Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Two Towers, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Decline and Decay
Good and Evil
Duty
Joy and Optimism vs. Despair
Power
Heroism, Honor, and Glory
Summary
Analysis
The host of Rohan rides hard through the evening, then stops for five hours to make camp before setting off again. Ahead, towards Isengard, Legolas can see darkness, and shapes moving near the river, but no details. There is a veil of shadow over the land. The air feels hotter and heavier as they ride, and the afternoon brings dark clouds.
Once again, the land reveals the corruption of its leaders. Towards Isengard, the natural world is dark and inhospitable, lacking in the light and beauty that indicate goodness, hope, and clarity. Even Legolas, with his elven eyesight, can’t penetrate the darkness.
Themes
A horseman rides towards them, asking for Éomer. He says they’ve come too late—Rohan’s forces were driven back yesterday and lost many men. The remaining men, led by Erkenbrand, the lord of Westfold, are heading to Helm’s Deep to seek shelter. There is no hope ahead. Théoden calls the rider by name and tells him that they will not return home without a battle. The rider kneels in wonder, and Théoden offers him a fresh horse as they ride to aid Helm’s Deep.
For Rohan’s recently defeated forces, all hope is lost. Even if they take shelter in Helm’s Deep, the orc host is too powerful, some of their forces are lost, and Éomer’s men alone can’t meaningfully offer them aid. The sight of Théoden doesn’t materially change the difficulties they face, but it awes the rider, giving him enough hope to persist in his duty of defending Rohan from Saruman’s orcs.
Themes
Gandalf tells Théoden that he has to leave with Shadowfax on an errand and to wait for him at Helm’s Deep, then rides swiftly away. One of the guards asks Háma what it means. Háma has no explanation besides the fact that Gandalf always comes and goes abruptly. The other guard mutters that Wormtongue would have found an explanation, but Háma prefers to wait for Gandalf to explain for himself. The other guard suggests that Háma might wait a long time.
Despite Wormtongue’s removal, his influence remains. Wormtongue ensured that Théoden and many of his men mistrusted Gandalf, and some of them still do, despite his hand in Théoden’s recovery. It will take time to restore Rohan to its former morality, if it’s possible to restore it completely at all. Still, there are those like Háma actively working to improve the attitudes of his fellow countrymen and persuade them towards trust, collaboration, and hope for the future.
Themes
The host of Rohan rides into the night towards Helm’s Deep, a fortified gorge in the hills protecting an ancient tower. They hear horn blasts and cries from the scouts ahead of them, who report a host of orcs far outnumbering them heading for Helm’s Deep. The scouts have also seen some of their own scattered companies, but no one has heard from Erkenbrand, and they fear that he and his men will be overtaken by orcs before they can reach Helm’s Deep, if they’re not already dead. Several people have seen Gandalf passing by (though some of them thought he was Saruman) and also Wormtongue, heading north with a company of orcs. Éomer urges them to hurry on despite the danger, but he fears it won’t be long before Saruman knows they’re marching to Helm’s Deep.
As the rider searching for Éomer reported, the situation looks dire. Rohan’s forces are small and scattered, and they’re facing a powerful enemy. In the absence of Erkenbrand and the sight of so many enemies, the morale of the men is low, and even Éomer fears there might be worse to come. Théoden’s resolve and their commitment to their duty compels them to continue on to Helm’s Deep, but there is little optimism to be found among the ranks.
Themes
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As they ride through the dark, Aragorn looks back at the torches behind them, betraying the sheer size of the orc army. The orcs are burning the land as they pass through it. Aragorn hates to run from them and let them destroy houses and crops, but the host of Rohan is too outnumbered to turn and fight, even once they reach the outer ramparts of Helm’s Deep.
The orcs don’t just attack the men of Rohan on Saruman’s orders, they also needlessly destroy the land itself, leaving burning wastes behind them. Saruman and his orcs actively and intentionally demolish the natural world, whether as a demoralizing tactic, a practical war strategy to destroy crops and supplies, or from simple malice.
Themes
The host of Rohan reaches Helm’s Dike, an ancient trench and rampart, and a sentinel challenges them. Éomer answers that Théoden rides to their aid, and the sentinel hurries them in, calling their arrival “good tidings beyond hope.” Because Erkenbrand left men to guard Helm’s Deep and scattered companies have made their way back after the battle, there are about a thousand men in the fortress able to fight. In the caves of Helm’s Deep, civilians from the surrounding land are sheltering with a store of food and animals.
The forces already in Helm’s Deep are a welcome addition to Rohan’s ranks, but still not enough to easily defeat the orc armies. Still, Théoden’s arrival gives the men trapped in the fortress a chance of driving the orcs back from Helm’s Deep rather than simply sheltering with the civilians until their food runs out. Any chance, even a small one, is enough to improve their outlook and give them hope.
Themes
Théoden and his riders are happily welcomed and begin arranging the defense of Helm’s Deep with the bulk of the forces set behind the Deeping Wall, a twenty-foot battlement set with slits for shooting through. Gimli and Legolas stand on top of the wall and anticipate the battle to come, wishing for more allies. Suddenly, there are screams from the Dike and the guards retreat into the fortress. They shot every arrow they had and filled the Dike with corpses, but the orcs are climbing the bank.
The orcs, hating sunlight, approach Helm’s Deep and attack in the dark. The silent first attack is ghostly and sinister; the men in the fortress don’t even know it’s begun until they hear their own men screaming and retreating. Though Théoden’s presence is heartening, it’s clear that hope alone isn’t enough to compete with the orcs’ numbers.
Themes
It’s a dark night, and a flash of lightning illuminates hundreds of orcs pouring into the space between the Dike and the Deeping Wall. The orcs send arrows as “thick as the rain” over the battlements, but Helm’s Deep makes no responding attack. The orcs hesitate, then charge the gates, and are met with a volley of arrows and stones from the wall. Over and over in waves, the orcs break and flee, then charge again. Each time they charge, they reach a higher point on the wall. They bring battering rams to attack the gates. Fighting beside the orcs are the wild men of Dunland, who Saruman has manipulated into joining his armies.
The revelation that Saruman has men fighting in his armies in addition to his bloodthirsty orcs is ominous. Saruman’s voice is a powerful manipulative force, and the realms of men are vulnerable to corruption. Now, rather than joining together with the other realms of men to fight against the oppression of Sauron and Saruman, the men of Dunland fight alongside orcs.
Themes
Éomer and Aragorn, standing together on the wall, see the trouble at the gates and run to assist, gathering a few other swordsmen as they go. From the wall and tower, men cheer for Andúril, the sword that was broken, returned to war. They attack the wild men carrying the battering rams and press them back. A lightning strike breaks the shield wall around the battering rams and the orc archers flee.
Hope is a powerful motivator, and legends are important to Rohan’s culture. Though Théoden isn’t yet fighting alongside his men, the sight of Aragorn’s legendary sword returning to battle encourages them. The lightning strike proves again that the natural world of Middle-earth both recognizes the harm being done to it, and, occasionally, fights back.
Themes
Surveying the bent and cracked gates, Éomer realizes that they can’t defend the walls from behind them. As the orcs gather to charge again, the men of Rohan rush to fortify the gates with beams and stones. A dozen orcs, hiding among the dead, attempt to ambush Éomer, but Gimli beheads two and the rest flee. Éomer thanks Gimli for his aid. Returning to his place on the wall, Gimli gives Legolas the count of his kills: “two!” Legolas replies that he’s killed at least twenty with his arrows, but that’s still only a few compared to the host of enemies.
Gimli heroically saves Éomer’s life, then returns to Legolas to report on their somewhat unheroic game. The two of them have made a competition out of how many orcs they can kill. Legolas and Gimli aren’t the solemn and honorable heroes of this battle, though they may perform heroic feats. They’re joking and jovial, using their contest to press each other to be useful rather than noble.
Themes
The enemy seems to have grown, and the men of Rohan are weary, though Aragorn and Éomer rally them three times in a charge. A clamor rises from Helm’s Deep when the orcs gain entry through the culvert where the stream flows out. Gimli and Legolas leap down to meet them. Together with the men of Westfold, they press the orcs back. Gimli continues counting his kills, then helps block up the culvert with stones. He finds Legolas on the wall and discovers that Legolas’s number is still higher.
The riders of Rohan are weary in both body and spirit. No matter how many times Aragorn and Éomer attempt to raise their spirits and motivate them, the orcs keep coming. Legolas and Gimli have energy to spare, working as a team and motivating each other (and the men around them) with their fervor and humor. Gimli’s competitive spirit—combined with his genuine enjoyment of an opportunity to use his axe—makes him a fierce adversary for the orcs.
Themes
As dawn approaches, Éomer and Aragorn are exhausted, though Aragorn remarks that “dawn is the hope of men.” He reminds the men of Rohan that no enemy has ever taken Helm’s Deep. With a blare of trumpets, the stream bursts through the culvert again, blasting a hole large enough for orcs to pour through. Aragorn assumes that this is the work of Saruman and runs to fight. At the same time, the orcs set ladders against the battlements and climb up, overcoming the last defense and driving the men of Rohan back into Helm’s Deep.
