Dante’s Influence on J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
By Aditi Mangla
Image Credit: Frédéric Bennett (Benef). Gollum's journey commences. 2014. Deviant Art. Wikimedia Commons, http://benef.deviantart.com/
In the early 1400s, Dante Alighieri completed the Divine Comedy, consisting of 3 parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. His work would go on to become a beacon of Italian literature and a defining text for many Christians. Similarly, in 1954, J. R. R. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings series, a revolutionary fantasy series that ultimately drew significant influence from Dante’s Divine Comedy. Upon analysis, the Lord of the Rings and the Divine Comedy are similar due to the parallel journeys of the protagonists, the common theme of pity for the damned, and the depiction of the corruption of men.
In both texts, the protagonists, Dante and Frodo, set out on journeys from the comforts of their homes to the darkest realms of their worlds, encountering the worst of evils. Both narratives emphasize the protagonists' inner growth, with Dante guided by Virgil and Frodo guided by Gandalf in Middle-Earth, following the universal structure of the hero's journey. Regardless of their differences, both quests lead to a heavenly destination, where Dante enters Paradise with a better understanding of morality, and Frodo finds eternal peace in the Grey Havens.
Furthemore, a recurring theme is the powerlessness of pity towards the damned. Frodo initially condemns Gollum, but Gandalf advises against hasty judgment, emphasizing the fruitlessness of wishing for what we cannot change and the potential for pity to be ineffective. Frodo later took pity on Gollum due to their shared fate as Ring-Bearers, yet Gollum's actions reveal the ineffectiveness of Frodo's compassion. Similarly, Virgil discourages Dante from pitying souls in Hell, asserting that the right to judge belongs to God only. Dante's inability to resist the instinct to pity illustrates human tendency towards sin, highlighting the challenges both protagonists face in navigating moral conundrums on their journeys.
Both authors seek to emphasize the corrupting influence of power on humans. In Tolkien's story, the Ring becomes a symbol of irresistible power, dooming characters like Gollum, a pitiful abomination of his previous self, and Saruman, a twisted, yet powerful wizard, to commit sinful acts. Likewise, Dante-poet condemns powerful figures such as Pope Boniface VIII in Hell showing how the abuse of authority leads to their downfall.
Works Cited
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Caesar, Judith. "Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS and Dante's INFERNO." The Explicator, vol. 64, no. 3, 2006, pp. 162-166. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/tolkiens-lord-rings-dantes-inferno/docview/216776358/se-2.
“Digital Dante.” Inferno 1 – Digital Dante, digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy/inferno/inferno-1/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2023.
Frédéric Bennett (Benef). Gollum's journey commences. 2014. Deviant Art. Wikimedia Commons, http://benef.deviantart.com/
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring. HarperCollins, 1991.
Tolkien J. R. R. The Return of the King. 2. impr ed. Allen & Unwin 1955.