Summary
InThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Gollum leads Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee to Mordor, trudging through the Dead Marshes, a swamp filled with faces. The Dead Marshes swamp also briefly appears inThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerwhenthe Harfoots revisit theTwo Towerslocation. However,the show takes place before the event that prompts the name Dead Marshes—the Harfoots know it as the Grey Marshes. The event that prompts the renaming occurs a couple of thousand years afterThe Rings of Power, at the end of the Second Age, resulting in the presence of the faces.
The scene in the film lasts only a short time, and its book counterpart is even shorter. However,this moment is highly significantinTheLord of the Ringsuniverse. When Frodo and Sam notice the dead faces in the waters, Gollum tells them about a battle between Elves, Men, and Orcs. This scene is even more significant in the film because it is where Gollum remembers his name. However, in the book, Gollum refers to his past self, Sméagol, when telling Frodo and Sam about the Dead Marshes. However, none of this adequately explains why there are so many “dead faces in the water”.
When The Lord Of The Rings Takes Place In Middle-earth’s Timeline
Frodo’s journey with the One Ring is only a blip in Tolkien’s complete Middle-earth timeline, but how long after its start does the story begin?
A Turning Point At The End Of The Second Age
This battle is a turning point because the elves and men enter Mordor, closing in on Sauron. Although it would be a few more years before the defeat of Sauron, the Battle of Dagorlad is critical in achieving victory.
The Dead Marshes swamp earns its name because of the Battle of Dagorlad, which takes place over 3000 years beforeThe Lord of the Ringsbut almost 2000 years afterThe Rings of Power.This battleoccurs at the end of the Second Age during the War of the Last Alliance, where Elves and Men fight against Sauron. This battle is a turning point because the elves and men enter Mordor, closing in on Sauron. Although it would be a few more years before the defeat of Sauron, the Battle of Dagorlad is critical in achieving victory.
How The Water Preserves The Bodies
Frodo and Sam learn that the dead bodies of Elves, Men, and Orcs have remained in the Dead Marshes. The swamp has grown around the faces because the bodies do not move, held in place by a mysterious and sinister power. Gollum does not know what has preserved them all these years, but he insists they should not go near the faces or their lights. In the book, Sam suspects it is connected to the Dark Land, meaningMorgoth – Sauron’s former master– might have something to do with it.However, the bodies are unreachable; no one can touch them, no matter how hard they might try.
3429
The Last Alliance of Elves and Men is established
3430
3434
3434-3441
The war ends (Sauron is temporarily defeated)
3441
The Battle of Dagorlad is mentioned inThe Lord of the Ringsnarrative, but it does not lessen the impact. The Last Alliance of Elves and Men needed to break through to Mordor, and they could not do that without crossing the piece of land beforehand. Many lives were lost, which is evident when Frodo and Sam see all the dead bodies around them in the Dead Marshes. However,Sauron’s defeat does not destroy the One Ring, leading Sauron to rise again. This premise sets upThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy, which in turn leads to the events described inThe Two Towers.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Cast
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a Fantasy film by director Peter Jackson and is based on The Two Towers book by author J. R. R. Tolkien. A sequel to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, this installment continues Frodo’s journey to take the One Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it.
