Within Tolkien’s world of Middle Earth, there are certain traits that all the heroes of his stories share. Traits such as courage, loyalty, compassion, selflessness, and hope are all common. When the world seems dark and it looks like evil will triumph, it’s the hero’s unwavering ability to do good and choose what’s right that drags both characters and readers through the story.
In the latest episode of the Rings of Power, a new hero has arisen, and from the most unlikely place. For years, the Southlanders were guarded by the elves, fearing that they would revolt and support the enemy in regaining power because of a mistake their ancestors made long ago. But in the 5th episode it was proved that there was one among them who has all the qualities necessary to make a leader. One has all the qualities that will enable her to rise up against evil and lead her people to a better path: Bronwyn.
Bronwyn is one of those characters who doesn’t seem to have much influence over her own family at first. She is an outsider among the villagers because of her close relationship with Arondir. She is labeled as an elf lover and as such she had to keep her head down to avoid trouble for her and her son. It’s clear that Theo will become important when he finds the enemy’s weapon, the power their ancestors used to help Morgoth and Sauron in the previous war. What role Bronwyn will play in this, however, has so far remained unclear.
That is, until Arondir returns with an ultimatum from Adar, the commander of the orc army: choose them or die. It’s in moments like these that the weak and driven out of the loyal and sincere, and Bronwyn comes forward.
Obviously, she’s willing to stand up to some doom to fight for what she believes in, and not just for herself, but for all generations to come after them. In her mind she is no one special. She is not a great leader or warrior, but one who tries to prevent her people from making the same bad choices as their ancestors. She tells her people:
“I know I’m not the king you’ve been waiting for, but if you choose to stand next to me and fight, this tower will no longer be a reminder of our weakness, but a symbol of our strength.” Who will stand with me? Which of you will stand and fight? Together we can survive this.”
This is exactly the kind of speech the heroes of Tolkien’s stories often deliver at key moments. It echoes the words of some of the most beloved characters from the Lord of the Ringsincluding Aragorn, Eowyn and Faramir. By deciding to take a stand, Bronwyn demonstrates that she has the strength and fierce will that Middle Earth needs in a savior.
Unfortunately, the others don’t see it that way. Many of their people decide to follow Waldreg as he convinces them to hide on the side of the enemy and pledge their allegiance as requested. It is clear that Waldreg is self-serving and does not care about the lives he has gambled. He just wants to serve himself well with Adar (who he thinks is Sauron). At this point Bronwyn despairs of humanity and becomes aware of the flaws that lie within man, just as Aragorn did at various times during the Lord of the Rings. She tells Arondir:
“You were right to look at us, for we are destined for darkness. That’s how we survive. Maybe that’s who we are. Who we will always be.”
But deep in her heart, Bronwyn doesn’t believe this to be true. In fact, she only considers teaming up with the enemy to protect her son, because the enemy knows he has the weapon they need to bring Sauron back.
Any character who acts out of love for another and goes out of their way to protect those who cannot protect themselves is a hero in Tolkien’s world. And that’s why they will win in the end. This can be seen when Bronwyn and Arondir realize they can use the tower in their land to their advantage and acquire high lands to defend their people from the onslaught of the orcs. One of the scenes from the early trailers shows Arondir crashing rocks onto the enemy from this exact vantage point. Clearly a tough battle lies ahead, but with a strong leader like Bronwyn, the Southlanders can endure anything that comes their way.
0 Comments