Also I should like to know about risks, out-of-pocket expenses, time required and remuneration, and so forth by which he meant: What am I going to get out of it? By caves where never sun has shone, Thranduil was awed by the jewel, but he also worried about Bilbo's fate when Thorin discovered what Bilbo had done. Given that this quest doesn't seem to be about good vs. evil exactly, why do you think Gandalf has chosen to get involved? Really it is enough to make one weep, after all one has gone through. The dwarves specifically hire Bilbo in the capacity of a thief and he does commit acts of larceny at several other points in the narrative. Now at journey's end, examine why the Elvenking would call Bilbo the magnificent as well as burglar. Even the smallest and seemingly weakest creatures and people can become as great as Bilbo. The change is further displayed when he names his sword Sting, alluding to the heroism incited in him by the entrapping wretchedness. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. He was shaking, and as. In this case I'd go with s. 2(1) TA 1968 and argue that as long as he believed that he's taking something belonging to the Dwarves, it's not dishonest. Bilbo is a thief. All that had happened after he was stunned, Bilbo learned later; but it gave him more sorrow than joy, and he was now weary of his adventure. said the king. * (Weird formatting issue; the quote ends with "accordingly".). I dont want any adventures, thank you. I have drunk much of your wine and eaten much of your bread. In this instance lets assume that Bilbo was supposed to steal some property belonging originally to Thrr. "There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Then, somewhere in the pitch-dark night, Bilbo strikes dead a most nefarious enemy. But other news can wait. He offered Bard the Arkenstone, a great jewel prized by Thorin, as leverage. After leaving food, medicines, and some of his Elves to help the people of Esgaroth, Thranduil and the rest of his army, together with Bard and his men went on towards the mountain. (16.38-9). He looks more like a grocer than a burglar! (17) The dwarves had little faith in him, but throughout their journey they learn more about Bilbo. The Eagles had long had suspicion of the goblins' mustering; from their watchfulness the movements in the mountains could not be altogether hid. Perhaps this strong moral understanding of the importance of payment is why Bilbo is so reluctant to accept much treasure? The most dreadful of all Bilbo's experiences" (281). When Frodo unbuttoned his shirt the ring was there on a chain wrapped around his neck. Bilbo encounters many tests and trials throughout the story which reveal character. What sense do we get of Smaug's motivations in The Hobbit? The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. I beg of you, said Bilbo stammering and standing on one foot, to accept this gift! and he brought out a necklace of silver and pearls that Dain had given him at their parting. Therefore, it is best to leave the end obscure, and allow each reader to imagine his or her own image of happy ending. But if you hire somebody to steal your own property back from somebody else, that generally isnt theft. Going on an adventure can be really hard, but only Bilbo Baggins knows how hard it really can be. "But really it is a relief to me. The others remained with Dain; for Dain dealt his treasure well. Yule-tide was warm and merry there; and men came from far and wide to feast at Beorn's bidding. Most define their hero as the knight in shining armor, but Mr. Baggins prevails as much more than that. But the [Elvenking] reckoned without the dwarves. The book The Hobbit, written by J. R. R. Tolkein, has many universal themes connected to finding out who someone really is. he said; "and farewell, Dwalin; and farewell Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur! In this film, a party of dwarves is on a quest to salvage the wealth of their kin. But even with the Eagles they were still outnumbered. Once reading this quote, one can realize that the trolls are tricky, malicious, and guard the threshold to keep away from the company. Adverse possession isnt really a thing for chattels, especially chattels that were converted (stolen) by the adverse possessor (s. 4(1) Limitation Act 1980), so Ill discount that. Upon one side were the Goblins and the Wild Wolves, and upon the other were Elves and Men and Dwarves. There was, of course, no longer any question of dividing the hoard in such shares as had been planned, to Balin and Dwalin, and Dori and Nori and Ori, and Oin and Gloin, and Bifur and Bofur and Bombur-or to Bilbo. And I don't know what I should have done with it when I got home. Bilbo learns that there is more to him than he realizes and through hard work and dedication, he can accomplish almost anything. Does Bilbo make the right ethical decision here? Conclusively, Dawn take you all, and be stone to you! said a voice that sounded like Williams. "I go now to the halls of waiting to sit beside my fathers, until the world is renewed. Order yours today and get higher in a different way. In fact I will go so far as to send you on this adventure (6). Stealing from a thief is still theft. He encounters goblins, creatures, trolls, wargs, spiders, and greed, but not without his friends and his new magic ring. Last, but not least, Bilbo is willing to sacrifice his life for a cause bigger than himself. No, not a fair fight. So while I agree with your assessment in this one particular instance I must say that he acts the part of a thief several other times throughout. You step onto the road, and if you dont keep your feet, theres no knowing where you might be swept off to., Sorry! The Elvenking appreciates Bilbo's wit and generosity as he says his final farewell. For simplicitys sake I will assume that the cup was originally the property of Thrr because there certainly isnt enough information to unpick the private property law of the Third Age Dwarves of Erebor. He had begun his journey as a regular Hobbit, The journey that Bilbo endures transforms him into a hero. If Thorin plans to keep his treasure anyway, why does he make a show of listening to Bard at all? Well, er, I thought, dont you know, said Bilbo rather confused, that, er, some little return should be made for your, er, hospitality. Of the twelve companions of Thorin, ten remained. In what way have I earned such a gift, O hobbit? said the king. Then they halted, for the wizard and Bilbo would not enter the wood, even though the king bade them stay a while in his halls. "As all things come to an end, even this story, a day came at last when they were in sight of the country where Bilbo had been born and bred" (299-300). The place became a stronghold of the darkness known as Dol Guldur (Hill of Sorcery). This act also resolves for the reader why Bilbos sword is. That, however, was a little delayed, so in the meantime I will tell something of events. Not Today. For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. He fell upon their rear, and broke like a clap of thunder through the ring. The shadow that crept into the forest was first thought to be a Nazgl. So they went on until they drew near to the borders of Mirkwood, to the north of the place where the Forest River ran out. When Bilbo came to himself, he was literally by himself. Adolescent bilbo is our hero, knight in shining armor, and burglar in this case. Like the dwarves, Bilbo doesn't seem to be thinking of his quest in grand moral terms. Then he took out his morning letters, and began to read, pretending to take no more notice of [Gandalf]. But in 2060 the Wise (a group which included Mithrandir, Curunr, Elrond, Galadriel, Crdan, and other lords of the Eldar) began to suspect that it might be Sauron taking shape again. When reading such an emotionally moving book its difficult to not fall hard for the characters. . Magnificent!" said the king gravely. Then the elves turned towards the Forest, and Bilbo started on his long road home. What seems to be the job description for a burglar, according to the dwarves? As known before, the threshold guardians lasts as a particular one of the first test providers, as well as the guardian of the special world. Mischievous trolls were one of the first tasks met by Baggins causing him to become nervous and timid. Another heroic tale is The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Victory had been assured before the fall of night, but the pursuit was still on foot, when Bilbo returned to the camp; and not many were in the valley save the more grievously wounded. It is said in songs that it gleamed ever in the dark if foes approached, and the fortress of the dwarves could not be taken by surprise. "That will be quite as much as I can manage," said he. But weariness left their enemies with the coming of new hope, and they pursued them closely, and prevented most of them from escaping where they could. Go forward? The forest became dark and men began to call it Taur-nu-Fuin (translated Mirkwood): forest under night.11, 12. But even though there was peace (which lasted for about a thousand years, until 1050), the Silvan Elves were restless, sensing the changes that would come with the new age. Having to be on Id classify him as much as a spy as a thief. "Hullo there!" May your shadow never grow less (or stealing would be too easy)! Farewell!" The road home will not be through Mirkwood "for the wizard and Bilbo would not enter the woodthe dreadful pathways under the trees". he cried, hurriedly taking off the ring. Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. The Limitation Act 1980: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/58. . "Do not make me kill you again, Merasmus!" A great memorable quote from the The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug movie on Quotes.net - [Bilbo is in the treasure room. Oropher, Thranduil's father is mentioned only in the Unfinished Tales. I have drunk much of your wine and eaten much of your bread. There indeed lay Thorin Oakenshield, wounded with many wounds, and his rent armour and notched axe were cast upon the floor. "But how is it yours to give?" Bilbo unsheathes his sword, Sting, and gives it to a somewhat awestruck Frodo, telling him that "the blade glows blue when orcs are . He was hired specifically to burgle. On page 318, Bilbo has been cited listening, I will take your gift O Bilbo the Magnificent! said the king gravely(Tolkien, The Hobbit, 318). We have discussed that the dwarves seem to operate in a moral grey area that the elves do not seem to share would Tolkien's elves be capable of this kind of treachery? He was lying on the flat stones of Ravenhill, and no one was near. I think there is a hole in the argument (that Bilbo is not taking dishonestly as he has permission) as the cup may well have been part of the Dale-Hoard rather than the Erebor one. He also gives a lot instead of . I have drunk much of your wine and eaten much of your bread. That home was the great forest Greenwood the Great. Gandalf and Bilbo rode behind the Elvenking, and beside them strode Beorn, once again in man's shape, and he laughed and sang in a loud voice upon the road. I suppose I shall be going home soon?". It is obvious that he was worried about their purpose at being in his realm at such perilous times. There behind lay Mirkwood, blue in the distance, and darkly green at the nearer edge even in the spring. It is hinted in The Hobbit that the slow degradation of resources over the long years, combined with the spreading of Men's power and influence, and the fight for their survival against growing evil affected them deeply, and they became suspicious and hard. It seems very uncomfortable, not to say distressing. Tea is at four; but any of you are welcome at any time!". ", "I am sorry. What rational arguments does Thorin use to try and rebut Bard's points? While on his way, messengers sent from the ruined Esgaroth, the town of Men which was burned by the dragon, reached him, begging for help for That's not the actions of someone acting under the influence of the Ring. Even so, things did not work out smoothly. "I have brought him.". Moreover I am by right descent the heir of Girion of Dale, and in your hoard is mingled much of the wealth of his halls and towns, which old Smaug stole. Well, er, I thought, dont you know, said Bilbo rather confused, that, er, some little return should be made for your, er, hospitality. People with super strength, or speed, or both are often what come to mind. It is likely that the darkness which ruined parts of the forest, hurt not only the trees but also the water, resulting in scarcer game fewer resources for the Elves to live upon. "A mercy it is," he said at last to himself, "that I woke up when I did. Some may consider he or shes mentor as old and wise, however they would be incorrect in this instance, for Gandalf remains much more than just old and wise. He had passed from an uneasy dream (in which a warrior, altogether insignificant in size but provided with a bitter sword and great courage, figured most unpleasantly) to a doze, and from a doze to wide waking. When you start grouping these characters into good and bad races, their loyalties are much easier to identify. Although that may raise a question as for the character's existence or his deeds, that is a subject for separate research, and has no direct bearing over this article. Absolutely! Thorin," he said as he entered. Bilbo shows courage and intelligence when he created a plan to escape, In the story The Hobbit Bilbo can be seen as the hero when he sacrifices his familys name to be a part of the quest to get Thorin's gold back Bilbo's first approach is his attempt on stealing the trolls treasure. A cloudless day, but cold, was broad above him. Yet a fourteenth share of all the silver and gold, wrought and unwrought, was given up to Bard; for Dain said: "We will honour the agreement of the dead, and he has now the Arkenstone in his keeping.". I am the friend of bears and the guest of eagles. He was hired on specifically to be a thief. After the battle, on the Elven new year, Thranduil and Celeborn met, renamed the forest, and divided it between themselves and the woodsmen. It adds that the king always wanted to increase his treasure, because although he had plenty, it was not yet as much as the elf-lords of old used to have. Anyway I am going back now, and the dwarves can do what they like to me. It seems very uncomfortable, not to say distressing. (73). survive. Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is of little worth, I wish to part in friendship from you, and I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate. He was said to be a burglar but Gandalf said As soon as I clapped eyes on the little fellow bobbing and puffing on the mat, I had my doubts. The History of The Hobbit shows that for a long time Tolkien did intend the Arkenstone to be a Silmaril and only changed it relatively late in the editing process and only just barely enough to differentiate the two. You would have been numbered among the dead, who are many, if Gandalf the wizard had not said that your voice was last heard in this place. (15.41-42). Days into the forest, constant hunger gnaws at the company, leading them to disperse round and round in an entranced dream-like state. (17.62). [Bilbo] must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. Thorin's company enters the Mountain while Smaug is gone to attack the Lake-men of Dale. "What voice is it that speaks among the stones?" He tried to persuade Bilbo to stay with them, for his own safety. I wish I was well out of it.. Bilbo is mostly fondly irritated with the hobbits and their insular ways. More like a grocer than a burglar indeed! "In what way have I earned such a gift, O hobbit?" I beg of you, said Bilbo stammering and standing on one foot, to accept this gift! and he brought out a necklace of silver and pearls that Dain had given him at their parting. Thesis: In the book The Hobbit, the character Bilbo Baggins is a middle class hobbit who must challenged his introverted nature to help the dwarves reclaim their land. Therefore, Bilbo isnt a thief as concerns the cup he takes outside to the Dwarves. The man was swift and sure-footed. I would speak for him and ask whether you have no thought for the sorrow and misery of his people. He refused to fight for gold and showed his concern to the safety of Bilbo, a messenger of his enemy, when the latter offered some leverage in the shape of a treasure he did not own. Make you late for dinner! I mean even a burglar has his feelings. ", Then Bilbo turned away, and he went by himself, and sat alone wrapped in a blanket, and, whether you believe it or not, he wept until his eyes were red and his voice was hoarse. he said more gravely. And merry be all your folk! It is important to note that Thranduil was the only leader of a major Elven realm that fought actively against the enemy in the Third Age who did not have a Ring of Power. And may your shadow never grow less (or stealing will be too easy)." It just fit so perfectly with Lee Pace's portrayal of Thranduil. How do the dwarves and Gandalf decide that burglary is what Bilbo would be good at? There far away was the Lonely Mountain on the edge of eyesight. As the book begins, Bilbo is put to the task of reclaiming a place known as the Lonely Mountain by a wizard named Gandalf, after such request Bilbo states Sorry! Tolkiens writings do not recount the fate of Thranduil. I like his moment with Thranduil, making return for his stay in Mirkwood. He stumbles around, and sees that the goblins have been defeated. We emphasise serious discussion here over jokey/meme-based posts. They drove many of them into the Running River, and such as fled south or west they hunted into the marshes about the Forest River; and there the greater part of the last fugitives perished, while those that came hardly to the Wood-elves' realm were there slain, or drawn in to die in the trackless dark of Mirkwood. "Well, it seems a very gloomy business.". "Short cuts make delays, but inns make longer ones.". Before Frodo sets off, Bilbo gives him gifts for his journey. I would rather old Smaug had been left with all the wretched treasure, than that these vile creatures should get it, and poor old Bombur, and Balin and Fili and Kili and all the rest come to a bad end; and Bard too, and the Lake-men and the merry elves. (p.198) Bilbo is able to touch many hearts with his . The Elves in the forest had about 400 years of a watchful peace, which ended in 2460, when Sauron returned with increased force. When Bilbo came to himself, he was literally by himself. "I beg of you," said Bilbo stammering and standing on one foot, "to accept this gift!" and he brought out a necklace of silver and pearls that Dain had given him at their parting. Record what books your kids are reading. "Well, er, I thought, don't you know," said Bilbo rather confused, "that, er, some little return should be made for your, er, hospitality. (18.46-9) Bilbo's moral code is incredibly rigid when it comes to payment: if he has received a service or profited off somebody, he has to pay for it. Twice Bilbo and Thranduil have meaningful encounters, each one revealing a new side of the king's personality. Then Bilbo fled [with the cup]. In the story The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, who goes on a great adventure. Thranduil, now the king, returned home to a forest full of life and light, a home where he and his surviving warriors could heal from the horrors of the war and the massive loss of their kin. In the end he would only take two small chests, one filled with silver, and the other with gold, such as one strong pony could carry. There was no call and no echo of a song. When Bilbo was giving gifts to Frodo he gave him a shirt. He was shaking, and as chilled as stone, but his head burned with fire. At any rate I am not yet one of the fallen heroes; but I suppose there is still enough time for that (Tolkien, The Hobbit, 310)! The knowledge that the Arkenstone was in the hands of the besiegers burned in their thoughts; also they guessed the hesitation of Bard and his friends, and resolved to strike while they debated. Wiki User. But the dragon did not wake not yet but shifted into other dreams of greed and violence, lying there in his stolen hall while the little hobbit toiled back up the long tunnel. The Battle under the Trees was hard and long, and much of the forest was ruined, but in the end, Thranduil prevailed. AP Simester, JR Spencer, GR Sullivan and GJ Virgo in Simester and Sullivans Criminal Law, Theory and Doctrine, Hart Publishing, Fifth Edition 2013 [cited as: Simester and Sullivans]. Bilbo left with regret, for the flowers of the gardens of Beorn were m springtime no less marvellous than in high summer. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped. Get books for your students and raise funds for your classroom. In a sense, Bilbo is the worst burglar ever because he's too moral to keep anything he steals. i will take your gift to bilbo the magnificentdaily news subscription phone number. The Arkenstone sounds like a Simaril because it was meant to be one at one point. I wish I was at home in my nice hole by the fire, with the kettle just beginning to sing!, We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Record what books your kids are reading. The goblins of the Misty Mountains were now few and terrified, and hidden in the deepest holes they could find; and the Wargs had vanished from the woods, so that men went abroad without fear. Their bearers became weary from the long years of using the Rings and sailed west. Imladris and Lothlrien both lost the magic influence of the Rings and started to fade, but. Answered by jill d #170087 on 9/3/2012 5:32 PM It was not long before Bilbo was set down before a tent in Dale; and there stood Gandalf, with his arm in a sling. Come along back to your nice cells, and I will lock you all in again, and you can sit there comfortably and think of a better plan-but I dont suppose I shall ever get hold of the keys again, even if I feel inclined to try., If ever you are passing my way, said Bilbo, dont wait to knock! Beren and Lthien are the ones who steal the Silmaril. The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again Good vs. (12.17). Asked by cody f #263209 on 9/3/2012 5:07 PM Last updated by jill d #170087 on 9/3/2012 5:32 PM Answers 1 Add Yours. Yet even though you were willing to lay aside all your claim, I should wish that the words of Thorin, of which he repented, should not prove true: that we should give you little. At first Bilbo is a small little hobbit that is afraid of adventure. To illustrate, Bilbo says "As soon as I saw your funny faces on the door-step, I had my doubts" (Tolkien 19). And I name you elf-friend and blessed. In The Hobbit there are several descriptive passages for these horrors: giant talking spiders, who hung the mummified dwarves by their cobweb and with whom Bilbo had to use Sting to fight; orcs who later, near the end of the Ring War, set the woods on fire and invaded the woodland realm; and scary fauna such as the black squirrels, large bats, and black butterflies that Bilbo saw. They intended to go along the edge of the forest, and round its northern end in the waste that lay between it and the beginning of the Grey Mountains. He is willing to let the Arkenstone go to Bard so that Bard can negotiate for "all of [Bilbo's] claim" on Thorin's treasure. May your shadow never grow less (or stealing would be too easy)! Tools to track, assess, and motivate classroom reading. Bilbo risks his own life to save the dwarves many times during the adventure, which in turn gains him the respect he deserves. "One autumn evening some years afterwards there was a ring at the door. In a book where there are good races and bad races the elves and the goblins, respectively, the dwarves are probably the closest things we have to a moral grey area. . he said. Thats about the shape of it (Tolkien, The Hobbit, 43)! Return "As all things come to an end, even this story, a day came at last when they were in sight of the country where Bilbo had been born and bred" (299-300). Bilbos first triumph forces him to recognize the strength he commands. he said to himself. There, he sees the magnificent, terrible dragon asleep on piles of treasure. "This invisibility has its drawbacks after all. Bilbo is a hobbit that is joining them on their journey of riches. However, this hobbit did, and all it took was a party and a bit of prompting from a wize wizard. His ominous description of Mirkwood Forest explains the hesitation in the company to pass onto the realm where The entrance to the path was like a sort of arch leading into a gloomy tunnel(153). The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. What has it got in its pocketses? Perhaps one reason why our hero Bilbo stays on the sidelines of the Battle of Five Armies is to show how un-glorious battle really is: unlike the people in the midst of the fighting, Bilbo has the space and time to realize that war is "very uncomfortable, not to say distressing."