Skip to main content

the lord of the rings - Why is Aragorn shaking while holding the Palantir and talking to Sauron?


He appears to be in pain while holding the Palantir.


Why is this so?



Answer



For reference, this is the scene in question:






In the actor commentary on the scene, from the DVD, the palantír is described as a "direct line to evil"1.


It's worth comparing Aragorn's experience to Pippin's, from earlier in the film:





Basically as soon as he touches the Stone (or as soon as he's communicating with Sauron), Pippin is clearly in excruciating pain. Clearly there's something deeply uncomfortable about having a psychic phone call with Lucifer.


This is borne out by the text, although bear in mind this is information Peter Jackson could not have (legally admitted to have) used as reference:




  • Using the Stones is a mental workout:




    The use of the palantíri was a mental strain, especially on men of later days not trained to the task


    Unfinished Tales Part 4 Chapter III: "The Palantíri" Note 13





  • Using the Stone against Sauron is a particular strain. We learn this in the context of Denenthor's encounters with Sauron:



    The breaking strain of Denethor's confrontation of Sauron must be distinguished from the general strain of using the Stone.


    Unfinished Tales Part 4 Chapter III: "The Palantíri"




    This meshes well with the description from the commentary, of the stone as a "direct line to evil".




Aragorn is at an advantage because, as the Heir of Elendil, he's the lawful owner of the Stones, while Sauron is not:



In the case of Denethor, the Steward was strengthened, even against Sauron himself, by the fact the Stones were far more amenable to legitimate users: most of all to true "Heirs of Elendil" (as Aragorn), but also to one with inherited authority(as Denethor), as compared to Saruman, or Sauron.


Unfinished Tales Part 4 Chapter III: "The Palantíri"



However, he's still a mortal going up against a god-like being. You've got to expect some effort from a confrontation like that.




1 Thanks to Valorum for pointing this out


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...
Post a Comment
Read more

aliens - Interstellar Zoo story

I vaguely remember this story from my childhood: it was about an interstellar zoo that came to Earth with lots of bizarre and unusual species, and humans would file through and gape at all the crazy looking creatures from other planets. The twist came at the end when the perspective shifted to the other side of the bars and we discovered that the "creatures" were traveling through space on a kind of safari. They thought they were the visitors and we were the animals. Neither side knew that the other side thought they were the zoo creatures. Answer Got it. Zoo, by Edward D. Hoch. Published in 1958. Link to Publication History Link to PDF
Post a Comment
Read more

Could one of Voldemort's Death Eaters have killed or harmed Harry at Privet Drive?

In Order of the Phoenix , Dumbledore explains to Harry the protection that the Dursleys' home provides: While you can still call home the place where your mother's blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort. He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her sister. Her blood became your refuge. You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, there he cannot hurt you. Your aunt knows this. I explained what I had done in the letter I left, with you, on her doorstep. She knows that allowing you houseroom may well have kept you alive for the past fifteen years. Dumbledore says that he cannot be "touched or harmed by Voldemort". Does this mean that he could have sent a Death Eater to just bust down the door and kill Harry, assuming that Voldemort would allow them to? And even if he didn't want them to kill him, could they have harmed him in some other way (e.g. the Cruciatus Curse)? Answer No. Harry was protect...
Post a Comment
Read more