Should Gollum be considered a sympathetic character?

Should Gollum be considered a sympathetic character?

That being said, while Gollum is theoretically deserving of our sympathy, he is generally not portrayed in a sympathetic way. In Gollum, we see a character who does not deserve the fate that has been forced upon him, but also a character who was never as deserving or well-intentioned as either Bilbo or Frodo.

What kind of character is Gollum?

reptilian creature
Gollum, fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). Gollum is a vaguely reptilian creature who is obsessed with the ring that is the focus of much of the action of the books.

What is Gollum supposed to represent?

Gollum plays an interesting role in The Lord of the Rings, because he represents many things at once. He represents greed, ambition, cleverness, and yet at the same time also represents some long lost characteristic of himself that is not often addressed: goodness.

What are some character traits of Gollum?

Personality… decrepit, tortured, and sneaky. It is said that “his malice gives him strength hardly to be imagined.” Despite being small and gangly, Gollum packs a ferocious power, brought on by his monomaniacal desire to hold the Ring of Power. Anyone who gets in his way risks a battle with the madness.

Who is Gollum What effect did the ring seem to have on Gollum?

Gollum held the ring for significantly longer than Bilbo, and therefore its hold on him was more considerable. It warped his personality from Smeagol to that of Gollum. He was possessed by such a desire to keep it secret that he hid himself in the cave and became the creature Gollum.

Who was Gollum before the ring?

Sméagol
Gollum was a Stoor Hobbit of the River-folk who lived near the Gladden Fields. In The Lord of the Rings it is stated that he was originally known as Sméagol, he was corrupted by the One Ring and later named Gollum after his habit of making “a horrible swallowing noise in his throat”.

Was Gollum good or bad?

However, Gollum is not pure evil—that distinction goes to Sauron. Instead, Gollum is pure servility, and this characteristic unites both his good and dark sides and allows him to function as a guide for Frodo.

What makes Gollum a villain?

Sméagol uses the Ring for thieving and antagonizing his relatives. The Ring corrupts his body and mind, forcing him to make a disgusting swallowing noise in his throat, for which his relatives nickname him “Gollum”.

Is Gollum the villain?

Gollum, or originally known as Smeagol is a major antagonist in JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth Legendarium. He is the central antagonist of the novel The Lord of the Rings and of Peter Jackson’s film trilogy adaptations….Gollum.

What do you think about the character of Gollum?

Gollum is a tragic figure, a flawed person who saw the light briefly but failed to grasp it. It was still his own fault that he failed, but there was that hope he would succeed and become a Better Smeagol (who was still a rather nasty person even before the Ring made it worse). So he is worthy of pity, which is sympathy of sorts.

Does Gollum deserve our sympathy?

That being said, while Gollum is theoretically deserving of our sympathy, he is generally not portrayed in a sympathetic way. Even the stories he tells of his life before the Ring do not endear us to the hobbit he once was.

Why does Frodo take pity on Gollum?

Throughout the story, Frodo continuously takes pity on Gollum, as he sees himself and his ring-bearing plight in the withered creature. Frodo also sees his potential future in Gollum, should the ring claim him as well. Unlike everyone else, Frodo sees Gollum as a hobbit claimed by evil rather a mere evil hobbit.

What is the difference between Smeagol and Gollum?

Smeagol wants to stay loyal to Frodo, while Gollum wants the ring for himself. Smeagol eventually wins out, and Smeagol actually does stay loyal to Frodo. However, this is undone after they are captured by Faramir’s men, as Smeagol is mistreated by Faramir and betrayed by Frodo, forcing him to permanently adopt the more defensive Gollum persona.