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dormouse
Valinor
Nov 3 2012, 9:56am
Views: 424
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* * The Clouds Burst * * 3: The Battle of Five Armies
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Reading from So began a battle... to They had only stemmed the first onslaught of the black tide.
Dain's army was poised to attack when the oncoming darkness that signalled the arrival of the goblins changed everything. Allies now, dwarves, elves and men cobble together the best plan they can make in limited time and take up their positions for the fight. It goes well at first, but soon sheer weight of numbers begins to tell against them.
A few thoughts/questions
Who were the Five Armies? Sounds like a silly question - after all, it's there in the text, isn't it; 'Golblins and Wild Wolves. . . Elves and Men and Dwarves. But then, what about the bats, the eagles, Beorn - and if the goblins were riding the wolves, doesn't that make them the same army? I've seen so many theories in the Hobbit movie threads about who the five might be that it seemed worth asking...
The goblins. This is a brief glimpse of goblins/orcs (if they're the same - are they?) as a society in their own right acting on their own initiative - not driven by the will of Morgoth, Sauron or wraith. They want 'dominion of the North' (for themselves, presumably) and the news of Smaug's death doesn't fill them with dismay ('Hey - he's on our side"), far from it - 'joy was in their hearts'. So - any thoughts on goblins?
Gandalf is the one who sees the threat coming and pulls everyone together at the last moment. 'How much Gandalf knew cannot be said, but it is plain that he had not expected this sudden assault.' How much do you think Gandalf did know? What was he expecting - before the bats appeared or earlier, when he showed Thorin he had the Arkenstone? After writing 'Lord of the Rings' Tolkien picked up the elements that are present in 'The Hobbit' to develop the backstory that appears in 'Unfinished Tales' - unconnected passages which explain that Gandalf knew the Necromancer was Sauron and believed he was preparing a strike against Rivendell and Lorien which had to be pre-empted - hence the attack on Dol Guldur. He also feared that in time Sauron would be able to use Smaug - hence his involvement in Thorin's quest. So, any thoughts on Gandalf's role. How successful was he? If you think he wasn't, is that a strength or a weakness in Tolkien's storytelling?
Bilbo. He hates the battle (but enjoys dining out on the story in later years). We're told he put on the ring. What do you think of that? What does it say about him?
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* * The Clouds Burst * * 3: The Battle of Five Armies
