1. La naturaleza del miedo y la jaula existencial.
El miedo no es solo una reacción ante el peligro, sino una limitación impuesta por las circunstancias o por el deseo de evitar el destino.
- What do you fear, lady? Aragorn asked. A cage, Éowyn said. To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.
- A man that flies from his fear may find that he has only taken a short cut to meet it.
2. El miedo como arma de guerra y control.
Los antagonistas de la Tierra Media utilizan el terror como herramienta para someter a sus subordinados y desmoralizar a sus enemigos.
- But he ruled rather by force and fear, if they might avail and those who perceived his shadow spreading over the world called him the Dark Lord and named him the Enemy.
- The numerous castles within Mordor, the vast camps of soldiery, the wagon trains of tribute, even the great battlements of Barad-dûr itself seek to impress absolute authority. But its hollow. No bonds of loyalty, only of threat and fear.
3. La superación del miedo ante la adversidad.
La verdadera valentía no es la ausencia de miedo, sino la capacidad de enfrentarlo y actuar a pesar de él, especialmente en los momentos más oscuros.
- A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day.
- I do not fear death.
- But fear no more! I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway.
4. El miedo a la muerte y la corrupción.
La ambición desmedida y el deseo de evitar la mortalidad son las raíces principales de la caída de los grandes señores hacia la oscuridad.
- This goes back to my favorite hobby horse in Tolkien, the fear of death is the root cause of most humans turns to evil.
- The Ringwraiths were kings who chose not dying over actually living.