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Elendil
Ungoliant is a creature with unknown origins in the shape of a giant spider. Though she was once a servant of Melkor, she left him to live alone in Avathar. With the power to consume light and spin webs of darkness from it, she both hates light and is drawn by it. Melkor promises to feed her in exchange for her help in destroying the Two Trees of Valinor and devouring their light. Ungoliant is characterized by her all-consuming greed and gluttony; she grows monstrously huge after feeding on the light but is still hungry. When Melkor gives her jewels stolen from Fëanor to eat but refuses to give her the Silmarils, she tries to eat him in retribution. His Balrogs rescue him and drive Ungoliant into the mountains where she mates with lesser spiders and leaves her offspring behind. Though her fate is unknown, it’s possible that she consumes herself in her insatiable hunger.
Ungoliant Quotes in The Silmarillion
The The Silmarillion quotes below are all either spoken by Ungoliant or refer to Ungoliant. 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:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
Then perforce Morgoth surrendered to her the gems that he bore with him, one by one and grudgingly; and she devoured them, and their beauty perished from the world. Huger and darker yet grew Ungoliant, but her lust was unsated. ‘With one hand thou givest,’ she said; ‘with the left only. Open thy right hand.’
In his right hand Morgoth held close the Silmarils, and though they were locked in a crystal casket, they had begun to burn him, and his hand was clenched in pain; but he would not open it. ‘Nay!’ he said. ‘Thou has had thy due. For with my power that I put into thee thy work was accomplished. I need thee no more. These things thou shalt not have, nor see. I name them unto myself for ever.’
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Ungoliant Quotes in The Silmarillion
The The Silmarillion quotes below are all either spoken by Ungoliant or refer to Ungoliant. 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:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
Then perforce Morgoth surrendered to her the gems that he bore with him, one by one and grudgingly; and she devoured them, and their beauty perished from the world. Huger and darker yet grew Ungoliant, but her lust was unsated. ‘With one hand thou givest,’ she said; ‘with the left only. Open thy right hand.’
In his right hand Morgoth held close the Silmarils, and though they were locked in a crystal casket, they had begun to burn him, and his hand was clenched in pain; but he would not open it. ‘Nay!’ he said. ‘Thou has had thy due. For with my power that I put into thee thy work was accomplished. I need thee no more. These things thou shalt not have, nor see. I name them unto myself for ever.’
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
