The Return of the King

Article written by Michael Chude

B.Sc. degree in parasitology and entomology from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

‘The Return of the King ’ consists of the two last books of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Ring’ manuscript. It opens with the rediscovery of the Ring by two Stoors named Smeagol and Deagol. Having seen the Ring discovered by his friend Deagol, Smeagol became jealous and greedy, swiftly falling to the temptation of the Ring. He then killed his friend to possess the Ring. Thus the One Ring easily corrupted and overcame him, overstretching his lifespan while giving him great misery.

Key Facts about The Return of the King

• Title: ‘The Return of the King‘
• Published: 20th October 1955 in the United Kingdom
• Literary Period: Modernist
• Genre: High fantasy
• Point-of-View: Third Person, omniscient
• Setting: The end of the Third Age of Middle-earth
• Climax: As Frodo finally falls to the allure of the Ring in Sammath Naur and puts it on, Gollum attacks him and bites off his finger, reclaiming the Ring. Frodo tackles him, they briefly fight, and Gollum slips off the ledge and falls into the lava, destroying the Ring and himself.
• Antagonist: Sauron

J.R.R. Tolkien and The Return of the King

‘The Return of the King’ is the last book in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy was written at the request of his publisher after his first book, ‘The Hobbit’ became a critical and financial success, and was published in 1955. He had originally intended to write ‘The Lord of the Rings’ as a children’s book in the style of his first published work, but as the story progressed, he saw reason to change his writing style from cheerful to grim. His publisher decided to split the compendium into 6 books, with books 5 and 6, titled ‘The War of the Ring’ and ‘The End of the Third Age,’ making up ‘The Return of the King.’

Tolkien’s work was influenced by his experiences throughout his life, including watching his childhood countryside village of Sarehole get swallowed up by the rapidly industrializing Birmingham city. This would inspire scenes in the book, including The Scouring of the Shire. He was also inspired by his experiences as a soldier during World War 1, especially his experiences fighting in the Battle of the Somme. As also drew inspiration for the most important aspects of ‘The Return of the King’, including the characters and the Elvish language from Norse and Greek mythology.

Books Related to The Return of the King

The story of ‘The Return of the King’ shares similar themes, plot, style, and characters with other books in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Other books similar to ‘The Return of the King’ include ‘How to Tame a Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee, which deals with similar themes of bravery.

‘Eye of the World,’ the sprawling epic series by Robert Jordan, which was inspired by The Lord of the Rings trilogy shares many attributes with ‘The Return of the King,’ including a nuanced narrative, well-written characters, and an intricate magic system. ‘The Return of the King’ is also compared with G.R.R. Martin’s ‘A Dance with Dragons,’ featuring fantastical creatures, deadly and treacherous politics, and a dreadful enemy threatening to cover the world with darkness.

Other books that can be considered similar to ‘The Return of the King’ are ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ by J.K. Rowling, ‘The Children of Hurin’ by J.R.R. Tolkien, and ‘Shadows of Self’ by Brandon Sanderson. They all deal with themes like bravery, a struggle seek against evil forces that seek to dominate the free, and an extensive magical system.

The Lasting Impact of The Return of the King