compare to sam since frodo and sam journey with gollum to mordor with frodo carrying the ring and just that frodo's the main character who is often seen getting into terrible situations but still Frodo sacrificed so much
I think what some people dont understand is that the quest to destroy the ring was always meant to be in secret and in stealth because obviously if everyone knew frodo was carrying the ring then everybody in middle earth would come after his ass, especially Sauron, Saruman and the ring wraiths, the fellowships duty is to protect frodo, this was literally shown at the council meeting when frodo volunteered to take the ring to mordor, I dont think we should get mad at frodo when that godforsaken ring makes him do dumb things like at minas morgul especially when the ring literally makes frodo think that sam is conspiring against him since the ring is the most evil thing in middle earth with a strong dominant will that not even gods can overpower in this universe and it didnt make it any better when gollum was adding onto the rings powerful effects by manipulating frodo
In terms of will frodo is the strongest of them all, even stronger than gods because not even gods in this universe wanna touch the ring, just ask gandalf, Sam is amazing in every way possible and is hands down the greatest best friend in all of cinema but frodo sacrifice his body, mind, spirit and soul just to get that ring to mordor and as galadriel literally said, "the quest will claim his life" which it did because frodo left for the gray havens at the end of the series, that evil ring's mental and spiritual torment, the blade wound, and the horrors of war itself changed frodo forever to where he was never the same person again, this is frodo's price to pay for carrying that ring as much as he did and trying to help save the world, frodo is easily one of the strongest characters in LOTR and is hands down one of the most underrated protagonists ive ever seen
Frodo stumbled around and wasnt in his right mind half the time because of that ring while he was trying to save the world, without Frodo AND Sam the quest would have failed and evil would have won, Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam and Sam wouldn't have got far without Frodo, I think a protagonist doesnt have to be physically capable to be compelling and strong, for a character like Frodo Baggins to get trashed on the way he does in his own series is crazy to me and I think its about time we showed Frodo a little more respect
I’ve seen people call Sam “the true hero” and even had that thought when I was a child. But I’ve come to realise it’s simply not true.
There is no one singular hero in the story. Every character plays a vital role, who without them, Frodo and Sam would have never even reached Mount Doom to discard the ring in the first place.
For example, if Aragorn hadn’t rallied a last stand at the Black Gates, the armies of Sauron would have continued to occupy the space around Mount Doom and make traversal there impossible for Sam and Frodo.
If Faramir had simply had Gollum killed as intended or forcibly taken the ring from Frodo, the question would have failed right then.
If Merry and Pippin hadn’t distracted the Orcs and Uruks after Boromir’s death, they never would have ushered in the overthrowing of Saruman and Isengard, etc.
Everyone had a *vital* role to play. The true “hero” was the ‘indomitable spirit of good and justice’. It sounds prosaic and cliché, but it is what it is.
That's not fair. Bilbo carried the ring for decades. Frodo carried the ring for decades. Sam is tempted by the ring for just hours. Tolkien transitions threw multiple heroes. Each carries the day.
Did he get stabbed by a nazgul blade? No. Did he get skewered like a pig by an orc chieftain? No. Did he get his finger bitten off? No. Did he get stung by Shelob? No. Did he carry the ring all the way from the Shire to mount doom? No. Was he reluctant to give the ring back after having it for an hour? Yes. Did he suffer afterwards? No. He got some pootang after getting a couple scratches.
I absolutely love this video. I remember the first time I watched Return of the King as a child and was so annoyed (that I cried) that no one mentioned Sam. It was always "For Frodo" or "Frodo this".
how dare you make me cry on a Wednesday afternoon
Sam’s role was beyond critical in this story. But essential. One who bears a ring of power, especially an evil one, should always have a trustworthy assistant/friend, just to keep a good eye on one who bears the ring. Letting the ring bearer know and to be mindful of when the ring is working on them over time.
Edit: *Grammar.*
An interesting point is how the story was at first told from Frodo's point of view, and shifted to Sam's over the course of events.
The ring’s power and influence was getting stronger
@@bighand1530 How would that, and not Sam's becoming more central to the events, cause the narrative point of view to shift to him?
@@ethenallen1388 Sam wearing the ring himself I can imagine would change. He seemed to have had a certain resistance to the ring better than a lot of other people as well too.
Sam: "By rights, we shouldn't even be here."
Me: Well, Sam, you're right. You aren't even supposed to be at Osgiliath. 😂😂
Friendship, loyalty and duty are the heroes of LOTR, each of the characters are aided by the above on their quest or defending their land from evil.
The hero is friendship.
It is great to have a friend like Sam, but we should also strive to be like him.
Although I agree that Sam is A hero, he is not THE hero, Frodo is the hero given what the ring represents and it was his pity for Sméagol that destroyed it in the end. The whole point is that it took everyone to be able to complete the journey. It is even said that if Frodo could not find a way no-one would (even Sam).
I think the idea of the “REAL” hero is very simplistic. Feels like a thin take on what happened. There are many heros in this story, no singular one.
Thanks for this. Sam is my favorite character in all of literature.
By giving the ring back to Frodo he's also the only person to have given up the ring on his own initiative. Bilbo also gives it up, but it's not his idea to do so.
Everybody says we need a friend like Sam. That’s true. But we should also strive to be like Sam.
