The Arthurian World of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: a Reassessment

Abstract

This PhD thesis intends to explore the possible influences and rewritings of Arthurian legends in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien's work seems to be strongly influenced by Arthurian literature. The themes of Quest for the Ring and the Fellowship of the Ring echo the Grail Quest and the Order of the Round Table. The Ring as the centre of the plot in The Lord of the Rings is a clear allusion to the Grail legend while the Arthurian myth of the Wasteland is represented in Rohan, whose ruler resembles the Fisher King, and in Gondor, which echoes the Arthurian idea of a ruler and his land as one. The tragic love between Aragorn and Arwen has some parallelisms with Tristan and Isolde's fatal love while Frodo and Bilbo's uncle-nephew relationship reminds us of King Arthur and Gawain. Also, Galadriel, Arwen or Éowyn share many resemblances with some Arthurian heroines such has Morgan Le Fay, the Lady of the Lake or Guenevere, among others. Similarly, landscapes and objects from The Lord of the Rings have Arthurian resonances. Indeed, the term 'Middle-earth' appears in medieval literature, including Arthurian texts, while Aragorn's sword clearly resembles King Arthur's legendary blade, Excalibur.