The Return of the King

by

J. R. R. Tolkien

Théoden is the king of Rohan and the uncle of Éomer and Éowyn. Though his own kingdom is under threat from Mordor, he honors the longstanding loyalty between the peoples of Rohan and Gondor and agrees to muster the Rohirrim to fight at Minas Tirith, where their skill on horseback is vital to Gondor’s victory. He is beloved as a leader, and thought of by Éomer and Éowyn, as well as Merry, as a father. Théoden’s death on the battlefield is, for him, an absolution of the years of his rule spent under the corruption of Saruman. His body is laid in the royal tombs of Minas Tirith until Éomer takes it to be buried in Rohan.

Théoden Quotes in The Return of the King

The The Return of the King quotes below are all either spoken by Théoden or refer to Théoden. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Hope vs. Despair Theme Icon
).
Book 5, Chapter 5 Quotes

His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them.

Related Characters: Théoden
Related Symbols: The Shadow
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 5, Chapter 6 Quotes

“Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!”

Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. “But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn am I, Éomund’s daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.”

Related Characters: Éowyn/Dernhelm (speaker), Lord of the Nazgûl (speaker), Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry), Théoden
Page Number: 114
Explanation and Analysis:
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Théoden Quotes in The Return of the King

The The Return of the King quotes below are all either spoken by Théoden or refer to Théoden. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Hope vs. Despair Theme Icon
).
Book 5, Chapter 5 Quotes

His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them.

Related Characters: Théoden
Related Symbols: The Shadow
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 5, Chapter 6 Quotes

“Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!”

Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. “But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn am I, Éomund’s daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.”

Related Characters: Éowyn/Dernhelm (speaker), Lord of the Nazgûl (speaker), Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry), Théoden
Page Number: 114
Explanation and Analysis: