[00:00:03] everything after Weathertop everything after Weathertop is so different I cannot believe how much changed from the book to the movie and this is essentially just gonna be a long rant on it and then I just want to talk about Frodo and the end in this courage which the movies just don't show but anyway before we get into this essay be sure to subscribe because I am reading through Lord of the Rings for the first time as most of you know and I'm giving my thoughts on every chapter so if
[00:00:31] that's something that sounds interesting to you make sure you subscribe but let's do a little background or I guess a little comparison between the book and the movie I don't really need to do this because you probably all know this anyway but just spare me here I'm doing this for my own sake because I just want to process through this so in the movie Frodo gets stabbed and they look for King's Foil Arwen comes and takes Frodo away and she is the one that keeps Frodo safe and sends the
[00:00:57] river horses out to get the ringwraiths straightforward it's a great scene and I love it it's so good in the movies but holy smokes is the book different let's talk about this in the book Frodo gets stabbed at Weathertop he is in immense pain and seems to really be struggling but the journey must continue Aragorn heals it up as best as he can but he knows although it's kind of just conjecture at this point that Frodo is falling into some sort of spell or something because the blade was poisoned or
[00:01:27] possessed with something dark from Mordor but they have no other option than to go forward so they go forward for about two weeks that's right you heard me two weeks I just looked it up it's not exactly that but Frodo was stabbed by the witch king at Weathertop on the night of October 6th and he was found by Glorfindel on October 18th this means he traveled for 12 days after being wounded
[00:01:51] and all that time they are on the road but also trying to avoid the road they find the three trolls at Bilbo Gandalf and the dwarves were trapped by and they don't really find too many signs of the race but they cross this bridge actually find a gem on the other side which is weird but they just kind of keep going and later you kind of learn that that's Glorfindel a sign that he left the whole time and you don't even know who Glorfindel is if you don't read the book so just keep listening
[00:02:18] but the whole time Frodo is just kind of falling slowly and becoming a wraith but it's not really that evident yet the only thing that's evident is that Frodo's vision seems to be changing he sees things a little cloudier than what he used to on top of his physical strength slowly waning as well but there's a section in the book that Sam says he's kind of he kind of thinks that Frodo is healed it says what is the matter with my master asked Sam in a low voice looking appealingly at Strider
[00:02:43] his wound was small and is already closed but there's nothing to be seen but a cold white mark on his shoulder Ergon warns him then of the danger of the wound and he says Frodo has been touched by the weapon of the enemy said Strider and there is some poison or evil work that is beyond my skill to drive out but do not give up hope Sam and so after this they continue on again for 12 days and all of a sudden they hear horse hooves that never means anything good because they think
[00:03:13] it's a black rider but then there are bells on this horse and they still hide and then this absolute Fabio elf comes into view the description is kind of hilarious of him it says the light faded and the leaves of the the light faded and the leaves on the bushes rustled clear and nearer now the bells jingled and clippity clip came the quick trotting feet suddenly into view below came a white horse gleaming in
[00:03:39] the shadows running swiftly in the dusk its headstall flickered and flashed as if it were studded with gems like living stars the rider's cloak streamed behind him and his hood was thrown back his golden hair flowed shimmering in the wind of his speed to Frodo it appeared that a white light was shining through the form and raiment of the rider as if through a thin veil so Chad I mean Glorfindel
[00:04:06] the elf comes to see them and he tells them that he's been searching for them for for nine days the other elves that Frodo met Gildor and his lot sent back word to Rivendell about Frodo and how there were riders chasing them so Elrond sends out riders in all direction and Glorfindel is just one of those not Arwen this is when it gets juicy because I want to talk about how different this is and how this seems like such a pivotal moment for this character that I have to gush about because it
[00:04:33] elevated this character so much in my mind but Glorfindel puts Frodo on his horse and he doesn't ride the horse with Frodo he walks ahead of the group and Aragorn is in the back but the race all of a sudden pop out and both Glorfindel and Aragorn rush back to protect the hobbits and Glorfindel yells out to Frodo to go but Frodo can't he's being tempted too deeply he doesn't want to move the horse because the race are wooing him but then Glorfindel has a backup plan and he tells his
