The importance of Tolkien's minor characters

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shadowy_blue

Kitoky
Prince Imharil - and his men, no Lothiriel, no marriage to Eomer, blah blah blah!

mors823
The names of the two orcs in Cirith Ungol. They led to a fight that spread throught the tower. Without this fight, Sam couldn't of saved Frodo. That's somewhat important.

shaber
You mean Shagrat and Gorbag?

Smodden
how about Deagol?...such a very minor charachter in the books, but one with a great deal of importance...Finding the ring in the river....Although if he had not found it i'm sure the ring would be found by another.

Farmer Cotton: well maybee he didn't do much but i always loved the scene from the book where he'siting by the fire warming his hands and the rufians come up to take him away and then ALL the hobbits roar and screem and surround the ruffians...

i can't think of the name now but its the orc that merry and pip tricked when they were held captive...they told him they had the ring and they escaped that way.

What makes a character a 'minor' character?...is it their deeds?...the length of their tale in the MAIN story?....what makes them minor is that they only appear for a short time in 'THE Lord of THE Rings'...but that dosn't mean they're minor in character or importance...it simply meens that what they did to affect the story of the ring was recorded by the author....then their tale ends and the rest goes on...but they continue to do deeds... they are just not recorded.smile ITs the story of the Ring...not about...farmer cotton or deagol...if it was then frodo would be a minor character...its all relative to your point of view the story is told...

ok i kinda went on a tangit and i'm not even sure if it fits in this thread now or not...but i'm not bashing anybodys opp i'm just contemplating what makes somone minor...cause they are all important to me..big grineven if some appear less than others.

shadowy_blue
I meant "minor" characters as in they're not that important as far as their character is concerned..not their deeds. What I consider major characters are the principal characters...the characters that make the story go round, have plenty of things to do, have character development and all that. Eowyn, Frodo, Sam, Denethor, Aragorn, Gimli, Gandalf, etc. for me are major characters. Deagol, Beregond, Fatty Bolger, Radagast, Goldberry, Grishnakh, Orc# 2451 for me are minor characters. They're minor in characterization..but not necessarily their deeds. smile

Some more..

Halbarad was minor-yet-important. He brought with him some of Aragorn's credentials for the Kingship (Arwen's banner), without those he'd not have been able to claim the throne.

Arwen's role in the books (not her inflated role in the movies) is relatively minor, though she also sends Aragorn some needed "king equiptment" by way of Galadriel, namely the brooch which gave him his name Elessar.

The Wood-Elf guards who took pity on Gollum and ended up letting him escape play a major role in the story, in that without them, no final drop over the edge at Mount Doom. Same goes for Haldir, Rumil, and Orophin at Lothlorien when they hesitate to kill an unidentified shadow in the trees.

Snowmane is another one. Without Theoden's Bane would Eowyn have stood up to the Witch King? Doubtful.

smod..you're talking about Grishnakh..wink

Smodden
oh...thanx s-b..embarrasment

Thorondor
is this concerining the book or does it include the films stick out tongue

if so then Mothy - no mothy no Gwaihir but spose mothy is really just a miniature Radagast lol

Quickbeam - no merry and pippin getting taller and daunting the men that harrassed The Shire.
(not really but i couldn't think of anything else lol)

shadowy_blue
no prob, smod. big grin


This is both from the book and the movie. smile LOL..nice theory about Mothy..big grin Like it..LOL..

Smodden
mothy...of course!

that was one of the most creative ideas in the trilogy..i love it...

Kitoky
No Eagles....no Lord of the Rings...period.

Thorondor
WOOOO EAGLES big grin

Smodden
well...how about aragorn's ring?...i know its not a character...but its an important piece in the books...who was the guy who held it alof while running and it protected him...?it was in the sil..

anyway it was a cool ring...so was gandy's ring...FIRE

Discos
cheers shadowy, my have u got some great thoughts in that head,

but its true minor characters do infact make a difference, also thorondor please try and make some decent posts and not justwaste space...

Smodden
indeed great thoughtsyes

eagles...are great...no eagles-no gandalf...no gandalf...no frodo...no frodo...no middle earth...no M:E no us...ect

shadowy_blue
So does that mean that everybody hails Manwe for bringing the Eagles into this world? shifty

stick out tongue

angelsflame265
all the orcs are minor characters in a way

Smodden
except for lordy... stick out tongue

Agent Elrond
The supporting characters always make a story better, in someways. I can't think of anyone right now, except Beleg. He was one cool elf that feel victem to Turin's curse. He was important in other ways, I haven't read the Tales of the Children of Hurin yet, so I don't know much about Beleg.

ladygrim
smile...

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