— Ch. 1 · The Split Manuscript And Title Choice —
The Return of the King.
~5 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
J. R. R. Tolkien conceived The Lord of the Rings as a single work containing six books plus extensive appendices. In 1953, he proposed specific titles for these books to his publisher Rayner Unwin. Book Five was to be called The War of the Ring while Book Six was named The End of the Third Age. These original titles eventually appeared in the 2000 Millennium edition but were not used at first publication. Rayner Unwin split the manuscript into three volumes instead. He published the fifth and sixth books with the appendices under the title The Return of the King on the 20th of October 1955 in the UK. Tolkien felt this chosen title revealed too much of the story's outcome. He preferred the name The War of the Ring for that volume.
Siege Of Minas Tirith And Dead Men
Sauron sends a great army against the kingdom of Gondor. Gandalf arrives at Minas Tirith to warn Denethor of the attack. Théoden musters the Rohirrim to ride to Gondor's aid. The Lord of the Nazgûl uses a spell-wound battering ram to destroy the city gates. Denethor falls into despair after being deceived by Sauron. He burns himself alive on a pyre while Pippin and Gandalf rescue his son Faramir from the same fate. Aragorn takes the Paths of the Dead to recruit the Dead Men of Dunharrow. These oathbreakers are bound by an ancient curse denying them rest until they fulfill their oath to fight for the King of Gondor. Aragorn unleashes the Army of the Dead on the Corsairs of Umbar invading southern Gondor. With that threat eliminated, Aragorn uses the Corsairs' ships to transport men up the Anduin. They reach Minas Tirith just in time to turn the tide of battle. Éowyn kills the Lord of the Nazgûl with help from Merry though both are wounded. Théoden dies during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.The Hobbits Return To A Changed Shire
Sam rescues Frodo from the tower of Cirith Ungol. They set out across Mordor toward the Cracks of Doom. Frodo cannot resist the Ring any longer and claims it for himself. Gollum reappears and struggles with Frodo. He bites off Frodo's finger with the Ring still on it. Celebrating wildly, Gollum loses his footing and falls into the Fire taking the Ring with him. Sauron loses power forever when the Ring is destroyed. All he created collapses and the Nazgûl perish. The four hobbits make their way back to the Shire only to find it taken over by men directed by Sharkey. They later discover this man is Saruman. The hobbits led by Merry raise a rebellion to scour the Shire of Sharkey's evil. Gríma Wormtongue turns on Saruman and kills him in front of Bag End before being killed by hobbit archers. Sam marries Rosie Cotton and uses gifts from Galadriel to help heal the Shire. Frodo remains wounded in body and spirit after bearing the Ring so long. A few years later Frodo sails from the Grey Havens west over the Sea to the Undying Lands.