King Théoden (Bernard Hill) hails his audience, while Éomer (Karl Urban) is dying with thirst in the backgroud

Party at Edoras
It sounds almost incredible to any book-fan, but after the confrontation with Saruman – where it is made very clear that the fate of the world will be soon decided – the King’s company travels to Edoras and holds a feast. With death literally following them around and danger ever drawing closer, they hold a drinking-contest. How charming.
How very much not like the book, where Gandalf answers Merry’s unquenchable curiosity by stating that ‘when we came, we meant to go straight from Isengard back to the king’s house at Edoras over the plains, a ride of some days. But we have taken thought and changed the plan. Messengers have gone ahead to Helm’s Deep, to warn them that the king is returning tomorrow. He will ride from there with many men to Dunharrow by paths among the hills. From now on no more than two or three together are to go openly over the land, by day or by night, when it can be avoided. [3.XI.] Oops, PJ!
The urgency with which Tolkien will, from this chapter on, describe everything that happens is one of the most amazing things in ‘The Return of the King’: from Aragorn’s decision to take the Paths of the Dead to the Ride of Rohirrim and the attack on Minas Tirith; Tolkien sees it all through the eyes of time – a time that our main characters are slowly but steadily running out of.
No so in Jackson’s vision of events: here the companions have time for some ale and some merriment.

Though, as always with Jackson, this scene does give us some nice images and some very deep, thought-provoking moments which also clarify the vision Jackson, Walsh and Boyens had on the book and its characters whilst adapting it to the big screen.
First of all, there is the breathtaking shot of Éowyn standing on the small terrace in front of Meduseld watching her uncle and brother and their travelling companions return. One can guess that she made the journey from Helm’s Deep to Edoras alone, possible once again in charge of the refugees. Yet she makes a lonely impression, almost as if she hasn’t left her place in front of the house since the very similar shot of her in ‘The Two Towers’. Here is a woman who is left behind to guard the hearth, but who is sick of waiting.

We are then treated to a scene derived from an earlier chapter of the book, 3.VI. The King of the Golden Hall, where a small feast is held in honour of Théoden’s departure from Edoras. The scene with the cup is taken directly from this moment in the book.
However, once again things have been changed or added to fit the writers’ view of the story.
First of all, Théoden does not drink to the good health of those assembled in his mead-hall, as is the ancient custom. He drinks to the honourable death. We see a shot of Aragorn, hesitating before he drinks, and are left to wonder who he is thinking of. Is it Boromir, freshly fallen; or Haldir and the Elves that are lost at Helm’s Deep? Is he thinking of his father and mother, whom he lost so long ago? Is he thinking of Arwen, and how he misses her? Or is he thinking of Frodo and Sam, hoping the sacrifices made at Helm’s Deep were not in vain, only postponing the inevitable. Our questions are not answered. As always, we are not allowed to see inside Aragorn’s head.
The cup-scene continues with Éowyn offering it to Aragorn in the middle of the crowd, wishing him well, and Aragorn drinking it. In the book, Éowyn first offers the cup to Theóden, then goes around to offer it to the guests.
As she stood before Aragorn she paused suddenly and looked upon him, and her eyes were shining. And he looked down upon her fair face and smiled; but as he took the cup, his hand met hers, and he knew that she trembled at the touch. ‘Hail Aragorn son of Arathorn!’ she said. ‘Hail Lady of Rohan!’ he answered, but his face now was troubled and he did not smile. [3.VI.] In other words, book Aragorn has smelled a rat.
Movie Aragorn on the other hand, just smiles a little and walks past her. We are led to believe something happened here, some exchange of feelings. Something very romantic, in any case. This idea is reinforced by the sudden appearance of Théoden wishing Éowyn well.

A second aspect of the party that is focussed on is the troubled mind of Gandalf. Troubled, because he knows what seeing and touching the palantír could have triggered in young Pippin’s mind; and troubled because he does not know how Frodo and Sam are faring on their journey. Standing at the edge of the festivities, we see Gandalf enjoying Merry and Pippin’s little song-and-dance routine and being joined by Aragorn, who comforts the wizard. Other than in the book, where Gandalf is the wisest one throughout, the one who never despairs, here Aragorn seems to take charge of things, including his troops morale.

A third aspect of the party is of course the drinking contest. This part of the scene is only included in the Extended Edition, and though its light-hearted tone fits the scene perfectly and it is a very popular addition to the theatrical version, it is very out of character for both Legolas and Gimli. Meant as a mock-continuation of their Orc-slaying-game at Helm’s Deep, the drinking game only serves to further ridicule Gimli. While in the book everybody’s favourite Dwarf is eloquent, noble and stern; in the movie he is simply ridiculous at times. Including this time: Gimli boasting, drunkenly, to a seemingly unaffected Legolas is so contradictory with the Gimli Tolkien described in the book that it is difficult to look at this scene for what it is: a small moment of comic relief.
Needless to say, I don’t like this addition one bit.


Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Éowyn (Mirando Otto) holding hands…

Éowyn’s Dream
After a small cut to Frodo, Sam and Gollum, we return to Edoras to find Éowyn asleep in the Golden Hall. Not in her quarters, no, actually ín the Hall itself. Aragorn walks past her, notices the fire has died and pokes it a little, then pulls her robe over her a little. Éowyn grabs his hand, and tells him about a dream she had: ‘I dreamed I saw a great wave, climbing over green lands and above hills. I stood upon the brink. It was utterly dark in the abyss before my feet. A light shone behind me, but I could not turn. I could only stand there, waiting.

These lines were taken directly from the book, where they are spoken by Faramir. He and Éowyn are looking East, and seeing how above the ridges of the distant mountains another vast mountain rose, towering up like a wave that should engulf the world, and about it lightnings flickered. Faramir tells Éowyn this reminds him Númenor the land of his ancestors, ‘of the land of Westernesse that foundered, and the great dark wave climbing over the green lands and above the hills, and coming on, darkness unescapable. I often dream of it.’ [6.V.]
Faramir is described as one of these ‘greater men’, by Tolkien: a scholar as well as brave, wise rather than rash. When Éowyn asks him if he believes that is what they saw, a darkness unescapable, he looks at her and says: In this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure!’ [6.V.]
Éowyn herself completes these lines elsewhere in the book, when she says to Faramir: ‘I stand upon some dreadful brink, and it is utterly dark in the abyss before my feet, but whether there is any light behind me I cannot tell. For I cannot turn yet. I wait for some stroke of doom.’ [6.V.]

Why was this dream given to Éowyn? It’s quite simple really: because Boyens and Walsh found it represented so well what position Éowyn has at that moment in the story. And indeed, the way the two quotes are brought together sounds like it was written for her. The green hills become Rohan, the lands she loves but which is about to be lost forever when the Shadow conquers the lands of Middle-earth. The abyss before her feet represents the choice she needs to make, the invisible light behind her could be another path, leading away from death, that she is not yet able to understand – it could already represent Faramir.
Notice here how the book’s hesitant whether there is a light behind me I cannot tell was changed to A light shone behind me, but I could not turn. In the movie, Éowyn is aware of the darkness of death and despair not being the only option. From this point of view, we may be able to understand the ‘light’ as going out to fight, while darkness would be waiting around until the inevitable happens.
However, in the book the light clearly represents the path of life, while the darkness before her is her desire to die.

In the book, Tolkien writes that Faramir wondered to hear himself speak of his dream to Éowyn. It is probably a token of his affection for her that he trusts her with something as intimate as his dream, and his fears. In the movie, this intimacy is not shared between the future lovers, but between Éowyn and the man she wants but can never have. Aragorn’s response is simply Night changes many thoughts. Sleep, Éowyn. Sleep… while you can. He does not give Éowyn any hope, as Faramir does watching the destruction of Sauron, because there is none: at this point of the story, it’s not even close to starting to look up.


Anke Eissmann – Pippin Steals the Palantír (detail)

The Palantír
Aragorn then walks outside, seeing Legolas standing on the platform gazing East. Legolas looks amazingly cool in his Elven cloak, coloured dark blue in the deep night, and staring into the distance. Aragorn is obviously very impressed, especially when Legolas adds that the stars are veiled. Something stirs in the east. A sleepless malice. The Eye of the Enemy is moving.
Cut back to the inside of Meduseld, where we see Pippin be incredibly stupid and take the palantír from Gandalf. Much sfx and screaming later, Pippin reveals that he saw a tree burn in a courtyard of stone… Dun dun dun…

Let’s check that with the book, shall we?
– Legsy-Wan Greenlobi? Not present. No ‘sleepless malice’, nothing ‘Eye moving’. Nothing.
– Edoras, Meduseld, anything remotely resembling civilisation or comfortable sleeping accommodations? Again, nothing at all! The company is resting for the night at Merry’s instigation, in the middle of nowhere.
– Gandalf in his pyjama? Again, nope. However, here a sweet little bookie detail got tucked into the scene: The wizard seemed asleep, but with lids not fully closed: there was a glitter of eyes under his long lashes. [3.XI.]
– Pippin being stupid? Oh yes! But without all the special effects.
Pippin sat with his knees drawn up and the ball between them. He bent low over it, looking like a greedy child stooping over a bowl of food, in a corner away from others. … The air seemed still and tense about him. At first the globe was dark, black as jet, with the moonlight gleaming on its surface. Then there came a faint glow and stir in the heart of it, and it held his eyes, so that now he could not look away. Soon the inside seemed on fire; the ball was spinning, or the lights within were revolving. Suddenly the lights went out. He gave a gasp and struggled; but he remained bent, clasping the ball with both hands. Closer and closer he bent, and then became rigid; his lips moved soundlessly for a while. Then with a strangled cry he fell back and lay still. [3.XI.]

The changes made from book to movie radically alter the mood of the moment: instead of the complete stillness and silence you can imagine Pippin being wrapped in, you get loud screams and an almost-dance of electrocuted delirium.
Another change is that one of the most crucial moments of the scene was left out:
‘It is not for you, Saruman!’ [Pippin] cried in a shrill and toneless voice, shrinking away from Gandalf. ‘I will send for it at once. Do you understand? Say just that!’ [3.XI.] In the movie, Gandalf assumes that Sauron must have mistaken Pippin for Frodo, but in the book it is made clear through these lines, showing at once Sauron’s great weakness and the flaws of communicating through the palantír (as later demonstrated by Denethor).


Merry (Dominic Monaghan) is upset that Pippin gets to write on the big horse, and not he

Council and departure
There is no real council after Pippin is exposed as the thief: Gandalf listens to Pippin’s account of the events, concludes that Sauron indeed thinks Pippin is the Ring-bearer and that Saruman has the Ring (something confirmed a little later on by a winged messenger flying over them towards Isengard) and decides to ride ahead, to Minas Tirith, taking Pippin with him. Aragorn is to leave with the bulk of the Rohirrim, while Théoden with Éomer and some ten riders will leave at dawn.
There is no mention of the Black Ships here.
There’s also no lengthy and teary goodbye between Merry and Pippin. In the book, Aragorn puts a dazed Pippin on Shadowfax and watches the wizard and his new-found ‘pupil’ ride off. Then Merry says: ‘A beautiful, restful night! Some folk have wonderful luck. He did not want to sleep, and he wanted to ride with Gandalf – and there he goes! Instead of being turned into a stone himself to stand here for ever as a warning.’
‘If you had been the first to lift the Orthanc-stone, and not he, how would it be now?’ said Aragorn. ‘You might have done worse. Who can say? But now is your luck to come with me, I fear. At once.’
[3.XI.]
Trust Aragorn to kick a man… er, Hobbit when he’s down!

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Related Information
Related Books vs. Movies Articles:
- Éowyn by Figwit
- Meriadoc Brandybuck by AinarielPalantir
- Peregrin Took by AinarielPalantir

- 5.01. Minas Tirith by Morwinyoniel


Interesting Links:
Our Gallery has has screencaps of the theatrical version, as well as the extended edition.

A transcript of 'The Lord Of the Rings: The Return of the King' can be found in our Film Fun & Facts section.

A summary of 'The Lord Of the Rings: The Return of the King' can be found in Elrond's Library.

Some articles that are related to this sequence:
- The Middle-earth Section of Elrond's Library has articles about The Geography of Rohan.

Forum threads related to this sequence:
- You can discuss this sequence in detail in ROTK Sequence by Sequence #2: Party at Edoras + The Palantír and ROTK EE Sequence by Sequence #2: Edoras in the Movies Forum.
This forum also has threads about Merry & Pippin: Comic Relief or Independent Characters? and Aragorn and Éowyn's Romantic Relationship.
- The Book Club discusses this chapter here.

Take a look at how some artists saw this part in the book:
- The Stirring Cup by Anke Eissmann
- Pippin Steals the Palantír by Anke Eissmann
- Pippin by Elena and Maria Gubina
- Pippin and Palantír (sketch) by lilybagginspip21
- Pippin & Palantír by Montanini
- Palantír by Rob Alexander
- Gandalf on Shadowfax by Michelucci

Looking for something more creative - you may find it here: