Highlights
- Gollum’s complex personality, driven by the One Ring, makes him a vital yet tragic character in The Lord of the Rings.
- Gollum’s relationship with Smeagol is marked by jealousy, mistrust, and insults, showcasing his darker side.
- Gollum’s obsession with the One Ring and his tragic origins reveal a poetic yet sad transformation.
Gollum is perhaps one of the most sympathetic characters in The Lord of the Rings, for his body and mind had been twisted through years of possessing the One Ring. When audiences meet Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, they find themselves staring down a sneaky and selfish shadow of Smeagol’s former self, played brilliantly by Andy Serkis.
Despite the corruption that Gollum faces, his importance in The Lord of the Rings and the fate of Middle-earth cannot be understated. With and without his precious, Gollum plays a vital role, and provides an array of memorable quotes, whether they be sad, funny, or sinister.
5 “You Don’t Have Any Friends. Nobody Likes You!”
Gollum Mocks Smeagol
- Featured in: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Smeagol receives a sense of identity once Frodo expresses kindness to him. Yet, this is something that Gollum is completely against, and he reeks with jealousy and mistrust for befriending Hobbits. As such, Gollum tries to put Smeagol back down by berating him and seems to exclaim with joy that he doesn’t have any friends.
Gollum and Smeagol’s relationship is always interesting, as it seems like doubt, fear, and hate all manifest into the smarter and more dominant Gollum personality, which exists to drag Smeagol down until he is but a cowering inside voice in their shared mind.
4 “Stupid, Fat Hobbit.”
Gollum Expresses Horror And Hate For Rabbit Stew
- Featured in: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Gollum is Sam’s biggest hater, and constantly uses insults to try and get under his skin and cause a divide between Sam and Frodo. Gollum’s favorite insult is not only just to call Sam a Hobbit, but a stupid fat one, showing some pretty harsh words from a creature who lurks in caves and eats raw fish straight from the river.
This line is even more comedic in context, when Gollum screams in agony seeing that his freshly caught rabbit is being turned into a healthy stew. The scorn and anguish in Gollum’s voice make it a rather funny addition but showcase the darker side of his desires for raw flesh.
3 “My Precious.”
The Cackling Dark Words For The One Ring
- Featured in: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The common name that Gollum uses for the One Ring. Gollum is often heard ranting and raving about his precious, and it shows a darker meaning behind his character. Gollum is seduced by the ring, undone by it, until the metal has forged with his very personality, blurring his reality into servitude for the precious ring that he has grown addicted to.
Gollum can be heard muttering and even screaming about his preciousness throughout The Lord of the Rings. Even if Gollum loves the ring or hates the ring, it will always be his precious, and his devotion to it can be seen even as his skin melts from bone to the end.
2 “We Soon Forgot The Taste of Bread, The Sound Of Wind In The Trees… We Even Forgot Our Name.”
Gollum Narrates His Tragic Origins
- Featured in: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The opening of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King details Smeagol’s tragedy. Showcasing the moment of his demise that would obscure him into a monster out of myth, audiences are given a lens to watch Gollum’s transformation, along with narration from Gollum himself to document this change.
Gollum has a rather poetic way with words in this narration, but it’s also deeply tragic. The fact that Smeagol was once a man, driven to this sorry state as Gollum, left to rot as his memories escape him, showcases a dark sadness that no one should have to endure.
1 “If Baggins Loses, Then We Eats It Whole.”
A Game Of Riddles With Bilbo Baggins Could Result In A Hearty Dinner
- Featured in: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Playing riddles with Gollum is not a simple task, and Bilbo Baggins decides that such a game is his only escape from this foul and hungry creature that lurks within a goblin cave. Gollum agrees to the game, but on the condition that he gets to eat Bilbo from head to toe if Gollum wins.
The way that Gollum says his conditions so confidently as if it’s a completely fair deal to make, adds some humor to the scene. Yet, with Gollum’s nine teeth, it also begs the question of what else he has eaten, and how many fools have found themselves trapped in a game of riddles against him.
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