Gríma Wormtongue

It’s funny how often in history or books, the manipulative character with so much power is either small, in the background, or even unnoticed. One of the many of these characters is Gríma Wormtongue, from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of The Rings.

Gríma Wormtongue had control literally over the whole of Rohan, yet, as he was such a slinking person, practically no-one saw this truth. King Théoden was ‘putty’ in his hands, and so Gríma was slowly working his realm to disaster. He was, to a degree, ‘sent’ from Sauron, and worked at his quest diligently. Yet, when Gandalf pinpointed his guilt, he was kicked out of Rohan, and went off to join with Saruman.

So, Gríma Wormtongue, even just by virtue of his name, reminds one of a slithering creature… maybe, as a snake? He does compare remarkably strongly with Satan in the Garden of Eden. A great similarity between Gríma and the devil in Eden is that they both ‘crept up’ on their prey, wisely knowing their weaknesses, and touching them at that spot. The snake tempted Eve by doubt, while Gríma approached King Théoden the same way – doubt… and despair. They both completed a large part of what they set out to accomplish, and, once their foot was in the door, left their presence forever. It’s interesting also that both Gríma and Satan didn’t stop after their first try… who would? They had so much potential power that there was no reason to give it up. Oddly enough as well, God banished the snake from the Garden, and, paralleling this, Gandalf threw Gríma out of Rohan.

So lie the characters of Gríma and Satan, each pouring their life out for their own misery. They both, in a sense, used others to do wrong, and gained great power behind their ‘puppets’. They also continued on to fresh, new others after being thrown out, never stopping till the end, and, in a sense, they always will.

Fanny Jean Jones

Fanny Jean Jones

Fanny Jean Jones is a recent graduate of 8th grade, through homeschool classes, and homeschooling. She loves reading, talking, and playing games with her ‘Fam’. Fanny also loves the piano, and is coming up on playing it every day for 10 years. She found a great love for developing stories when very young, and has loved writing papers and novel (book) ideas ever since. She also loves passing time through a crochet hook, and has made hats, shawls, socks, and other things through this hobby. Another favorite pastime of Fanny’s, is working out calligraphy, and she is often pegging away at this art.

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1 thought on “Gríma Wormtongue”

  1. I believe your comparison of Gríma Wormtongue to Satan is most likely what Tolkien was thinking in the creation of this character. Just like Satan who is able to manipulate the weak minded unknowingly, so does Gríma Wormtongue with King Théoden who let his guard down. Once again, I really enjoy your writing. Great job!

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