Akers-Jordan: Fairy Princess or Tragic Heroine?

Fairy Princess or Tragic Heroine?

The Metamorphosis of Arwen Undómiel
in Peter Jackson ’s
The Lord of the Rings Films

CATHY AKERS-JORDAN

C asual readers of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings might see Arwen
Undómiel as either a fairy princess (a prize for Aragorn’s successful
completion of his quest) or a tragic heroine (who dies in despair after the
death of her beloved). Peter Jackson avoids these simplistic extremes in his
depiction of Elrond’s daughter and Aragorn’s Elvish fiancée. Instead
Jackson attempts to portray her as a true descendant of her heroic
ancestors, such as Lúthien, Eärendil and Galadriel. In doing so he remains
loyal to the spirit of Tolkien’s books, especially in terms of Arwen’s
influence on Aragorn’s life and fate, and makes her more appealing to a
modern audience. Jackson also uses Arwen to represent the past, present,
and future of the Elves in Middle-earth, with strong overtones of
Tennyson’s Lady of Shalott.
Like all film-makers Jackson faced the challenge of changing a
story from one medium to another. What works in books does not always
work on film, and Jackson first had to sell a studio on the idea of filming
The Lord of the Rings; that included changing Arwen’s role in all three
films. As screenwriter Philippa Boyens explains in “From Book to Script:
Finding the Story”:

Arwen had to be, because she was the love of Aragorn’s life,
much more participatory in the story. You just figure studio
executives who are going to be reading this script, you can’t
have her three hundred miles away from the hero. You
know, you try pitching the idea of a psychic connection
between two lovers and they’ll just tell you to get out of
there. (Towers, app.: “From Book to Script”)

In the books, Arwen’s influence and her importance in Aragorn’s

life are subtle. In fact, she appears only briefly in The Fellowship of the Ring,

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does not appear in The Two Towers at all, and does not show up in The
Return of the King until after Aragorn’s coronation. Most of her important
actions are recounted in Appendix A (1032-38; app. A:I:v). Jackson’s
challenge was to transform Arwen for the screen, to make her role more
active and obvious to viewers who had not read the books, but without
alienating fans of the books. In some ways Jackson’s depiction of Arwen
significantly differs from the books, but in others follows the books
closely. How well this combination succeeded can only be judged by
comparing her appearances on page and on screen.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

Arwen appears only briefly in the book The Fellowship of the Ring,
in two scenes in Rivendell and twice indirectly when Aragorn is thinking
of her, but these glimpses and their implications provide the basis of
Jackson’s portrayal of her on film. They provide most of what the reader
knows about Arwen outside of Appendix A.
The first reference to Arwen is when Aragorn tells the hobbits the
tale of Lúthien Tinúviel as they travel from Bree to Rivendell. Although he
does not mention Arwen by name he is clearly thinking of her because of
her similarity to Lúthien, her great-great-grandmother. Lúthien was the
daughter of Thingol, the Elven King of Doriath in the First Age, and
Melian, a Maia (one of the lesser angelic beings). This unusual heritage
made her “the fairest maiden that has ever been among the children of this
world.” This story has great meaning for Aragorn, for Lúthien chose to
become mortal for the sake of the Man she loved and “so it is that Lúthien
Tinúviel alone of the Elf-Kindred has died indeed and left the world, and
they have lost her whom they most loved” (189; I:11). Elves and wise Men
believe that Lúthien’s line shall never fail; her descendants include Elrond,
Arwen, and Aragorn. Lúthien’s influence shows in all of them, but
especially Arwen, who is the very likeness of Lúthien. Although the
Hobbits don’t realize the significance of the tale, Aragorn is undoubtedly
thinking of Lúthien’s choice of mortality, which has been echoed by her
granddaughter.
The reader’s first glimpse of Arwen is at the feast in Rivendell.
Frodo notices:

. . . a lady fair to look upon, and so like was she in form of

womanhood to Elrond that Frodo guessed that she was one
of his close kindred. Young she was and yet not so. The
braids of her dark hair were touched by no frost; her white

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arms and clear face were flawless and smooth, and the light
of stars was in her bright eyes, grey as a cloudless night; yet
queenly she looked, and thought and knowledge were in
her glance, as of one who has known many things that the
years bring. Above her brow her head was covered with a
cap of silver lace netted with small gems, glittering white;
but her soft grey raiment had no ornament save a girdle of
leaves wrought in silver.
So it was that Frodo saw her whom few mortals had yet
seen; Arwen daughter of Elrond, in whom it was said that
the likeness of Lúthien had come on earth again; and she
was called Undómiel, for she was the Evenstar of her
people. (221; II:1)

This brief portrait of Arwen is important because it captures some of the

characteristics Jackson portrays on film: her Elven wisdom, beauty, and
nobility. It is also the first mention of her name, Undómiel, which means
“twilight maiden”; it is a fitting name for the most beautiful of all the
Eldar in the fading years of the Third Age. Evenstar has a similar meaning
but also links Arwen to her ancestor Eärendil, who was set in the sky with
a Silmaril on his brow to become the Morning and Evening Star and to
bring hope to all who are oppressed by evil. While Eärendil brings hope to
all, Arwen brings hope to Aragorn in particular; Aragorn, named Estel
(“Hope”) by his mother and known as such in his youth, in turn
represents Eärendil on earth and brings hope to Men. Arwen’s belief in
him keeps him going, even when he doubts himself, a theme Jackson plays
up in the films.
The second appearance of Arwen in the book is when Frodo sees
her speaking with Aragorn in the Hall of Fire in Rivendell, and although
her dialog with him is not important enough to include in the text, her
influence on Aragorn is clear. “To his surprise Frodo saw that Aragorn
stood beside her; his dark cloak was thrown back, and he seemed to be
clad in elven-mail, and a star shown on his breast. They spoke together,
and then suddenly it seemed to Frodo that Arwen turned towards him,
and the light of her eyes fell on him from afar and pierced his heart” (232;
II:1). This is not only an example of the near divine impression Elves make
on other races, but also an indication of Arwen’s influence. In her presence
Aragorn’s nobility, which is usually disguised, shines through. Part of this
is Aragorn’s heritage as The Dúnadan and a descendant of Lúthien, but
part is from his association with Elves, like his ancestors in the First and
Second Ages, who were ennobled by their friendship with the Eldar.
According to Appendix A, there were three marriages between Eldar and
Edain (Lúthien and Beren, Idril and Tuor, and Aragorn and Arwen). In

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each of these marriages, like that of Thingol Elven King of Doriath and
Melian the Maia, the woman is of a nobler race and her spouse is ennobled
by association. In Aragorn and Arwen’s case their union also reunites the
branches of the Half-elven (the descendants of Elros and Elrond) and
restores and ennobles their family line. This is more than mere medieval
courtly love, in which a knight is ennobled by the inspiration of his adored
lady; this is the influence of the Elder Children of Ilúvatar.
The final reference to Arwen in the book is when Aragorn
remembers her in Lórien at Cerin Amroth:

At the hill’s foot Frodo found Aragorn, standing still and

silent as a tree; but in his hand was a small golden bloom of
elanor, and a light was in his eyes. He was wrapped in some
fair memory: and as Frodo looked at him he knew that he
beheld things as they once had been in this same place. For
the grim years were removed from the face of Aragorn, and
he seemed clothed in white, a young lord tall and fair; and
he spoke words in the Elvish tongue to one whom Frodo
could not see. Arwen vanimelda, narmarië! he said, and then
he drew a breath, and returning out of his thought he
looked at Frodo and smiled.
“Here is the heart of Elvendom on earth,” he said, “and
here my heart dwells ever, unless there be a light beyond
the dark roads that we must still tread, you and I. Come
with me!” And taking Frodo’s hand, he left the hill of Cerin
Amroth and came there never again as living man. (343;
II:6)

Frodo can see that the mere memory of Arwen ennobles Aragorn in this
place where they plighted their troth to one another. The hope of reuniting
with her is “a light beyond the dark roads that we must still tread,” yet the
scene foreshadows Arwen’s eventual death. This is where she will return
to die after Aragorn passes away.
Because Arwen actually does little in the first book, most of her
role in the first film is composed of actions taken by several different
characters in the book, including Glorfindel, Elrond, and Gandalf. By
attributing these actions, especially those of other Elves, to Arwen, Jackson
makes the logical assumption that she is just as brave, wise, and capable in
battle as a male Elf. One has only to look at The Silmarillion to see that
female Elves in Middle-earth are equal to their male counterparts in
wisdom, and Jackson apparently assumes they are also equal in strength
and martial ability. Arwen’s actions in the film The Fellowship of the Ring
are strongly reminiscent of her Elven ancestors in The Silmarillion when

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Elves were at the height of their power in Middle-earth, so in this sense

Arwen represents the past power and glory of the Elves.
In the film, the viewer first meets Arwen in a scene that is not
based on the book, when Aragorn is looking for athelas to heal Frodo after
the Ringwraiths attack him on Weathertop. Aragorn stops looking for the
plant when he suddenly finds a sword at his throat and Arwen says
“What’s this? A ranger caught off his guard?” (Fellowship, scene 21: “Flight
to the Ford”). Despite the seriousness of the situation (she knows the
Ringwraiths are hunting Aragorn and the Hobbits) her tone is playful; this
is a side of Arwen the reader never sees in the books. Perhaps it is a hint of
the days in Lothlórien when Aragorn and Arwen first fell in love. Jackson
filmed such a flashback but later decided not to use it (Towers, scene 33:
“The Evenstar,” commentary).
The first time the viewer sees Arwen is through Frodo’s eyes,
glowing with the light of the Eldar as she dismounts her horse and walks
toward him, calling him back to the light. She looks much as Glorfindel is
described in the book: “to Frodo it appeared that a white light was shining
through the form and raiment of the rider, as if through a thin veil” (204;
I:12). Given her angelic appearance and her use of elven “magic” to try to
save Frodo from the evil of the Morgul blade which has injured him, it’s
not surprising the Hobbits are in awe of her.
When Arwen is unable to heal Frodo, she argues with Aragorn
that they must get Frodo to her father, Elrond. Aragorn is reluctant to let
her take Frodo ahead on Asfaloth, knowing there are at least five
Ringwraiths chasing Frodo. She convinces him that she is most qualified
for the task because she is a faster rider than he and because she does not
fear the Ringwraiths. In the book it is Glorfindel who tries to heal Frodo
and sends him across the Bruinin on Asfaloth. Having Arwen do so in the
film is logical not only because she is just as capable as Glorfindel, but it
allows Jackson to avoid the problem of introducing another character
(Glorfindel) only to have him disappear after Frodo reaches Rivendell.
Arwen takes Frodo and races all nine Ringwraiths to the Ford of
Bruinin. When she crosses the river, the wraiths halt at the water’s edge,
reluctant to enter the water. They taunt her and Arwen defies them,
drawing her sword, saying “If you want him, come and claim him!”
(Fellowship, scene 21: “Flight to the Ford”).
In the book it is Frodo who draws his sword and defies the
Ringwraiths, but when Arwen does so in the film readers are reminded of
her great-great grandmother Lúthien who stood up to both Morgoth and
Sauron (“Beren and Lúthien” in The Silmarillion 162-187). Careful viewers
will also recognize that Arwen’s sword is the same sword used by Elrond

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in battle with Sauron at the end of the Second Age (Fellowship, scene 1:
“One Ring to Rule Them All”).
Jackson uses the sword to extend Arwen’s connection even to her
more remote ancestors. As a subtle treat for fans of the books, all weapons
in the films are engraved with inscriptions, including Arwen’s sword:

Aen estar Hadhafang i chathol hen,

thand arod dan i thang an i arwen.
Translation: (It) is called Throng-cleaver this broadsword-
blade, (a) defence noble against the (enemy) throng for (a)
noble-lady.

This last line was dropped from the inscription due to lack
of space:
Idril i hel en aran Gond Dolen
Translation: Idril, daughter of the king (of the) Hidden Rock
(i.e., Gondolin).
(Derdzinski, “Sword Inscriptions” 4)

The word Hadhafang comes from “The Etymologies” in Tolkien’s

The Lost Road (“Syad” 434). According to Ryzsard Derdzinski’s Tolkien’s
Language in the Lord of the Rings Movie page, part of a web site devoted to
Tolkien’s many languages, “Tolkien devised this Sindarin name for a
sword but never used it in any of the tales; David Salo [a language
consultant for the films] suggested employing it here” (Derdzinski,
“Sword Inscriptions” 4). In the film, Hadhafang is not only a visual
connection to her father, Elrond, but a spiritual connection to Arwen’s
heroic female ancestors, especially her great-grandmother Idril
Celebrindal for whom the sword was made. The lovely pun, of course, is
the inclusion of Arwen’s name (which means noble-lady) in the
inscription. The even subtler reference is the reminder that Idril chose to
marry a mortal, as will Arwen.
As the Ringwraiths step into the water at the ford, Arwen uses her
Elven “magic” to call forth the waters of the Bruinin to wash away the
wraiths. In the book it is Elrond who calls forth the waters and Gandalf
who gives the waves the shape of white horses. To have Arwen do so in
the film shows that her “Elven magic” is a force to be reckoned with,
which is appropriate for the daughter of Elrond and granddaughter of
Galadriel.
After the Ringwraiths are washed away, Frodo grows weaker and
collapses. Arwen lowers him to the ground and cradles him, crying. Her
prayer is heard in a voice over: “What grace is given me, let it pass to him,
let him be spared, save him” (Fellowship, scene 21: “Flight to the Ford”).

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Although it was not included in the film, for the reader familiar with the
text, this prayer is beautifully evocative of the moment in The Return of the
King when Arwen gives Frodo her place in the white ship to the Undying
Lands where he can at last find peace and healing:

A gift I will give you. For I am the daughter of Elrond. I

shall not go with him now when he departs to the Havens;
for mine is the choice of Lúthien, and as she so have I
chosen, both the sweet and the bitter. But in my stead you
shall go, Ring-bearer, when the time comes, and if you then
desire it. If your hurts grieve you still and the memory of
your burden is heavy, then you may pass into the West,
until all your wounds and weariness are healed. (952-53;
VI:6)

While Frodo rests in Rivendell, Aragorn struggles with his self-

doubt; the Council of Elrond is framed by it. Although he shows no lack of
confidence during the Council, Arwen encourages him before the council
and Elrond after it. While Elrond reminds him of his destiny and duty,
Arwen encourages him by reminding him of her faith in him. Of the two,
Arwen’s encouragement is most effective. “Why do you fear the past?”
she asks him. “You are Isildur’s heir, not Isildur himself. You are not
bound to his fate.” “The same blood flows in my veins . . . The same
weakness” he replies. “Your time will come,” she tells him. “You will face
the same evil, and you will defeat it. The Shadow does not hold sway yet,
not over you and not over me” (Fellowship, scene 25: “The Sword That Was
Broken”). This scene sets up a theme that runs through all three films:
Aragorn’s doubt and Arwen’s steadfast love and faith in him, which
inspires him even when the foresight of the Dúnadan fails and he cannot
see his future.
Unlike in the book, Arwen and Aragorn plight their troth at this
time. Readers know from Appendix A that this happened in Lórien at
Cerin Amroth years before the events in The Fellowship of the Ring, but
Jackson uses it as an opportunity for Arwen to give Aragorn a visual
reminder of her love that he will carry through all three films: the Evenstar
pendant. In the book she gives to Frodo, along with her place in the ship,
“a white gem like a star” to comfort him “When the memory of the fear
and the darkness troubles you . . . this will bring you aid” (953; VI:6). The
pendant serves a similar purpose in the film for Aragorn and provides
viewers with a constant reminder of Arwen’s love and faith. Their
betrothal dialog also ties Arwen’s choice of mortality to the pendant.
Arwen recalls what she told him when they first met, that she would bind
herself to him, forsaking the immortal life of her people. “And to that I

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hold,” she reminds him. “I would rather share one lifetime with you than
face all the ages of this world alone.” She then gives him the Evenstar
pendant. When he protests she reminds him that “It is mine to give to
whom I will . . . like my heart” (Fellowship, scene 25: “The Sword That Was
Broken”).
Arwen is last seen in the film when the Fellowship departs from
Rivendell. Although she has no dialog, she is clearly sad at Aragorn’s
departure and exchanges a last long look with him (Fellowship, scene 30:
“The Departure of the Fellowship”), which is explained in the second film.
The last reference to Arwen in the first film is when the
Fellowship takes its leave of Galadriel and Celeborn in Lórien. Galadriel
tells Aragorn “I have nothing greater to give, than the gift you already
bear,” as she touches the Evenstar pendant, referring to Arwen’s love. She
is troubled by her granddaughter’s choice, for she tells Aragorn, “For her
love, I fear the grace of Arwen Evenstar will diminish.” By choosing
mortality Arwen will not only diminish, lose her Elven “magic,” but like
Lúthien she will die and leave the circles of the world, forever lost to her
Elven kin who are bound to Arda. Again Aragorn protests Arwen’s
choice, but Galadriel reminds him that “That choice is yet before her,”
reminding him (and the viewer) that choice is Arwen’s, not his (Fellowship,
scene 41: “Farewell to Lórien”).
Although Arwen’s role in the first film is unlike her role in the
book, Jackson succeeds in capturing the spirit of the books. While some
subtleties like the inscription on Hadhafang are lost on most viewers,
Arwen’s role is a logical extrapolation based on the actions of other Elven
characters, a reflection of the past power of the Eldar in Middle-earth.

THE TWO TOWERS

Arwen does not appear in Tolkien’s The Two Towers at all; there is
not even a passing reference to her. This was a problem for Peter Jackson,
who needed to keep her active in all three films in order to maintain her
connection to Aragorn for the film audience. When Jackson first
approached Miramax with a two-script proposal for The Lord of the Rings
films, he had significantly altered Arwen’s role and included her in the
battle of Helm’s Deep. Even after New Line accepted Jackson’s proposal
and expanded it from two films to three, the Arwen-at-Helm’s-Deep plot
remained. As Jackson explained in the documentary “From Book to Script:
Finding the Story,” the real problem with Aragorn and Arwen was
geography: “They were in two completely different places in Middle-

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earth. So how on earth can you keep a romantic story going when you
can’t actually have the two people connecting?” Producers were not likely
to approve of the psychic connection between the characters as a
substitute for having them together, so Jackson kept Arwen at Helm’s
Deep. Co-Producer Rick Porras explained that seemed like a good idea
because Arwen is such a strong character: “The way it was written, she
actually was this incredibly gifted and courageous and ruthless fighter,
like all Elves are capable of being” (Towers, app.: “From Book to Script”).
This fit well with the role established for Arwen in the first film.
When word of this change leaked on the Internet, many fans
objected to it. Liv Tyler, the actress who plays Arwen in the films, read
some of the comments and was so upset with the negative reactions she
cried. “And I cried so hard afterwards because they were calling me, like,
‘Liv Tyler, Xena Warrior’” (Towers, app.: “From Book to Script”). Jackson’s
solution was to return to Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings, which
includes the tale of Aragorn and Arwen, and to incorporate that story into
the main plot through a series of flashbacks.
Everyone involved with the decision was much happier with the
result, including Liv Tyler: “And what we came to realize was that you
don’t have to put a sword in her hands to make her strong. And where
we’ve come to now is all these true elements of who Arwen is. I mean, this
is an incredibly powerful and fearless woman . . . filled with so much hope
and belief. And that is strong enough.” Executive Producer Mark Oredsky
agreed that the flashbacks are “far more powerful material for Arwen”
than having her fight at Helm’s Deep (Towers, app.: “From Book to
Script”).
Despite minor changes, the portrayal of Arwen in The Two Towers
is most faithful to the books. In these flashbacks Arwen is less physically
active but still very influential in Aragorn’s life. Her role is more passive,
reflecting the fading powers of Elves in the present times of Middle-earth.
Although they are still a force to be reckoned with, the Elves realize their
time is nearly over and the time for the dominion of Man is drawing near.
The first flashback in the film is based on a theme of Appendix A,
Arwen’s faith in Aragorn. It occurs when Aragorn is resting and smoking,
thinking of Arwen. “The light of the Evenstar does not wax and wane. It is
mine to give to whom I will . . . like my heart,” Arwen says in a voiceover,
reminding him of her steadfast belief in him. “Go to sleep,” she wills him
and the scene shifts to Rivendell, the night before the departure of the
Fellowship. “I am asleep. This is a dream,” Aragorn says and closes his
eyes, but when he opens them the dream flows into a flashback. Aragorn
is uncertain of the path his future will take. Arwen reassures him that his

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place is with Frodo and tells him, “This is not the end . . . it is the
beginning. If you trust nothing else, trust this, trust us” as she touches the
Evenstar pendant around his neck to remind him and the audience what it
represents. Her message is subtly reinforced as her words are repeated in
the Sindarin lyrics in the background: “Ú i vethed nâ i onnad. Ae u-esteliach
nad, estelio han, estelio ammen” (Derdzinski, “Soundtrack” 22). The Evenstar
pendant is also a segue from flashback to present as Éowyn asks Aragorn,
“Where is she? The woman who gave you that jewel?” (Towers, scene 33:
“The Evenstar”).
Before Aragorn can answer her he recalls Elrond urging him to let
Arwen go:

ELROND. Our time here is ending. Arwen’s time is ending.

Let her go. Let her take the ship into the West. Let her
bear away her love for you to the Undying Lands. There
it will be evergreen.
ARAGORN. But never more than a memory.
ELROND. I will not leave my daughter here to die.
ARAGORN. She stays because she still has hope.
ELROND. She stays for YOU! She belongs with her people!
(Towers, scene 33: “The Evenstar”)

While this scene does not appear in the book, it strongly echoes
one from Appendix A, when Elrond learns of the love between his
daughter and Aragorn, whom he loves as a son. Elrond cannot be certain
of the future, that Aragorn can overthrow Sauron and reunite the
kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. He tells Aragorn, “though I love you, I
say to you: Arwen Undómiel shall not diminish her life’s grace for less
cause. She shall not be the bride of any Man less than the King of both
Gondor and Arnor” (1036, app. A:I:v). Aragorn and Arwen agree to these
terms, not because Arwen is a fairy princess and a prize for successful
completion of Aragorn’s quest, but because of their belief in “authority,
propriety, and law” which will serve them well as King and Queen of the
Reunited Kingdom (Kocher 136). Perhaps Aragorn also hopes that if he
does fail, Arwen can still sail West, preserving her immortality.
The flashback continues as Aragorn tries to return the Evenstar to
Arwen just before the Fellowship leaves Lórien. “You have a chance for
another life. Away from war . . . grief . . . despair. . . . I am a mortal. You
are elf kind. It was a dream, Arwen, nothing more,” he says. She doesn’t
believe him, even when he tries to give back the pendant. “It was a gift.
Keep it,” she tells him decisively, folding his hand over the pendant
(Towers, scene 33: “The Evenstar”). This is not in the book, but it adds
tension to the film, and gives Arwen a chance to demonstrate her strength

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and resolve. It apparently does not convince Aragorn, however, for when
he finally answers Éowyn’s question about the woman who gave him the
jewel he tells her, “She is sailing to the Undying Lands with all that is left
of her kin” (Towers scene 33). Aragorn seems certain that despite her love
for him, Arwen will obey her father’s wishes and sail into the West.
The next scene with Arwen is not a flashback, but her continuing
presence in Aragorn’s life. On the way to Helm’s Deep Aragorn is
wounded in a skirmish with Orcs and Wargs. He falls over a cliff, into a
river, and floats unconscious to the shore. Arwen is shown lying on her
bed, then her image appears over Aragorn, kissing him, as her voiceover
says “May the grace of the Valar protect you” (Towers, scene 37: “The
Grace of the Valar”). This scene is probably based on a line in Appendix A:
“Arwen remained in Rivendell, and when Aragorn was abroad, from afar
she watched over him in thought” (1036; app. A:I:v). Jackson’s
representation of this description is a logical extrapolation based on
Arwen’s Elven powers as the daughter of Elrond and granddaughter of
Galadriel, and a beautiful depiction of the spiritual bond between Aragorn
and Arwen.
Elrond finally confronts his daughter about her decision. He tells
her there is no hope for her in Middle-earth, only death. Even if Aragorn
defeats Sauron, as a mortal he will eventually die. Elrond describes
Arwen’s fate as a mortal after Aragorn’s death:

There will be no comfort for you. No comfort to ease the

pain of his passing. He will come to death. An image of
the splendor of the Kings of Men in glory undimmed
before the breaking of the world. But you, my daughter,
you will linger on in darkness and in doubt as nightfall in
winter that comes without a star. Here you will dwell,
bound to your grief, under the fading trees until all the
world is changed and the long years of your life are
utterly spent. Arwen . . . There is nothing for you here,
only death. Do I not also have your love?
(Towers, scene 38: “Arwen’s Fate”)

Elrond’s description, based on Tolkien’s prose, coupled with

images of Aragorn’s tomb and Arwen’s sorrow are heartbreaking.
Arwen’s words to Aragorn, “This is not the end . . . it is the beginning. If
you trust nothing else, trust this, trust us,” again echo in the background
in Sindarin, connecting this scene to the one in Rivendell, adding to the
sorrow (Derdzinski, “Soundtrack” 22). Elrond cannot see the future with
certainty and fears losing his daughter forever. He is trying to protect her
from the grief of Aragorn’s eventual death and the bitterness of mortality

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which she cannot yet understand. He is also forcing her to choose between
immortality spent with her father or mortality and death with Aragorn.
Weeping, perhaps considering for the first time what death really means,
Arwen replies, “You have my love, father” (Towers, scene 38: “Arwen’s
Fate”).
The last view of Arwen in this film is her departure from
Rivendell with the other Elves leaving for the Havens. She looks
sorrowfully over her shoulder at Elrond, who looks troubled (Towers scene
38). Clearly father and daughter are sad to be parted, even temporarily,
and both know there is a chance Elrond may not make it to the Havens if
the war with Sauron spreads. These scenes between Elrond and Arwen
show the father’s and daughter’s deep love much more effectively than
Tolkien’s passing comment that “she loved her father dearly,” giving the
viewer a better understanding of the difficulty of Arwen’s decision (1036;
app. A:I:v). Like Aragorn, the viewer is left with the impression that
Arwen has changed her mind and left Aragorn to face his fate alone in
Middle-earth.

THE RETURN OF THE KING

Although there are three passing references to her (when

Halbarad brings Aragorn the banner of the King of Gondor, when
Aragorn tells Éowyn his heart dwells in Rivendell, and when the banner of
the King is unfurled during the Battle of the Pelennor Field), Arwen
appears in The Return of the King only after Aragorn’s Coronation. After
their many years of trial and waiting, their wedding on Midsummer’s Day
merits only one paragraph. After that the only actions she takes are giving
Frodo the jewel to comfort him in his pain, and riding with everyone else
to take King Théoden’s body to Rohan for burial. As the others ride
towards Rivendell, she remains in Rohan where “she said farewell to her
brethren” and to her father Elrond. Of that Tolkien only says “None saw
her last meeting with her father, for they went up into the hills and there
spoke long together, and bitter was their parting that should endure
beyond the ends of the world” (956; VI:6). One can only assume that
Tolkien glossed over these important events in the lives of Aragorn and
Arwen because they were not important to the main plotlines of the story.
Readers who want more of their story must rely on Appendix A, which is
slightly more developed.
Lack of material for Arwen was a problem for Peter Jackson. Of
the three films, Arwen’s role in The Return of the King is least like the book.

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He had already used most of the material in Appendix A in The Two

Towers, so to expand Arwen’s role in the third film and her importance to
the plot, Jackson adds elements that are not in the books. Some are clear
while others are much more subtle, so subtle one can’t help but wonder
how they strike viewers who have not read the books.
Arwen is first seen in this film riding with the other Elves towards
the Grey Havens. She has a vision of a boy running to Aragorn. Father and
son embrace joyfully and when the boy turns to make eye contact with
her, Arwen sees that he is wearing her Evenstar pendant. Overcome by
this vision of her future, she closes her eyes and begins to cry (Return,
scene 7: “Arwen’s Vision”). In the background the sad Sindarin lyrics (by
Philippa Boyens) called “Twilight and Shadow” reflect Arwen’s vision:

I saw a star rise high in the

Evening sky,
It hung like a jewel,
Softly shining.

I saw a star fade in the

Evening sky,
The dark was too deep and so light died,
Softly pining.

For what might have been,

For what never was.
For a life, long lived
For a love half given.
(Derdzinski “Soundtrack” 34)

The very words “Twilight and Shadow” are a reference to

Aragorn and Arwen’s betrothal in Appendix A. They stood on the mound
of Cerin Amroth in Lothlórien, between the shadow of Sauron to the east
and the Twilight of the Undying Lands to the west, and choose to reject
both (1035-36; app. A:I:v). Cerin Amroth is a fitting place for such a
decision because, as Haldir tells Frodo during his visit, from there one can
see the struggle between Sauron and Galadriel, between light and dark
(343; II:6). It is to this place which symbolizes their decision that Arwen
will come to die alone after Aragorn’s death. The title of the song and the
lyrics are reminder of the difficulty of Arwen’s decision and her fate.
When Arwen closes her eyes on the vision of her son, she hears
her father saying “There is nothing for you here. Only death”; when she
opens her eyes the vision is gone (Return, scene 7: “Arwen’s Vision”).
Without hesitating, she turns her horse back to Rivendell where she

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confronts Elrond about this vision of the future. He tells her that that
future is almost gone and nothing is certain. Arwen tells him, “Some
things are certain. If I leave him how, I will regret it forever. It is time”
(Return, scene 8: “The Reforging of Narsil”). Elrond looks grief-stricken as
he realizes she has already made her decision, and he will lose his
daughter forever. Although these scenes are not taken from the books,
they continue to develop the theme of Arwen’s decision to become mortal,
like Lúthien, and be forever parted from her Elven kin by death. Jackson
shows the immensity of this decision and its implications, which Tolkien
chose to downplay.
Jackson visually connects Arwen’s return to the re-forging of
Narsil. A careful viewer will notice that time passes between Arwen’s
return and the line of dialog where she urges Elrond to re-forge the sword.
Presumably the scenes between Elrond and Arwen hinted at in The Return
of the King trailer will be added here, scenes which likely will include
Elrond’s initial anger and eventual acceptance of his daughter’s decision.
The important thing is that only by Arwen’s return and urging does
Elrond have the sword re-forged, and the juxtaposition of images in scene
8 (“The Reforging of Narsil”) tie Arwen’s mortality to the sword. Instead
of the banner of the King of Gondor, Andúril becomes the symbol of
Arwen’s love and Aragorn’s acceptance of his role as King. After Arwen
tells Elrond to reforge the sword, the scene cuts to Arwen in her room
reading, where, looking somewhat dismayed, she drops her book. Elrond
picks it up and takes her hands. “Your hands are cold. The life of the Eldar
is leaving you,” he says, grief-stricken. “It is my choice. Ada [Father].
Whether by your will or not, there is no ship now which can bear me
hence,” she replies (scene 8). It is at this moment that she becomes mortal.
Elrond continues to look grieved as he watches the sword re-forged.
It should be noted that although Jackson ties Arwen’s mortality to
her return to Rivendell, something which did not happen in the books
until after Aragorn’s death, it makes Arwen more important to the overall
plot of the film. She starts a chain of events which will save Minas Tirith
and which at last sets Aragorn on the path he has been resisting out of self
doubt. It is only by her urging that Narsil is reforged. Without it Aragorn
can not convince the dead to follow him and without them he cannot save
Minis Tirith so, indirectly, Arwen is responsible for his success at the
Battle of the Pelennor Field. By accepting the sword, Aragorn also finally
accepts his destiny as Elendil’s heir: to become King of Gondor. Unlike the
other characters who choose to die fighting side by side with a friend,
Arwen makes the much scarier choice to die alone, sacrificing herself for
Aragorn’s success. While this shows great strength of character and makes

