In The Hobbit, the protagonists Bilbo Baggins, a cunning hobbit, and Thorin Oakenshield, a dwarf king, demonstrate their heroic characteristics and skills on their quest to reclaim Erebor from a gold loving, fierce and magnificent dragon named Smaug. These skills and characteristics include strength, supernatural help, and accepting the call to adventure. The skills and characteristics Bilbo demonstrates suggests that he is both a traditional and non-traditional hero. Whereas the characteristics Thorin Oakenshield demonstrates proves he is very much a traditional hero.
As any hero would, Bilbo and Thorin accepted the call to adventure. This is what first makes them heroes, rising to the challenge to reclaim the once thriving fortress of Erebor for …show more content…
Bilbo does use strength on his journey, but more often he makes use of his cleverness and trickery to escape conflicts such as the run in with the trolls, being captured by the goblins, and also being captured by the Elves of Mirkwood. Whereas Thorin is capable of muscling his way out of these problems and tends to do so. Bilbo is a small hobbit who lives a calm life without the need for strength. Thorin is a mighty dwarf who can bring even the strongest of orcs to their knees. When the company of dwarves and their burglar, Bilbo, were captured by the Goblins of the Misty Mountains, the two heroes had different means of escaping their ruthless foes. Bilbo used his knowledge of riddles to trick Gollum, a corrupted hobbit living in the bowels of the mountain, into showing him the way out of the caves “Perhaps if he followed him, Gollum might lead him to some way of escape without meaning to” (Tolkien 98). Thorin’s escape was very different as it involved the slaying of many goblins and using strength instead of wit. Both ways worked but it is because Bilbo escaped through a means that did not involve strength that make him similar to an untraditional
As any hero would, Bilbo and Thorin accepted the call to adventure. This is what first makes them heroes, rising to the challenge to reclaim the once thriving fortress of Erebor for …show more content…
Bilbo does use strength on his journey, but more often he makes use of his cleverness and trickery to escape conflicts such as the run in with the trolls, being captured by the goblins, and also being captured by the Elves of Mirkwood. Whereas Thorin is capable of muscling his way out of these problems and tends to do so. Bilbo is a small hobbit who lives a calm life without the need for strength. Thorin is a mighty dwarf who can bring even the strongest of orcs to their knees. When the company of dwarves and their burglar, Bilbo, were captured by the Goblins of the Misty Mountains, the two heroes had different means of escaping their ruthless foes. Bilbo used his knowledge of riddles to trick Gollum, a corrupted hobbit living in the bowels of the mountain, into showing him the way out of the caves “Perhaps if he followed him, Gollum might lead him to some way of escape without meaning to” (Tolkien 98). Thorin’s escape was very different as it involved the slaying of many goblins and using strength instead of wit. Both ways worked but it is because Bilbo escaped through a means that did not involve strength that make him similar to an untraditional