The Two Towers

by

J.R.R. Tolkien

Théoden Character Analysis

Théoden is the aging king of Rohan. At the beginning of The Two Towers, he’s under the influence of his treacherous counselor Wormtongue, who’s secretly a servant of Saruman and who dulls Théoden’s senses and corrupts his judgement. When Gandalf exposes Wormtongue, Théoden is returned to his former vigor and discernment, but Rohan has suffered in his absence. Théoden determines to ride into war against Saruman, proving himself a capable leader and inspiring his disheartened men.

Théoden Quotes in The Two Towers

The The Two Towers 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:
Decline and Decay  Theme Icon
).
Book 3, Chapter 7 Quotes

‘The end will not be long,’ said the king. ‘But I will not end here, taken like an old badger in a trap. Snowmane and Hasufel and the horses of my guard are in the inner court. When dawn comes, I will bid them sound the Helm’s horn, and I will ride forth. Will you ride with me then, son of Arathorn? Maybe we shall cleave a road, or make such an end as will be worth a song—if any be left to sing of us hereafter.’

‘I will ride with you,’ said Aragorn.

Related Characters: Aragorn (speaker), Théoden (speaker)
Page Number: 156
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 8 Quotes

‘Songs we have that tell of these things, but we are forgetting them, teaching them only to children, as a careless custom. And now the songs have come down among us out of strange places, and walk visible under the Sun.’

‘You should be glad, Théoden King,’ said Gandalf. ‘For not only the little life of Men is now endangered, but the life also of those things which you have deemed the matter of legend. You are not without allies, even if you know them not.’

‘Yet I should also be sad,’ said Théoden. ‘For however the fortune of war shall go, may it not so end that much that was fair and wonderful shall pass for ever out of Middle-earth?’

‘It may,’ said Gandalf. ‘The evil of Sauron cannot be wholly cured, nor made as if it had not been. But to such days we are doomed. Let us now go on with the journey we have begun!’

Related Characters: Gandalf (speaker), Théoden (speaker), Sauron
Page Number: 168-169
Explanation and Analysis:
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Théoden Quotes in The Two Towers

The The Two Towers 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:
Decline and Decay  Theme Icon
).
Book 3, Chapter 7 Quotes

‘The end will not be long,’ said the king. ‘But I will not end here, taken like an old badger in a trap. Snowmane and Hasufel and the horses of my guard are in the inner court. When dawn comes, I will bid them sound the Helm’s horn, and I will ride forth. Will you ride with me then, son of Arathorn? Maybe we shall cleave a road, or make such an end as will be worth a song—if any be left to sing of us hereafter.’

‘I will ride with you,’ said Aragorn.

Related Characters: Aragorn (speaker), Théoden (speaker)
Page Number: 156
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 8 Quotes

‘Songs we have that tell of these things, but we are forgetting them, teaching them only to children, as a careless custom. And now the songs have come down among us out of strange places, and walk visible under the Sun.’

‘You should be glad, Théoden King,’ said Gandalf. ‘For not only the little life of Men is now endangered, but the life also of those things which you have deemed the matter of legend. You are not without allies, even if you know them not.’

‘Yet I should also be sad,’ said Théoden. ‘For however the fortune of war shall go, may it not so end that much that was fair and wonderful shall pass for ever out of Middle-earth?’

‘It may,’ said Gandalf. ‘The evil of Sauron cannot be wholly cured, nor made as if it had not been. But to such days we are doomed. Let us now go on with the journey we have begun!’

Related Characters: Gandalf (speaker), Théoden (speaker), Sauron
Page Number: 168-169
Explanation and Analysis: