Proverbs of Middle Earth

Aragorn, not Strider

With the great chase across the Wold of Rohan behind him, and Minas Tirith growing ever nearer ahead, Aragorn grows both in confidence and in stature, at last allowing himself to be more than a Ranger.

He declares himself openly by name and lineage, stands forth as a leader amongst strangers, and speaks with ever-increasing authority.

Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear;
nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men.
It is a man’s part to discern them.
ARAGORN
 

A Snake Without Fangs?

Treebeard has proven too gentle-hearted a jailor after all, releasing Saruman at last from the ruins of his dead hopes.  His reasoning is logical, if over-trusting of a multiple traitor.

A snake without fangs may crawl where he will.
TREEBEARD

And when, further up the road north, the travelling company overtake the Wizard and his Worm, the two wanderers are pitied - not that Saruman has anything but derision for mercy and kindness.

A beggar must be grateful, if a thief returns him even a morsel of his own.
SARUMAN

In a very hobbit-like act of simple generosity, Merry gives Saruman all his remaining pipeweed, only to be accused of thievery and then not even having the pouch returned.  But this is the degree to which Saruman has withered.

One thief deserves another.
SARUMAN

Sharky's End

With only one pleasure left in life - creating distress and disturbance for those he hates - Saruman has set about the destruction of the Shire.

One ill turn deserves another.
SARUMAN

The wizard's spite, founded on vengeance for his own fall from dignity and authority - from favourite of Aule in Valinor to homeless exile - and on jealousy of the hobbits who have risen so high, is mirrored by that felt for him by Wormtongue, who pays back his long suffering with the murder of his master.

Grima is then himself shot, despite Frodo's desperate protests to avoid bloodshed.

It is useless to meet revenge with revenge: it will heal nothing.
FRODO

The contrast between the Big People (the oafish thuggery of the ruffians, the bitter retribution of Saruman and Wormtongue etc.) and Hobbits (including the generous mercy of Frodo, and the simple sense of the Gaffer) shows where wisdom assuredly lies, and how out of place murder and meanness are in the Shire.

It's an ill wind as blows nobody no good.
GAFFER

All's well as ends Better!
GAFFER