Aragorn, though physically tired, hasn’t lost hope. As he did many times while trying to rescue the hobbits, he waits for the dawn to provide him with clarity and the hope of finding some advantage. Though he encourages himself and the men to keep their spirits up, Saruman has finally discovered their presence and added his magic to the fight. Their odds are growing worse as they lose ground, and it is unclear what advantage the dawn can possibly bring them.
Themes
Aragorn holds back the enemy at the bottom of the stairs leading towards the back gate with the help of Legolas, who eventually calls Aragorn inside once everyone gets safely within the Hornburg, the stronghold of Helm’s Deep. The battle is going badly, but Legolas still has hope since Aragorn is with them. Aragorn tells Legolas that Gimli was swept away from him by the enemy, and Legolas calls it “evil news”—he wanted to tell Gimli that his count is now 39.
Though the fight is growing dire, Legolas hasn’t entirely lost his hope, which Aragorn’s presence brings him, or his sense of humor. Legolas doesn’t tire as easily as his companions and doesn’t quickly become weary of mind. Aragorn’s conversation with the elf enlivens him, providing a brief respite from the deadly serious night.
Themes
Aragorn learns that Éomer hasn’t reached the Hornburg and was last seen fighting in the mouth of the Deep with Gimli. Aragorn finds Théoden and reports that, while they have supplies to shelter in Helm’s Deep, the orcs have enough blasting fire to either force their way in or seal up the exits. Théoden is restless trapped inside, and now questions Gandalf’s wisdom in sending them here. He decides to ride out to face the enemy, an act worthy of a song, and Aragorn agrees to go with him.
Théoden means to make this charge his last—one massive attack that will either win the battle or end in their deaths. Trapped in the fortress and faced with hopeless odds, Théoden seeks consolation against despair. While Legolas and Gimli use humor to fortify themselves, Théoden turns to action. He can’t bear to be idle with his thoughts and doesn’t have the same hope for the dawn that Aragorn still holds. And though he invokes the idea of song, it is this desire to take action, besides the obvious necessity of defeating Saruman’s armies, that leads him to make the charge, not any true hope of glory. It’s likely that, after the charge, there won’t be anyone left alive to tell the tale. Like Aragorn does when urging Legolas and Gimli to run swiftly after the hobbits during their hunt, Théoden speaks of a song as a sort of pledge to act in a way worthy of singing about.
Themes
Aragorn stands above the gates and tells the jeering orcs that he’s looking out to see the dawn. He warns them to leave or be killed, and his power is so visible that the wild men of Dunland pause before the orcs laugh and shoot at him. Aragorn jumps down and runs into the tower as the gate is blasted open. As the orcs prepare to charge, they hear murmurs of dismay from behind them and then the great horn of the Helm blasting from the tower.
Though the men of Dunland have allied themselves with Saruman rather than their fellow men, Aragorn offers them a chance of redemption: to flee before the final charge. Though moved by Aragorn’s words and frightened by his manner, they are ultimately reassured by the jeering of the orcs who, like Wormtongue, reject the opportunity to change allegiance.
Themes
The orcs that hear the horn tremble, and many cover their ears as it echoes out of the Deep. The men on the walls listen with wonder and rally around Théoden, charging from the tower with Aragorn at his side. They ride down the hosts of Isengard with every man still left and the enemy flees from them. The men of Rohan reach the Dike, then halt. Before, the land outside the Dike was grassy hills, but now it’s covered in a looming forest where the orcs run to hide.
Though the orcs have spent the night confident in their victory, the noise of the horn unsettles them. At the sound, the men of Rohan grow in confidence while the orcs become increasingly afraid. The blast of the horn and the leadership of the king incite the riders of Rohan to a massive charge, driving the orcs entirely out of Helm’s Deep.
Themes
Suddenly, Gandalf appears on a ridge, bright white in the rising sun. Behind him is Erkenbrand, leading a thousand men, who stops at the edge of the valley and blows his horn. The men of Rohan at the Dike cheer for him, and Aragorn and Legolas call out to Gandalf. Théoden rides down out of the Dike and Erkenbrand charges down from the hills with Gandalf, driving the terrified hosts of Isengard farther into the trees. No orcs ever emerge from the forest.
With the dawn, as Aragorn hoped, comes reinforcements. His optimism wasn’t misplaced, and neither was Háma’s trust in Gandalf. Gandalf’s arrival—just in time to further inspire the men and finish the battle—is a sudden narrative turn for the better; Tolkien called this phenomenon “eucatastrophe.” Again, the landscape of Middle-earth has changed itself to oppose its oppressors. From the land the orcs burned, a forest has appeared like a third army to cut off their escape.
Themes