[00:05:03] horse to move rather than Frodo to get the horse to move and the horse shoots off faster than any of the black riders can push their horses so Frodo at this moment is going alone which is nuts I almost just want to read the last two full pages of Tolkien's work here because it's some immense good writing but I'll only read the highlights essentially Frodo pushes on but he continues to be tempted by the
[00:05:29] darkness just to give in which is a great part of this chapter at the end of this where Frodo is just flirting back and forth between being tempted and continuing on on his horse he looks back at the horses and then we have this line they appear to have cast aside their hoods and black cloaks and they were robed in white and gray I think this is Frodo becoming a wraith and not him seeing reality but I asked some people in our discord and I'm waiting for an answer so they haven't given me
[00:05:57] one yet but if you know if this is him becoming a wraith or maybe this is actually him seeing reality let me know in the comments because I'm very curious about this one line I would say 99% of me thinks that this is him becoming a wraith and seeing these like weird figures but anyway the book says this he knew nothing that would prevent them from crossing as easily as he had done and he felt that it was useless to try to escape over the long uncertain path from the forward to the edge of
[00:06:22] Rivendell if once the rider crossed in any case he felt that he was commanded urgently to halt hatred again stirred in him but he had no longer the strength to refuse suddenly the foremost rider spurred his horse forward it checked at the water and reared up with a great effort Frodo sat upright and brandished
[00:06:46] his sword go back he cried go back to the land of Mordor and follow me no more his voice sounded thin and shrill in his own ears the riders halted but Frodo had not the power of Bombadil his enemies laughed at him with the harsh and chilling laughter come back come back they called to Mordor we will take you go back he whispered the ring the ring they cried with deadly voices and immediately their leader urged
[00:07:15] his horse forward into the water followed closely by the other two by Elbereth and Luthien the fair said Frodo with the last effort lifting up his sword you shall have neither the ring nor me then the leader who is now half across the ford stood up menacing in his stirrups and raised his hand Frodo was stricken
[00:07:38] dumb he felt his tongue cleave to his mouth and his heart laboring his sword broke and fell out of his shaking hand the elf horse reared and snorted the foremost of the black horses had almost set foot upon the shore then the riders get swift off but yes Frodo standing up to temptation oh he feels it and he
[00:08:03] resists it and he's just talking back to the wraiths and it's incredible and the wraiths power to just make him stop talking is insane it seems to show the reality of Frodo's temptation here and how he really doesn't want to resist it but he resists it nonetheless there are such good lessons for life in this that I love so much and I cannot believe how different this is from the movie just the fact
[00:08:28] that he was there alone is insane and then how he had the strength or rather he didn't have the strength but mustered up the strength to resist the wraiths is so good I wish the movie had this and I think the movie depiction is still good but it makes me think that Frodo's a little weakling to me in the movies and I kind of see him as that whenever I watch them but now I think I love Frodo so much because this is maybe the greatest show of strength that we've seen in the entire series so far
[00:08:55] Frodo turning into a wraith Frodo here he's turning into a wraith pretty much I guess he's on the edge of temptation to become a wraith when he is surrounded by darkness and is alone and isolated from everyone else and he still stands up against the darkness and the evil of Mordor it is such a hopeful chapter it is such a good way to end book one
[00:09:26] oh I felt like I was watching the world cup I found myself nearly standing up and cheering for Frodo at the end when I was reading this I know this essay really isn't about anything other than a gush fest but I just finished this section and had to gush because Frodo is amazing here and it's such a good microcosm of real temptation too and that all you want to do is give in but by the power and ability he has to resist here it's just immense and it's absolutely beautiful and I had to throw
[00:09:53] this out there real quick because it's a beautiful ending to this book and I cannot wait to keep reading oh so subscribe and like the video and all the other stuff you want to hear my first time thoughts on the book and others like Harry Potter Brandon Sanderson and Star Wars and all the other nerdy content but oh my gosh very excited to keep reading and I'll see you in the next one