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Pandallo
Rivendell
May 13 2015, 4:04am
Post #1 of 3
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Frodo captured in Minas Morgul vs. Frodo captured in Tower of Cirith Ungol
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I'm on the second volume of the History of Lord of the Rings and there is a fascinating section on the initial idea behind Frodo's capture and that he was originally taken to Minas Morgul! And what's more Sam doesn't just happen upon a tower full of dead orcs, but sneaks his way around using the Ring. It's a much more action packed piece than the final story's version it's also (to my knowledge) the only extent of a description that we get of the inside of Minas Morgul and what we get from it is interesting, a crying as if coming from the earth itself, faces everywhere, it's a really creepy atmosphere as one would expect.
At the gate they are stopped and Frodo, while wearing the Ring kills the gate keeper which sets up an alarm which catches a Nazgul's attention. The two flee into the plains of Gorgoroth while the search party adjoins the opposite direction.
Then we have the Tower of Cirith Ungol where Sam is lucky enough to find a tower full of mostly dead Orcs and finds Frodo through recounting verses of O Elbereth, they leave and make their way out.
Which method would you have preferred? Could the Minas Morgul capture have worked in the end with its uniquely creepy atmosphere (The Sentinels are even included!) or is the Tower of Cirith Ungol with the fight over the Mithril Shirt erupting to a tower of dead orcs the best way?
I think because Minas Morgul is mentioned so often it feels kind of a shame that we don't even get a glimpse inside of it. Barad-Dur was always a no fly zone, but I always thought that the adventure could have theoretically taken them to Minas Morgul so imagine my joy when it seems the Professor originally had that thought in mind!
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elentari3018
Rohan
May 15 2015, 1:45am
Post #2 of 3
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would htat have led to more attention from Sauron? I think the Cirith Ungol final version is somewhat better since it was bit more low key. I did not read HOME yet but it's interesting you mention it!
Sam sneaking would be interesting but i would doubt using the RIng in Mordor would go undetected since Barad dur is so much nearer!
What an interesting version-- i would love to read it.
I think the final version is bit more easier for the hobbits to deal with and to get out of that stronghold alive. If it was the Minas Morgul version, i think there is more leeway for the enemies to converge upon them, isn't it?
"By Elbereth and Luthien the fair, you shall have neither the Ring nor me!" ~Frodo
"And then Gandalf arose and bid all men rise, and they rose, and he said: 'Here is a last hail ere the feast endeth. Last but not least. For I name now those who shall not be forgotten and without whose valour nought else that was done would have availed; and I name before you all Frodo of the Shire and Samwise his servant. And the bards and the minstrels should give them new names: Bronwe athan Harthad and Harthad Uluithiad , Endurance beyond Hope and Hope Unquenchable.." ~Gandalf, The End of the Third Age , from The History of Middle Earth series
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CuriousG
Half-elven
May 15 2015, 9:08pm
Post #3 of 3
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I personally would love to see more of Minas Morgul (as a tourist, not a prisoner, mind you), but I agree with your point that the final version we have is more low-key and believable. Too much action would draw Sauron's attention. As it was, all that action at Cirith Ungol attracted a Nazgul to the scene, and there aren't many of those to go around, so you know Sauron was interested in what had happened, but it was still a minor tower compared to the city of Minas Morgul. If the Eye were too focused on Minas Morgul, there might have been a lot more resources devoted to scouring the area to find the intruders, which would have been a disaster.
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