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her as important to the plot as other characters without upstaging Éowyn

on the battlefield, it is such a diversion from the book that its subtlety may
be lost on the audience.
Although there are hints in The Return of the King trailer, scenes of
Elrond and Arwen’s reconciliation and parting before he takes the
reforged Andúril to Aragorn are not in the theatrical version of the film.
Instead, Jackson presents a series of images which reinforce the link
between Aragorn and Arwen’s fates, images which echo Tennyson’s Lady
of Shalott. This series of images begins as Aragorn tosses restlessly in his
sleep at Dunharrow. Next, Arwen is seen lying on her bed looking pale
and weak. With her dark hair spread over the pillow, the vivid blue and
red of her dress, and the cut of her gown, she becomes an image strongly
reminiscent of the many Pre-Raphaelite paintings of the Lady of Shalott in
her boat. The leaves, which were vivid autumn colors during the Council
of Elrond, are dry and crumbling as they blow into her room while Arwen
dies and the power of the Elves fades (Return, scene 22: “Andúril – Flame
of the West”).
This is a fitting image because, like Tennyson’s Lady of Shalott
whose fate is sealed the moment she sees Lancelot, Arwen’s fate is sealed
the moment she first meets Aragorn. In Appendix A, Tolkien tells us that
as a young man, Aragorn sees her walking in the shadows under the trees
of Rivendell while he sings part of the Lay of Lúthien and calls her
Tinúviel, for she is the very image of Lúthien. “Yet her name is not mine,”
Arwen tells Aragorn. “Though maybe my doom will be not unlike hers”
(1033; app. A:I:v). Although Aragorn does not yet realize it, Arwen has
already foreseen that her fate is like Lúthien’s: to fall in love with a Man
and give up her immortality for him.
After the Lady of Shalott image in the film the scene switches
quickly several times, from a close-up of Arwen growing weaker, to a
sweeping view of the entrance to the Paths of the Dead, to Aragorn
sleeping more quietly as Arwen’s voice over says “I choose a mortal life.”
When the image cuts back to Arwen lying in her bed looking paler and
weaker as a tear trickles down her cheek. “I wish I could have seen him,
one last time,” she laments (Return, scene 22: “Andúril–Flame of the
West”). Because she is now mortal she can no longer watch over him from
afar. As Arwen closes her eyes, apparently dying, Aragorn dreams that the
Evenstar pendant falls and shatters. He wakes in horror and is summoned
to Théoden’s tent where he is surprised to find Elrond. This sequence
reminds the audience of the spiritual bond between Aragorn and Arwen
(he already knows something is horribly wrong) and foreshadows her
lonely death on Cerin Amroth in Appendix A.

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The meeting between Elrond and Aragorn is painful for them

both. “I come on behalf of one whom I love,” Elrond tells Aragorn. Both
look worried. “Arwen is dying. She will not long survive the Evil that now
spreads from Mordor. The light of the Evenstar is failing. As Sauron’s
power grows her strength wanes. Arwen’s life is now tied to the fate of the
Ring. A shadow is upon us, Aragorn. The end is come” (Return, scene 22:
“Andúril–Flame of the West”). Arwen’s increasing weakness as Sauron’s
power grows is not even hinted at in the books, but Jackson foreshadowed
it in The Fellowship of the Ring. In the Council of Elrond the Elves, especially
Elrond and Legolas, react as if to physical pain when Gandalf uses Black
Speech, a not-so-subtle indication of the effect of Sauron’s power
(Fellowship, scene 27: “The Council of Elrond”). By tying Arwen’s fate to
the Ring, Jackson gives Aragorn personal as well as altruistic reasons for
his quest to defeat Sauron. This is a great deviation from the book, but
perhaps he is using Arwen to represent the future of the Elves of Middle-
earth. If Sauron wins they will be unable to escape to the Undying Lands
and will be destroyed by Sauron’s evil. Even if the Ring is destroyed, the
time of the Elves is nearly over. Those who remain in Middle-earth will
“dwindle to a rustic folk of dell and cave, slowly to forget and to be
forgotten,” as Galadriel explains to Frodo in Lórien (356; II:7).
Elrond warns Aragorn that he rides “to war, but not to victory”
because of Sauron’s treacherous plan to attack with unexpected forces
from the river. Aragorn’s only hope is more men, and the only place to get
them is to call on the murderers and traitors who haunt the mountain.
“You would call upon them to fight? They believe in nothing. They
answer to no one,” Aragorn says. “They will answer to the king of
Gondor!” Elrond replies and reveals the reforged sword (Return, scene 22:
“Andúril–Flame of the West”). He explains that the man who can wield
the sword can summon the most deadly army on earth and urges him,
“Put aside the Ranger. Become who you were born to be. Take the
Dimholt road.” It is not surprising that Aragorn seems uncertain. As he
admitted to Arwen in Rivendell he cannot foresee his path and now,
knowing that Arwen is dying, he has no hope for himself. “Ónen i-Estel
Edain. [I give Hope to Men]” Elrond encourages him. “Ú-chebin Estel anim.
[I keep none for myself]” Aragorn replies (scene 22). This not only suits
Aragorn’s feelings, it is the Elvish poem carved on his mother’s grave in
Rivendell, the site of his previous conversations with Elrond, and another
reminder of his duty and destiny. Readers will recognize that these were
Gilraen’s last words to Aragorn; she had no hope for herself, though her
son would bring hope to the Dúnedain (1036; app. A:I:v). Aragorn resigns

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himself to a future without personal hope, though he continues to bring

hope to others.
Although Arwen is not physically present when Aragorn enters
the Paths of the Dead, he carries two symbols of her devotion: the
Evenstar pendant and Andúril. Both are the only objects in these scenes
which emit light, a suitable symbolism for the light of the Evenstar herself.
Arwen is not mentioned or seen again until Aragorn’s Coronation.
He endures the ceremony, looking serious but sad on what should be a
joyous occasion. He has brought victory and peace to his people, but he
believes Arwen is dead, and without her he has no hope of personal joy.
To use Tolkien’s term, her surprise appearance is a “eucatastrophe,” a
sudden joyous turn providing “a fleeting glimpse of Joy” (Tolkien, “On
Fairy-stories” 86). Like their wedding in the book, her appearance at the
Coronation is brief and joyous, but lacking in dialog. Unlike the book, the
feelings the images evoke are so strong that dialog is not necessary.
Aragorn and Arwen’s joy is clear, as is Elrond’s sorrowful acceptance of
her decision. Jackson ends his version of the tale of Aragorn and Arwen
with the new King and Queen kneeling in gratitude before the Hobbits
who “bow to no one” (Return, scene 57: “The Return of the King”).
By ending on a happy note for Aragorn and Arwen Jackson
avoids the tragedy of Arwen’s death, which he hinted at in The Two
Towers. In Appendix A Tolkien describes Aragorn and Arwen’s long
happy life together which ends as Aragorn finally grows old and prepares
to die. When Elrond left Middle-earth Arwen “became as a mortal woman,
and yet it was not her lot to die until all that she had gained was lost . . .
She was not yet weary of her days, and thus she tasted the bitterness of the
mortality she had taken upon her” (1037; app. A:I:v). By this Tolkien
seems to be implying that Arwen remained immortal until Aragorn’s
death. It is only as she faces her own death that she finally comprehends
what it means: an unknown fate. Elves return to the Undying Lands but
the fate of Men is unknown, even to the Eldar. All they know is that after
death Men leave the circles of the world, while the Eldar are bound to it
until the end of time. Arwen realizes she has not only lost Aragorn, but
she has separated herself from her Elven kin and has no idea what fate
awaits her after death.
Aragorn seems to see some kind of afterlife, for he tries to comfort
Arwen: “In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! we are not
bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than
memory.” But Arwen, lacking Aragorn’s foresight, is not comforted.
Tolkien tells us that after his death “the light of her eyes was quenched,
and it seemed to her people that she had become as cold and grey as

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nightfall in winter that comes without a star” (1038: app. A:I:v). Tolkien’s
choice of words is intriguing. Throughout The Lord of the Rings the Elves
are repeatedly described as having “a light like the light of the stars” in
their eyes (221; II:1). Taken in this context, “the light of her eyes was
quenched” could mean that that was the moment she lost her immortality.
The rest of the sentence, “she had become as cold and grey as nightfall in
winter that comes without a star,” evokes the imagery of Eärendil,
Arwen’s grandfather who is also the morning and evening star whose
light brings hope to those in Middle-earth. For Arwen, whose very name–
Evenstar–ties her to Eärendil, to be without a star, hope, evokes an image
of a long night of despair. Without Aragorn, who personifies Eärendil on
earth, Arwen loses hope. The great tragedy of Arwen’s fate is that after
inspiring Aragorn to impossible victory and inspiring him to bring hope to
others, she dies alone, and in despair.
To make Arwen’s death even more tragic is the possibility that she
might have had the chance to sail to the Undying Lands, even after
Aragorn’s death. Arwen thinks she has no choice, but on his deathbed
Aragorn tells her “The uttermost decision is before you: to repent and go
to the Havens and bear away into the West the memory of our days
together that shall there be evergreen but never more than memory; or else
to abide by the Doom of Men” (1037: app. A:I:v). This dialog, used in a
different scene by Jackson, seems to imply Arwen still has a choice and is
supported by a careful examination of Appendices A and B. According to
Appendix B (The Tale of Years) Aragorn dies in March 1541, then Legolas
builds a ship and he and Gimli sail for the Undying Lands (1072; app. B).
Appendix A says Arwen dies in the winter after Aragorn’s death that
spring (1038; app. A:I:v). Careful readers can’t help but wonder if Legolas
and Gimli left before or after Arwen died. Tolkien doesn’t say. If they left
before she died, that means she truly did not have a second chance at
immortality, and was trapped in a death of despair. If they left after her
death, there is a possibility that she could have gone with them but chose
to die and be with Aragorn in the afterlife of Men (whatever that is)
instead of returning to immortality. That implies the possibility that she
died in hope of being reunited with Aragorn instead of in despair. Perhaps
this subtle possibility is the basis of Jackson’s happy ending for Aragorn
and Arwen in the films.
Overall, Jackson succeeds in his depiction of Arwen. Despite some
changes, some of them quite drastic, he remains true to the spirit of the
books. Since hope is one of the overall themes of The Lord of the Rings,
Jackson’s treatment of Aragorn and Arwen’s tale is more fitting and
satisfying. Although he hints at Arwen’s tragic fate in The Two Towers, he

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avoids Elrond and Arwen’s bitter parting and ends Aragorn and Arwen’s
story with a joyous reunion.

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