The premise is wrong, by Tolkien's admission Eru/Iluvatar is the Hero of the Book. But I can't blame OP for not seeing it
Frodo goes into danger knowingly, Sam (although loyally) follows Frodo naively. He has no idea what is to come. Frodo would never have completed his journey without Sam but he is not the true hero. For me, Tolkien’s theme is that no matter how small or insignificant you are in society, you can make a difference, and to stick your head in the sand (like the hobbits in Hobbiton) allowing others to perform the heavy lifting in times of war, is no way to live in troubled times. That is the theme of the hobbits. Leave the world to others and keep to ourselves and traditional ways of life. Every single member of the fellowship perform a function/role that leads to the success. From the largest powerful heroes, to the small and seemingly insignificant. Tolkien showed that we all can make a difference. Frodo knows he is unlikely to survive or return to his normal life when he takes on his task; Sam still thinks he will be home for the next harvest. Who is more brave and heroic?
You don’t know what “hero” means. Sam is a perfect sidekick/ally. He does not move the plot forward like Frodo, the definition of a real hero, does.
As Tolkien wanted his stories to be a mythology for Britain and the books are meant to be the English, this is why the heros rotate from each book to each of the hobbits.
The fellowship of the ring Frodo is the hero, he means to leave on a adventure with very little hope of coming back. Frodo also saves all the hobbits at the barrowdowns by attacking a Barrow wight and call on Tom Bombadil.
The Two Towers shows the beginning of growth for Merry and Pippin both in courage and height.
The return of the king is Sam's book, everything Frodo claimed Sam would become (first a jester then a wizard and a warrior) by storming cirith Ungol carrying Frodo to the cracks of doom. He later becomes mayor of the Shire being as close as a King you can get in the shire (Besides Pippin who becomes than on the tooklands)
Sam, best supporting protagonist.
I mean Frodo couldn't do it without Sam but it isn't like Sam possesses qualities that if the situations were reversed he could do what Frodo did in carrying the ring as far as he did. Time is all the ring is shown to need in corrupting someone, and Frodo bore the corruption himself for the vast majority of the journey. To say Sam is the "sole reason" the ring made it to Mount Doom is simply wrong.
And when Frodo made it to Doom he threw it right in. Oh wait.
@@JoshuaKevinPerry "Frodo indeed 'failed' as a hero, as conceived by simple minds: he did not endure to the end; he gave in, ratted. I do not say 'simple minds' with contempt: they often see with clarity the simple truth and the absolute ideal to which effort must be directed, even if it is unattainable. Their weakness, however, is twofold. They do not perceive the complexity of any given situation in Time, in which an absolute ideal is enmeshed.
I do not think that Frodo's was a moral failure. At the last moment the pressure of the Ring would reach its maximum - impossible, I should have said, for any one to resist, certainly after long possession, months of increasing torment, and when starved and exhausted. Frodo had done what he could and spent himself completely (as an instrument of Providence) and had produced a situation in which the object of his quest could be achieved. His humility (with which he began) and his sufferings were justly rewarded by the highest honour; and his exercise of patience and mercy towards Gollum gained him Mercy: his failure was redressed."
Letter 246, written by Tolkien. I will choose to side with the Professor instead with a random on the internet that does not know what he is talking about. Go read the books.
Since I was 4 years old and first saw the animated Return of the king, to first reading the books before watching the New Movies at 12, Samwise the Brave has always been my guy
Sam is the hero, without him, Frodo would never have made it to Mordor and Sméagol would’ve killer him far before he could ever make it that far. Sam’s courage in battle was also immense out of all 4 of the hobbits, He commanded Shelob to let Frodo go, and she did exactly that acknowledging Sam as her opponent, and Sam told her she would not touch him again, to which she didn’t, and then proceeded to combat an opponent 4-5 times his size, who was stronger, heavier and much more dangerous with more ways to defeat him, yet stood tall and fought valiantly and defeated her by wounding her with sting, causing her to retreat and cower back into her lair, this is a huge feat for anyone, especially a hobbit, since countless orcs had presumably wondered into them caves who were bigger, stronger and more battle attuned than Sam, yet succumbed to shelob nonetheless, and he was able to single handedly defeat her.
His clean sweep of the tower Frodo was being kept in, within Mordor was also impressive, clearing the staircase of the orcs there and rescuing Frodo from what would’ve been certain death since he was tied up and about to have a whole poked in him by one of the Morgal orcs
Don't forget that after the Death of Rosie many years later, Sam also sailed to Valinor because he had also been a ring bearer.
Frodo is absolutely the center of the story and the true hero, Tolkien himself said so. This doesn't have to take away anything from the rest of the character who in one way or another shined bright during this adventure.
Every great deed Sam does he does because of his love for and loyalty to Frodo. To those who don’t like Frodo: what do you suppose Sam sees in him that you do not? Do you think Sam is a fool?
im tired of people saying Sam is the real hero. Frodo had the weight of the ring on his shoulders, so he couldnt even be himself during the whole journey he had to go inwards to resist the ring, Sam and Frodo are both heroes, Sam is´nt better just because he had more of a perspective and positivity,. He didnt have to carry the ring and will never truly understand what frodo went through, hence we he could stay in middle earth while frodo had to leave because he never recovered from the impact of both the ring and the nazgul stab.
Sam is the best friend we all deserve
This kind of argument completely misses the point of why its called "the fellowship". If you take away literary any member the quest would have failed. Even Boromir, Merry, or Pippen.
i remember the first time i saw the movies when i was little, and thinking precisely this... when Sam picks up Frodo and carries him... i told my father "Sam is the real hero here!"
Must have been the first time i cried with a movie
Frodo wouldn’t of made it to mount doom without sam, but we have to remember sam wouldn’t of made it to mount doom with the ring without Frodo, Frodo and Sam are the heroes of our story, neither more than the other