The Return of the King: Book 6, Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

Sam picks himself off the ground and tries to remember why he fell: it was when he threw himself at the doors of Cirith Ungol. He sees there’s no hope now of entering by that door, but he has no choice but to try to rescue Frodo. As he searches for his way back along the tunnel, he wonders if the others in the Fellowship think of him and Frodo at all. At this point in time, Aragorn has taken the fleet at the river, Merry is a day away from Minas Tirith with the Rohirrim, and Pippin waits on Denethor, and all of their minds are incessantly on the whereabouts and survival of Sam and Frodo. Still, the two hobbits are alone and beyond anyone’s help.

Sam finds himself back at the outlet of Shelob’s tunnel. He looks up at Cirith Ungol, a tower held by orcs, and his fear returns. He retraces his steps back to the place where the orcs passed him in their retrieval of Frodo. Sam feels that if he steps any further, he won’t ever return from Mordor. In his fear, he takes out the Ring and puts it on; he feels its huge weight and the searching evil of Mordor. With the Ring on, Sam’s hearing seems sharper but his sight is less reliable. He soon realizes that even his hearing is deceiving him: the orcs he thought were passing nearby are actually fighting in the tower above. Sam remembers his duty—he must rescue Frodo—and, taking the Ring off, he begins to run.

Sam sees Mount Doom in the distance and its spiral plume of smoke. The glow from the mountain allows Sam to see the whole of Cirith Ungol more clearly, and it’s larger and more threatening than he thought. He realizes that the tower’s purpose is not to keep enemies out but to imprison them. It was in fact built in defense by men of Gondor but was then taken by the Lord of the Nazgûl and held by Mordor. Sam sees how hopeless his task is; he cannot possibly enter without being noticed.

Sam considers the Ring again, but he understands that its power is growing and it is dangerous to wield. He feels that even carrying the Ring makes him more important and powerful—he knows it tempts him with the promise of strength. He avoids the temptation both because of his devotion to Frodo and through his “plain hobbit-sense” that reminds him his place is as a gardener, not a ruler. The only thing to do is go to the main gate of the tower, no matter how doomed that way might be. 

As Sam nears the gate, two orcs come running past before falling dead. Sam wonders what the conflict is between Shagrat and Gorbag. He knows they’ve been ordered not to kill Frodo, but he remembers Frodo’s mithril mail—that’s probably what the orcs are fighting about. Sam urges himself forward but finds he cannot pass through the gate. Some invisible force seems to hold him back. He looks up to see two huge stone statues that guard the gate and keep out intruders. Sam thinks to use the phial of Galadriel: he holds it up and shows its light and is then able to leap through the gate. As he enters, he hears a shrill cry alarming those in the tower of his entry.

Sam expects to be surrounded by orcs, but none come. He sees that the courtyard is littered with dead orcs. He enters the tower unchallenged but doesn’t know which path to take; he decides to climb as high as he can. The only thought that keeps him moving forward is of Frodo in danger or pain. Suddenly, hearing someone running towards him, Sam stops. He finds himself clutching at the Ring but doesn’t put it on before an orc hurtles down the stairs ahead and stops short of him. But the orc doesn’t see a hobbit—he sees a huge, cloaked shadow, and assumes Sam to be a terrifying enemy. The orc runs back up the stairs. Sam climbs up after him but much more slowly.

Just when Sam feels he can’t climb any more, the stairs come to an end. He hears through a closed door two arguing voices. Shagrat is demanding that Snaga leave the tower to deliver some news. Snaga refuses, flouting Shagrat’s authority; he believes that a man of Gondor has found his way into the tower. Shagrat hurls Snaga from the room and Snaga eventually disappears from Shagrat’s view. Sam sees all this, and also sees a fallen orc moving. The orc grabs the bundle Shagrat is holding and moves to stab him with a broken spear, but Shagrat slits his throat first.

Sam knows he won’t go unnoticed for long. He leaps out at Shagrat with a cry. Shagrat, holding the bundle, cannot fight Sam, but he uses the bundle as a shield and slips away. Sam moves to follow him but remembers Frodo and continues his search. He climbs until he reaches a dead end, though he thinks the tower has another level. He sits down, tired and defeated, but to his own surprise he begins to sing a simple Shire tune, adding his own words. He thinks he hears a voice answering the tune, and stops singing, but now all he hears is Snaga ordering someone to stop singing. He sees Snaga climb a ladder at the end of the passage and realizes that the high chamber can only be reached through a trapdoor.

 Sam hears the crack of a whip and, filled with rage, follows Snaga up the ladder to the chamber. He leaps towards Snaga and cuts his arm off. Snaga fights back, but he gets thrown off balance and falls through the trapdoor. Sam runs to Frodo and holds him. Frodo asks him if he’s dreaming, and he tells him he was answering Sam’s song when he heard it coming from below. Sam wants to sit with Frodo and bask in his happiness, but he knows they must get up and leave. He looks for something for Frodo to wear. Frodo begins to despair, telling Sam the orcs took everything from him and their quest has failed.

Sam tells Frodo that he has the Ring. Frodo demands Sam give it back to him, and when Sam suggests they share the burden, Frodo calls him a thief. Frodo’s immediately ashamed of his behavior and explains that the burden is his alone to carry. Sam forgives him and returns to the task of finding clothes, telling Frodo to wait in the tower until he’s found orc garb that will help them blend in on their journey. Frodo worries as he waits, but Sam returns quickly with a pile of dirty, ill-fitting clothes, and they both attempt to dress well enough to be disguised in Mordor.

Frodo asks if Sam has any food or drink to offer. Sam remembers he hasn’t eaten for a long time; he has a little lembas bread—the Elvish bread they were gifted upon leaving Lothlórien—but only a drop of water in his bottle. Frodo finds that the orcs left his food bag, but he only has the same amount as Sam does. Still, he doesn’t move until Sam has a bite to eat. They don’t think any more about the water, knowing that their journey is hopeless as it stands, and their lack of water won’t make a difference.

Frodo and Sam descend the tower. At the gate, they find the statues’ resistance impossible to pass. Sam once again shines the phial of Galadriel, and they both cry phrases in Elvish. They stumble past the gate and onto the road, narrowly escaping the collapsing arch. Another cry emits from the gate which is answered by a winged figure in the sky.