Similarities Among Tolkien's Works

As I was writing my Analytic Essay, I came across some interesting similarities between Frodo/Sam and Beren/Lúthien, and then had some really fun conversations with people about just why so many people love the Frodo/Sam dynamic (and some expected them to get together, either when they first read the books or when they first watched the movies).

What first sparked my attention was actually Sam bringing the story of Beren’s quest up while Frodo, Sam, and Gollum are sheltering under Cirith Ungol. Sam says “Beren now, he never though he was going to get that Silmaril from the Iron Crown in Thangorodrim, and yet he did, and that was a worse place and a blacker danger than ours. But that's a long tale, of course, and goes on past the happiness and into grief and beyond it -- and the Silmaril went on and came to Eärendil. And why, sir, I never thought of that before! We've got -- you've got some of the light of it in that star-glass that the Lady gave you! Why, to think of it, we're in the same tale still! It's going on. Don't the great tales never end?” (Two Towers 363). This started me thinking about other ways the stories are similar.

We’ve already seen Elrond compare Frodo to the heroes of old (“and though all the mighty elf-friends of old, Hador, and Hurin, and Turin, and Beren himself were assembled together, your seat should be among them” (Fellowship 304), and Tolkien sprinkles references to that story throughout the Lord of the Rings.

Lúthien goes to rescue Beren from Sauron’s prison, Sam goes to rescue Frodo from the Tower of Cirith Ungol (Return of the King). Both characters sing (and are heard by their respective partners).

Beren and Frodo both try to leave behind their companion, only to be told in no uncertain terms that this Will Not Be Acceptable.

Both Sam (and Lúthien feel that they’ve failed and come too late, thinking that their companion has already died, only to discover that they are (fortunately) incorrect.

Both are rescued by a giant Eagle

“three mighty birds appeared, […] Then they lifted up Lúthien and Beren from the earth and bore them aloft into the clouds” (The Silmarillion 215)

“Side by side they lay; and down swept Gwaihir, and down came Landroval and Meneldor the swift […and] the wanderers were lifted up and borne far away out of the darkness and the fire” (Return of the King 246).

Anyways! I just wanted to point out some of these similarities, and then ask you if you’ve noticed any other fun similarities in parts of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or The Silmarillion (or any of the other stories we’ve read this semester) that really stuck out to you.