The Lord of the Rings movies speaking patterns of 28 characters

I think every character in The Lord of the Rings trilogy has a simple abstract speaking pattern

you can formulate those patterns with the help of a few concepts that I hope will be intuitive enough (let's test if they ring true:)

I will quote The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers and The Return of the King

I will quote:

• Gandalf + Saruman + Frodo + Sam + Legolas + Merry + Pippin + Boromir + Elrond + Aragorn + Arwen + Gimli + Galadriel + Treebeard + Sauron (movie/book) + Gollum (16)

• Gríma Wormtongue (17)

• Theoden + Tom Bombadil (book) + Bilbo + Denethor + Éowyn (22)

• Faramir + Celeborn (movie/book) + Haldir (book too) + Butterbur + Éomer + Gamling (28)

I understand that this is A LOT to take in... A LOT - this is a gigantic post even by my standards

and I'll also associate 24/27 of the speaking patterns with lyrics writing of some music bands in the comments... every name is a link to the Gandalf Sax Guy help you navigate the post

Gandalf talks about circumstances and outcomes... and <facts of life> (the latter is not shown in the quotes)

"circumstances" are special kind of facts, facts telling you about conditions or setup of a situation

an "outcome" is some relatively major event/effect (good or bad, actual or hypothetical) that changes or sums up the matter

• If you’re referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door.

• Good to see you! One hundred and eleven years old --who would believe it? You haven't aged a day.

• I think you should leave the Ring behind, Bilbo. Is that so hard?

• Bilbo Baggins! Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks. I am not trying to rob you. I’m trying to help you.

Gandalf can leave both the other characters and the viewer to backtrack and follow his logic/motivation, he can wall himself off until a conclusion is reached (but after that a revelation may come)

Saruman talks about "the most important fact [at the moment]" and/or an "outcome"

"facts" are just facts or events

"most important" means that you can easily chop the speech into pieces without losing context or meaning, every bit is a self-sustained point

"most important" also means that the character cuts out unimportant info as opposed to speaking about everything

• Moria. You fear to go into those mines. The dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum: Shadow and Flame!

• Do you know how the Orcs first came into being? They were elves once, taken by the dark powers. Tortured and mutilated: a ruined and terrible form of life. Now... perfected: my fighting Uruk-Hai. Whom do you serve?

• Hunt them down. Do not stop until they are found. You do not know pain. You do not know fear. You will taste man flesh!

• One of the halflings carries something of great value. Bring them to me alive and unspoiled. Kill the others!

Saruman has a special vision of the world but has "nothing to hide" (when he starts to speak about something)

So Saruman's pattern is similar to Gandalf's

A side note (1): concepts I describe intersect very much; for a specific quote you often can make multiple descriptions, but if you consider multiple quotes you can see what description "sticks"/"survives"

Frodo talks about strongly/logically connected "circumstances [most important at the moment]"

"strong connection" means a logical connection or a somewhat strong repeat/re-frame of already said information or a specific continuation of a thought

• What happened Gandalf? Why didn't you meet us?

• I miss the Shire. I spent all my childhood, pretending I was off somewhere else... off with you on one of your adventures! My own adventure turned out to be quite different.

• You're right Sam. We did what we set out to do. The Ring will be safe in Rivendell. (+) I am ready to go home.

• I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though-- I do not know the way.

Frodo can be completely fluid until is forced to become strong and uncompromising

A side note (2): markings are just a tool to help you see the patterns

Sam talks about circumstances leading to other circumstances

• I have been droppin’ no eves sir, honest. I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me.

• N-n-n-nothing important. That is I heard a good deal about a Ring and a Dark Lord and something about the end of the world but… Please, Mister Gandalf sir, don’t hurt me. Don’t turn me into anythin’ -- unnatural.

• Did you hear that? Rivendell! We’re going to see the elves!

• I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise! "Don’t you leave him Samwise Gamgee." And I don’t mean to! I don’t mean to.

Sam pays attention to circumstances on different levels (to concrete situation, to moral side of the deal and etc.)

Sam is a principled fish that doesn't forget his principles in any particular situation

Frodo and Sam remind me of two my real life friends!

Legolas talks about most important circumstances [at the moment] in multiple parts

Legolas is similar to Sam

• This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance.

• Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!

• We must move on, we cannot linger!

• I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near.

Legolas pays attention to the most important circumstances and what is dictated by them

Merry talks about facts and "facts indistinguishable from circumstances" connected by logic

"facts indistinguishable from circumstances" are something like circumstances created by a fact

• You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!

• Do you remember the Old Forest? On the borders of Buckland? Folk used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall... and come alive.

• It’s Saruman’s army! The war has started.

• And what about Saruman? Have you come to a decision about HIM?

Merry is a hidden strategist and tactician having a big picture in his head

Pippin talks about important static circumstances and outcomes

an example of "static circumstances" is "I'm eating", an example of "dynamic circumstances" is "I'm going to get me some food"

"dynamic circs" is something that comes (or came) to a particular event, "static circs" is something that does not really lead to anything or is a "looped" process or is a state of things or mind

• Did we lose him? I think we lost him.

• Don’t talk to it, Merry. Don’t encourage it.

• Maybe Treebeard’s right. We don’t belong here, Merry. It's too big for us. What can we do in the end? We've got the Shire. Maybe we should go home.

• Yes. Exactly. If we go south we can slip past Saruman unnoticed. The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm. It’s the last thing he’ll expect.

"important static circumstances" may correspond to a comic self-love or a comic vision of the world, like this ->

"anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing"

A side note (3): do you know about the concept of Colors of noise? A noise can produce any "sound" at random, yet there are statistical patterns in the noise! There's an analogy to my concept...

Boromir talks about static circumstances leading to outcomes

• I will find no rest here. I heard her voice inside my head. She spoke of my father and the fall of Gondor. She said to me even now there is hope left. But I cannot see it. It is long since we had any hope.

• One day, our paths will lead us there. And the tower guards shall take up the call: The Lords of Gondor have returned!

• Warning? Against what? We're all afraid, Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have. Don't you see that is madness?

• What chance do you think you have? They will find you! They will take the Ring and you will beg for death before the end!

Boromir is open and honest and bare about his beliefs and their consequences

Elrond talks about "the most important circumstances [at the moment]" based around a key fact

• No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.

• Nine companions... So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!

• And yet to have come so far, still bearing the Ring, the hobbit has shown extraordinary resilience to it's evil.

• Gandalf, the enemy is moving. Sauron's forces are amassing in the east -- his eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman you tell me has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin.

Elrond has to get to the core of any current mess and know what to do about it

Elrond thinks very fast but is unwilling to talk much

Aragorn talks about "the most important fact [at the moment]"

• You should be dead! (.) That spear would have skewered a wild boar.

• By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs! (.) We must reach the Woods of Lothlorien. (.) Come Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up.

• Take some rest. (.) These borders are well protected.

• We cross the lake at nightfall. (.) Hide the boats and continue on foot. (.) We approach Mordor from the north.

It is the "shortest" and most "ragged" pattern possible, every piece of such a talk is a self-sustained point

A side note (4): Aragorn is like White noise according to the analogy in the previous post

Arwen talks about a fact and provides additional circumstances to that fact

• What's this? A ranger caught off his guard?

• He's not going to last. We must get him to my father. I’ve been looking for you for 2 days.

• There are 5 wraiths behind you. Where the other 4 are, I do not know.

• Why do you fear the past? You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate.

Arwen slowly unravels (or accumulates) her thoughts and feelings

Arwen is very smart and brave person that can hang on an important thing

Gimli talks about "facts leading to other facts"

• ‘Anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they’re not, I’d say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome.

• If we cannot pass over a mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria.

• Soon master elf you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!

Gimli focuses on facts and on what he just knows (a pragmatic person)

Galadriel talks about fact indistinguishable from circumstances and circumstances leading to an outcome

• The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all.

• I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind. It is what will come to pass if you should fail. The Fellowship is breaking. It has already begun. He will try to take the Ring. You know of whom I speak. One by one it will destroy them all.

• I pass the test! I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.

• You are a Ring bearer, Frodo. To bear a Ring of power is to be alone. This task was appointed to you and if you do not find a way, no one will.

Galadriel clearly sees the situation and where it leads

Treebeard talks about most important "dynamic circumstances" and most important "static circumstances" [at the moment] or a mix of them

an example of "static circumstances" is "I'm eating", an example of "dynamic circumstances" is "I'm going to get me some food"

"dynamic circs" is something that comes (or came) to a particular event, "static circs" is something that does not really lead to anything or is a "looped" process or is a state of things or mind

an artificial-convoluted example of a "mix" of both would be "I've come to a state of eating"

so this pattern is a kind of embodiment of the Resultative Perfect Tense#Types) if this helps

and the "most important" bit means that her speech is kind of brittle/accentuated, you can hear it in Rhys-Davies's intonation

this pattern may give a "global" feeling by describing massive changes in life or the world or reasons why life or the world came to a certain state

• We Ents have not troubled about the wars of men and wizards for a very long time. But now something is about to happen that has not happened for an age... Ent Moot.

• Beech, oak, chestnut, ash... Good, good, good. Many have come. Now we must decide if the Ents will go to war.

• I have told your names to the Ent moot and we have agreed – you are not Orcs.

• You are young and brave, Master Merry. But your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home.

Treebeard pays attention to the most important lessons of the past and to the most important changes

Sauron talks about most important "fact indistinguishable from circumstances" [at the moment]

• You cannot hide! (.) I see you! (.) There is no life in the void, only death! (movie)

• That is a small price for so great a treachery. (.) So shall it surely be. (.) Say on! (The Silmarillion)

Sauron pays attention to chaotic events in the present

Gollum talks about static circumstances strongly/logically connected to any circumstances

• Master says to show him the way into Mordor, so good Sméagol does. Master says so.

• No! No, no master! They catch you! They catch you! Don’t take it to him! He wants the preciousss. Always he’s looking for it! And the preciousss is wanting to go back to him. But we mustn’t let him have it.

• We wants it. We needs it. Must have the precioussss. They stole it from us. Sneaky little hobbitsesss. Wicked, trickssssy, falssse!

• We... we told him to go away! And away he goes, preciousss. Gone, gone, gone! Sméagol is free!

Gollum pays attention to his fears and inner voice and to what is dictated by them

Gríma Wormtongue talks about facts [<of life>] and outcomes strongly/logically connected

• That is a lie! <Saruman the White has ever been our friend and ally.>

• Why do you lay these troubles <on an already troubled mind.> Can you not see? <Your uncle is wearied by your malcontent, your war-mongering.>

• <You see much Éomer, Son of Éomund. Too much.> You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Rohan. Under pain of death!

• Oh, he... he must have died sometime in the night. <What a tragedy for the king to lose his only son and heir.>

Wormtongue pays attention to facts and what they mean on the large scale, maybe views his little life as something grandiose

Theoden talks about most important circumstances and outcomes

• Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!

• Simbelmynë. Ever has it grown on the tombs of my forebearers. Now it shall cover the grave of my son. Alas, that these evil days should be mine. The young perish and the old linger. That I should live to see the last days of my house.

• No parent should have to bury their child.

• They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Éomer cannot help us. I know what it is that you want of me. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war.

Theoden pays big attention to conditions of a situation and possible outcomes and thinks about it very much

Tom Bombadil talks about Ho! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo!

• By water, wood and hill, by reed and willow

• By fire, sun and moon, harken now and hear us!

Tom is come, Tom Bombadil, for our need is near us!

... Where was I? OK now:

Tom Bombadil talks about multiple facts about some circumstances

• Nay, I didn't hear. I was too busy singing. (.) And I was too busy admiring this really beautiful doll of myself, since I'm really as self-centered and self-absorbed as can be.

• He has a big bank account, and quite a few connections; and from the Entwives' aging wood, he made worthy logs.

• Keep on the right of the road - and mind the traffic. Don't you speak with Barrow-wights or take rides with strangers.

Tom Bombadil pays attention to now and just-after-now

Bilbo talks about "facts indistinguishable from circumstances" (talks vague)

"facts indistinguishable from circumstances" are something like circumstances created by a fact

• I was expecting you here last week! (.) Not that it matters, you come and go as you please. (.) Always have done and always will. (.) You caught me a bit unprepared, I'm afraid. (.) We have some cold chicken and pickles... Here's some cheese here- oh no it won't do. (.) There we got raspberry jam and apple tart... Not much for afterlunch - oh no! We're all right. I have some cake. (.) I can make you some eggs if you like -- oh. Gandalf?

• I've got to get away from these confounded relatives hanging on the bell (.) -- they never give me a moment's peace! (.) I want to see mountains again, mountains Gandalf! (.) And then find somewhere quiet where I can finish my book. Oh, tea! (.)

• ‘Course he does. He's a Baggins! Not some block-headed Bracegirdle from Hardbottle.

• They spent so much time arguing the wither-tos and why-fors, that when the sun’s first light cracked over the top of the trees and poof!

Bilbo is a man in the eye of the storm (of life and the current mess with relatives and rings and etc.)

Bilbo is almost like the polar opposite of Aragorn (the highest note/the lowest note), yet is very similar to him

Denethor talks about most important circumstances strongly/logically connected to most important facts or mixed with them

• I do not think we should so lightly abandon the outer defences; defences that your brother long held intact.

• I will not yield the River and Pelennor unfought - Osgiliath must be retaken.

• Much must be risked in war. Is there a Captain here who still has the courage to do his Lord's will?

• And why should your songs be unfit for my halls, or for hours such as these. Come - sing me a song!

Denethor pays attention to the main facts following from the main circumstances

Éowyn talks about most important facts indistinguishable from circumstances (vague) and an outcome

• They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot and tree.

• Women of this country learned long ago: Those without swords may still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain.

• A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire.

• So few. So few of you have returned.

Éowyn is both light and serious

Éowyn pays attention only to an outline of the situation, but treats it very seriously

Faramir talks about multiple most important facts about some circumstances

Faramir is like a positive image of Gimli and is also similar to Tom Bombadil... or Sam or Aragorn

• Well if you’re not spies, then who are you?

• And where is your skulking friend? That gangrel creature. He had an ill-favoured look.

• As one of his companions, I’d hoped you would tell me. He was my brother.

• To enter the forbidden pool bears the penalty of death. They wait for my command.

Faramir is similar to Sam but approaches everything with his principles more openly, reacts to everything with his core without a mask and with full understanding of his own feelings

Celeborn talks about strongly/logically connected facts

"facts" are just facts or events

Celeborn is a close "relative" to Gimli and Faramir

• Eight that are here yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. (movie)

• But do not despise the lore that has come down from distant years; for oft it may chance that old wives keep in memory word of things that once were needful for the wise to know. (book)

Celeborn pays attention to facts and lessons of the past, but his personal feelings are ambiguous or defensive

Haldir talks about strongly/logically connected facts about some circumstances

or else he talks like Frodo

• The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark. (movie 1)

• You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back. Come, she is waiting. (movie 1)

• I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance once existed between Elves and men. Long ago we fought and died together. We come to honor that allegiance. (movie 2)

• Indeed in nothing is the power of the Dark Lord more clearly shown than in the estrangement that divides all those who still oppose him. (book)

• The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater. (book)

Haldir reasons about a particular situation

Butterbur talks about "most important fact [at the moment]" and "static circumstances"

a fact can be both a fact and (a part of) "static circumstances"

or at least his pattern is very close to that

• Good evening little masters! If you’re seeking accommodation we’ve got some nice, cozy, hobbit-sized rooms available. Mr. uh--

• Gandalf? Gandalf? Ohhh yes! I remember, elderly chap, big gray beard, pointy hat. Not seen him for 6 months.

• He’s one of them rangers. Dangerous folk they are -- all wandering the wilds. What his right name is I’ve never heard but around here, he’s known as Strider.

Butterbur can be very observant of things but with strong opinions about them

Butterbur for his whole profession needed to watch small, specific things and make a (judgement) call on how to handle it

Butterbur reminds me of Tolkien the most... I read Tolkien associates himself with Faramir the most, but I think Faramir's pattern is similar to Butterbur's

And we've reached a secret place of this post. Nobody reads that far. So now I can drop my nasty political comment about Tolkien's world... nah, just kidding! and who will read it if nobody sees it

Éomer talks about an important fact and about an additional important fact

"addition" can be viewed as a special type of connection between bits of speech, when you continue to describe the the same information

• Orcs are roaming freely across our lands. Unchecked. Unchallenged. Killing at will. Orcs bearing the white hand of Saruman.

• How long is it since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price, Gríma? When all the men are dead you will take your share of the treasure?

• Too long have you watched my sister, too long have you haunted her steps.

• Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe. Not even his own kin.

• Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished. (.) The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets.

Éomer pays attention to facts connected with the big picture of things

Gamling's pattern may be the same:

• There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many.

• Too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor.

...

I believe those patterns are thinking patterns, they tell (in an abstract way) on what a character focuses on

You can view those patterns as different "exposition roles", each character tells you something about some layer of the situation

You also can try to "arrange" those patterns by how much a pattern focuses on a singular/important fact:

• Bilbo (absolute 1st) < Gandalf < Tom Bombadil < Butterbur < Celeborn

• < Boromir and Pippin and Gimli and Faramir (don't know - how to order?)

• < Sam and Merry and Elrond and Treebeard and Gríma Wormtongue (order?)

• < Frodo (Haldir is here too or higher or lower)

• < Arwen and Galadriel and Éowyn and Saruman and Gollum and Sauron and Éomer-Gamling (order?)

• < Denethor and Theoden and Legolas (order?)

• < Aragorn (absolute end)

You can also view this as the farther you go the more context-independent or conditions-independent or context self-contained or absent of links to outside factors or ""open"" it gets

P.S. (this post is dedicated to real people and old chess players)

I believe those patterns apply to real people & music bands, not only to movie characters

I think it would be a waste of knowledge and opportunities to believe it to be just a cheap trick or an artificial construction like a constructed language

(I think the difference here is like between a simple ring and The One Ring)

So if it is true it is just a discovery

And I want to help people or save the memory of them (making this memory valuable) through those patterns

It is my Fool's Hope, if you can understand

Maybe you can test this theory about speaking patterns with modern day technology such as GPT-2#Applications) or GPT-3 - but you can also make human tests

It is not the first analysis I'm making, I've made many more than a dozen of them already. I wouldn't do it if I didn't believe it to be real or didn't care about the people (the first post was 2++ month ago)

When I make those analyzes I always remember real people and it overwhelms my heart, I am always thinking & remembering about someone 24/7

I know many old and very old people from our local chess club — don't want let them just be consumed by the deasease and be forgotten

Submitted July 25, 2020 at 05:00PM by Smack-works https://ift.tt/2BzzfiU