The phial that Galadriel gave Frodo symbolizes hope, clarity, and strength. The phial is filled with the water of Galadriel’s fountain and contains the light of the star of Eärndil, treasured by the elves. On the journey into Mordor, Frodo often forgets that he carries the phial with him, instead sinking into depression and despair. Twice, after Frodo remembers the phial, it gives him hope and comfort, aiding him through a dangerous situation. When tempted to put on the Ring as the Wraith-king looks for him at Minas Morgul, the touch of the phial allows Frodo to briefly forget the Ring’s compulsion and escape undetected. In this way, the phial acts as something to hold onto in times of emotional and mental struggle. Similarly, Sam reminds Frodo of the phial when the hobbits are cornered in Shelob’s lair. Darkness recedes from the phial, frightening Shelob back and allowing the hobbits to clearly see their surroundings. As the phial’s light brightens, hope overcomes Frodo, clearing his mind of dark thoughts and fear. It is noteworthy that it is Sam, who is optimistic than Frodo to as they near Mordor, who remembers the power of the phial when they’re trapped in darkness.
Shelob returns almost immediately to attack the hobbits after Sam hides the light of the phial away. When Sam faces Shelob to protect Frodo, he is reminded again of the phial, “as if some remote voice had spoken,” and brings it back out. The phial is a guiding light, wishing to be remembered and calming its wielders’ minds. It seems to give its wielder not only hope and clarity, but also the ability to access a collective power beyond what they would ordinarily be capable of. Sam, though he speaks no elvish, shouts out an unfamiliar incantation and hears the voices of elves. The phial shines even brighter for Sam than it did when carried by Frodo, fed by Sam’s “indomitable spirit,” his dedication to Frodo, and his capacity for hope and optimism. With the help of the phial, Sam sends Shelob fleeing injured into her lair. When Sam, believing Frodo to be dead, agonizes over what to do next, the phial’s light shines over Frodo as though trying to guide Sam’s choice. But eventually, Sam hides the phial away, rejecting both its clarity of sight and the hope that he might be able to stay with Frodo. With the light extinguished, and weighed down by the despair of the Ring, Sam makes the wrong choice and leaves Frodo behind.
The Phial Quotes in The Two Towers
Even as Sam himself crouched, looking at her, seeing his death in her eyes, a thought came to him, as if some remote voice had spoken, and he fumbled in his breast with his left hand, and found what he sought: cold and hard and solid it seemed to his touch in a phantom world of horror, the Phial of Galadriel.
[…]
As if his indomitable spirit had set its potency in motion, the glass blazed suddenly like a white torch in his hand.
The Phial Symbol Timeline in The Two Towers
