Lord of the Rings on Film

Lesson 2: Characters and Actors

Hobbits -- Sam, Merry and Pippin

SAMWISE GAMGEE - Sean Astin

Sam was apparently based on Tolkien’s experiences in World War 1, where he found that the "ordinary" soldier often displayed great acts of courage. Sam is therefore intended to represent the ordinary person.

Unfortunately, many fans of Tolkien feel that this is somewhat overdone, and it is true that Sam can come across as a bit forelock tugging, with many statements of "Mr. Frodo" and things "not being for the likes of me". He also talks in an exaggerated working class way that can become a little galling, and is one of the main reasons why some critics condemn LOTR as middle-class and elitist. Sam is of course essential to the quest, saving Frodo from Mordor and taking the Ring before the orcs find it, but the constant salt-of-the-earth/good honest simple country lad portrayal is a little patronising.

Sean Astin plays the role as well as it could be (although there are definite slips back into his American accent), and was puzzlingly asked by Peter Jackson to put on weight for the role. There is nothing in the plot of the book where Sam must be fat, and we can only assume that Jackson did this so that Gollum could "frame" Sam for eating the rest of the lembas (the "stupid fat hobbit" comments of Gollum are perhaps intended to set this up).

Sam’s greatest moment is of course the slaying of Shelob, something even the orcs were unable to do. Shelob is many thousands of years old, probably born in the First Age, and no one has yet vanquished her. Sam shows himself to be a true hero here, and it is nice to see him taking an active role rather than simpering after "Mr. Frodo". He marries Rosie Cotton after returning home and becomes Mayor. His first daughter Elenor becomes a maid in Queen Arwen’s court.

MERIADOC BRANDYBUCK and PEREGRIN TOOK - Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd

Merry and Pippin are at first "light" characters, only there to make up numbers and to represent the frivolity and good nature of hobbits. After a few disasters – tipping the armour into the well in Moria, sneaking the palantír out from under Gandalf's cloak and this showing the company to Sauron – Merry and Pippin manage to acquit themselves well.

They join in the fighting in Moria, but their first real act of bravery comes when they show themselves to the Uruk-hai, allowing themselves to be chased so that the orcs will draw away from Frodo. They manage to stay alert during their capture, and Pippin drops his elf brooch in the hope that Aragorn might later find it. The two escape from the orcs into Fangorn Forest – a case of out of the frying pan into the fire as Treebeard the Ent thinks that they too are orcs, but they are able to convince him of the urgent need for fighting against Sauron. Ents never make decisions quickly or lightly, and Merry and Pippin show great negotiating skill in getting Treebeard to rouse the other Ents (not so impressively done in the film, where they "trick" Treebeard into taking them where he will see the destruction of the trees. See Lesson 4 for a fuller discussion of this). Merry and Pippin are thus indirectly responsible for the storming of Isengard and the fall of Saruman.

After they are split up (Pippin still hasn’t learnt much, and feels he must look in the palantir), Merry fights in the battle of the Pelennor Fields alongside Éowyn and Pippin becomes a soldier of Gondor, saving Faramir from being burnt on a funeral pyre by Denethor. Both hobbits return home to raise the Shire against Saruman (this is only in the book), and remain in the service of Gondor and Rohan.

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