The Hobbit Bilbo Character Traits

Improved Essays
The Hobbit
Bilbo is a very dynamic character, rising to the action and growing more without the help of others. At the beginning of The Hobbit, Bilbo is accustomed to the Shire, weary of adventure and the unknown. The Riddle Battle is significant as Bilbo not only gets himself out of a dire situation, but Bilbo obtaining the One Ring proves that he is capable of being the burglar. At the end of the story, Bilbo becomes the adventure-loving hobbit that we see in The Lord of the Rings through others help and his own survival methods. Bilbo wins the riddle battle through wit, trickery, and intuition which causes him to grow out of his Shire mindset.
Bilbo’s use of wit in the riddle battle gives him an advantage to match and outmatch Gollum. Bilbo’s Shire Lifestyle helped prepare him for the riddle battle.
…show more content…
Bilbo uses a different method than usual, as his life depends upon it. The question Bilbo saying then later asking is, “What have I got in my pocket?” (Tolkien, 74). Gollum responds exclaiming “Not fair! Not fair! It isn’t fair, my precious, is it to ask us what it’s got in its nasty little pocketses?” (Tolkien, 74). Bilbo is able to create enough of a diversion to find the way out and escape. As I have shown, Bilbo uses his inner feelings and logic to make a break at the right time, securing his safety.
As a result of Bilbo using Gollum’s weakness, this is where everything starts to come together. Bilbo gives Gollum three guesses, all of which Gollum gets wrong. Bilbo tired of the riddle-battle is starting to realize that he’s running out of riddles. Unless Bilbo is unable to trick or outsmart Gollum, the riddle-battle will continue on. Bilbo realizing this decides to bend the rules and asks something that technically isn’t a fair riddle. To conclude, not only does Bilbo manipulate Gollum’s weaknesses, but he does it in such a way that it isn’t done

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    While the other dwarves cannot put their greed beside them Bilbo does what he believes will help the greater good. This makes him a hero in the eyes of many and he becomes selfless. He even ends up defended the Elvin King who he doesn't know that well. Bilbo is a warrior. He fights for those he doesn't know that well which means he would do anything to defend his friends.…

    • 622 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bilbo Timidity Quotes

    • 268 Words
    • 2 Pages

    However when Bilbo is cornered by Gollum and he refuses to kill him out of pity he doesn’t accept his demise. Instead he finds an alternative, “He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength…

    • 268 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even though all the Dwarfs didn’t believe in Bilbo, Gandalf knew all along that Bilbo could become a hero. Gandalf could see past the scared, orderly, and calm part of Bilbo to the selfless, humble, and cleverness part of Bilbo. He knew that once Bilbo embraced the other side of him, then he would become a great hero. These three traits that Bilbo has make him a hero; selflessness, humility, and cleverness. The first heroic trait…

    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    His quest started out with him trembling in fear at the thought of adventure, and ended with him growing to be a very courageous hobbit. Some people go from rags to riches, and others from a pauper to a princess. Bilbo Baggins, however, went from a simple hobbit to a beloved…

    • 392 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bilbo on the other hand does not have that same ability to fight in battle and does not even try until his encounters with the unearthly enormous spiders in Mirkwood. In order to win his battle with Gollum, he uses riddles and wit to succeed and never lays a finger on the creature. Bilbo was never intended to be a soldier. Even when the dwarves signed him onto their mission, he was known as a burglar…

    • 138 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bilbo Baggins Quotes

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages

    While the reader is following his journey we see that Bilbo and his traveling companions are faced with a multitude of obstacles. Throughout the quest, Bilbo plays the role of a burglar and his inner heroism and strength break through. Some of the literary…

    • 605 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Hobbit Hero’s Journey rough draft The book, The Hobbit follows the archetype of the hero’s journey. In the story, Bilbo Baggins is compelled to leave his ordinary hobbit life and join a band of dwarves and a wizard to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasures from Smaug, the evil dragon who stole it from Thorin’s ancestors. Breaking away from a monotonous life was proved a difficult task for the tiny hero. He had to learn how to live life as an adventurer.…

    • 1595 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Runes In The Hobbit

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages

    He points a sword to get him off and then they make a deal on riddles. If Bilbo can do these riddle he can leave, if he cannot then he gets…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bilbo Mentor

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages

    What if your mentor suddenly left? This is what Gandalf did to Bilbo. He was a mentor but at the same time, he was his friend. Bilbo had to adjust to his new role as a leader and learn determination, courage, and intelligence. I realized that Bilbo had a lot of determination.…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    " Bilbo agreed to go on the expedition. Bilbo stepped up to the challenge. It says in The Hobbit, "Tell me what you want done, and i will try it, if i have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the were-worms in the Last Desert." He agreed to go and he is being brave to undertake the adventure. He was very helpful in their expedition, too.…

    • 649 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    These experiences develop and mature Bilbo spiritually with the help of the ring and Gandalf. He changes from an insecure, foolish hobbit who follows his group all the time to a brave and skilled leader of the dwarves. After Mr.Baggins triumphantly returns, he is wiser and stronger mentally. Now, he is ready to take a break from his Took side and all these adventures. Bilbo can sit in front of his small hobbit hole, “ cross his legs, and blow out a beautiful grey ring of smoke that sails up into the air without breaking and floats away over the…

    • 1059 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the beginning of the book, Tolkien uses vivid descriptions to give us a view inside of Bilbo's life, and to briefly show readers his hobbit hole located in Middle Earth. Tolkien writes in page 1, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit... It was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” His hole is symbolized as a place of comfort, similar to our comfort in our own homes. Most people in life search for power, sometimes all people want is money, with that comes greed.…

    • 420 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In most stories that include heroes and adventures, there’s a hero’s journey involved. There are many important stages to show a change in lifestyle, create suspense, and introduce and grow attachment to other characters. Among these stages, there are some that more significantly impact the overall story. In The Hobbit, the most important part of the hero’s journey is stage 6; when the hero encounters tests and allies. This is because the tests and allies resulted in Bilbo becoming more respected, clever, and brave.…

    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Friendship In The Hobbit

    • 1647 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Bilbo is being carried by and Bombur complains about “why did [he] ever bring a wretched little hobbit on a treasure hunt.” The dwarves are just tolerating Biblo at this point. When he falls off the dwarves back, no one checks to even make sure he is still following them. While escaping the clutches the of the goblins, after he was separated from the dwarves, Bilbo thought about trying to get back to the dwarves. Bilbo began to feel this love that Verweii talks about.…

    • 1647 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He is mentally strong and in many was he is the reason that the dwarves were able to complete their quest. Bilbo Baggins is the true hero in the hobbit because he leave the comfort of his home to embark on an adventure that encourages his mental and physical growth. Bilbo begins as an innocent and not particularly brave character but his character grows immensely to become someone willing to exchange riddles with a dragon. Bilbo 's relationships are also a large part of his heroism. Bilbo in the beginning is scared and cowardly.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays