JRR Tolkien's epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books of all time and has captured the imagination of readers for decades. The story became even more popular when director Peter Jackson released his adaptation of the highly successful film trilogy in 2001. The films quickly became some of the highest-grossing films of all time and were critically acclaimed for their masterful transition from book to screen. Part of the story's greatest appeal is Tolkien's ability to create exciting, complex characters alongside action-packed scenes and an ability to subtly illuminate the truths of the human condition. It can be argued that there are numerous heroes in the story, including Frodo, Aragon, and Gandalf, as they all contribute to defeating the forces of evil and destroying the ring. While characters like Aragon and Frodo seem like the obvious choice if you had to pinpoint a key heroic figure, some viewers would argue that the hero of the story could be Samwise Gamgee. While Sam doesn't seem to fit exactly into the traditional mold of a hero at first, many would be surprised to find that several aspects of Sam's story fit well into Joseph Campbell's famous paradigm of the hero's journey found in his book, The hero with a thousand faces. In light of Campbell's work, Sam could be described in some ways as a traditional hero like those found in many medieval texts such as Beowulf or The Song of Roland. However, what makes Sam truly special is how he differs from these traditional types of heroes. Unlike traditional heroes, Sam is not a hero because of what he does, but rather because of who he is. It is the unquestionable qualities of loyalty, love, ordinariness, optimism and courage within Sam that define him and make him a hero as opposed to any specific heroic action. To truly understand Sam's heroic nature we must understand both how he fits the role of the traditional hero and how he differentiates himself. Likewise we will need to have a solid understanding of Sam's background. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the beginning of the story Sam is a rather ordinary hobbit with a passion for gardening and stories of heroes and dragons. He lives in the Shire, a peaceful and rather agricultural society, where he works on a farm, desperately tries to get the attention of his beloved Rosie Cotton and goes out drinking at night with his friends Frodo, Merry and Pippin. In many ways Sam's life in the Shire is not very different from the lives of many ordinary people and this is perhaps the first reason why he stands out from the other characters, he is ordinary and easily recognizable by readers and viewers. He has never held a sword or thought of leaving the Shire when, quickly and inexplicably, he finds himself catapulted into the middle of something much bigger than himself that he doesn't even realize at first. Yet despite his apparent lack of qualifications for such a feat, he repeatedly proves himself to be an indispensable companion to Frodo and saves the day more than once. Writer Richard Roos in his article titled "Middle-earth in the Classroom: Studying JRR Tolkien", describes Sam as: "Of all the characters, the most lovable is Sam Gamgee. At first it seems like he is being used for comic relief, but as the work progresses his importance grows until, in the last book, he becomes indispensable. He seems a little dull, but his love for Frodo sharpens his presence of mind total motivation: loving dedication to his Master he hears Gandalf tell Frodoof the Ring and entrust Frodo with the mission to destroy it. Gandalf realizes that Sam is eavesdropping and confronts him and tasks him with protecting Frodo on his journey and this is essentially Sam's “Call to Adventure” moment. Campbell in his book describes this phase as “An error – apparently the purest chance – reveals an unsuspected world, and the individual is involved in a relationship with forces that are not correctly understood” (42). In this way Sam fits perfectly into this hero phase, as he seemingly overhears the discussion about the ring and is then thrown into a journey where he hardly understands what is at stake. Likewise, Sam also “crosses the first threshold” when he reaches the Shire border. Campbell describes the Crossing of the First Threshold phase by saying: "With the personification of his destiny guiding and aiding him, the hero moves forward on his adventure until he comes to the guardian of the threshold at the entrance to the zone of amplified power" ( 64 ). In this scene Sam realizes that he is about to officially leave the Shire for the first time, hesitates, and states "If I take one more step, it will be the furthest from home I've ever been." The world outside the Shire is largely the "zone of amplified power" as it is where the fate of Middle-earth will be decided. While Sam hesitates momentarily, he continues his journey by successfully crossing the first threshold and matching another of Campbell's phases. The beginning of Sam's story is one that fits perfectly into the conventional hero's journey. However it doesn't stop there. Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the traditional hero is his undaunted courage in the midst of a powerful physical struggle. In the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, the main character, Beowulf, faces several frightening and powerful monsters including Grendel, Grendel's mother, as well as a dragon. Similarly Roland in the Song of Roland faces the seemingly endless hordes of Muslim soldiers. Both heroes enter these conflicts openly and fearlessly and it is this lack of concern for their own lives that is a defining characteristic of the traditional hero's journey and often takes place within the Campbell stage known as "The Belly of the Whale". Campbell describes this stage as the point at which “The hero, rather than conquering or reconciling the power of the threshold, is engulfed in the unknown and would appear to be dead” (74). Sam has his own "Whale Belly" level and shows his fearless courage when he fights the giant spider Shelob to save Frodo. In this scene, after being chased away by Frodo, Sam realizes Gollum's betrayal and returns to save Frodo. He is alone and immediately comes face to face with Shelob who prepares to eat Frodo unconscious. At the sight of the hideous beast and its fallen comrade Sam shouts: “Now come, you filth! You have wounded my master, brute, and you will suffer the consequences. We are moving forward; but first we will come to an agreement with you. Come and taste it again! (730). He then proceeds to defeat the beast and save Frodo. Like Roland and Beowulf, Sam faces insurmountable odds, isolated from help and alone. And like Beowulf and Roland, Sam manages to beat all odds in physical battle. Sam similarly fights many other monsters on his journey, including the monster in the lake outside Moria, the Orcs in the mines of Moria, and even saves Frodo from the Tower of Cirith Ungol. His fearless courage in the face of battle and danger, along with all the stages he faces, allows us to argue that Sam is indeed a hero in the traditional sense. While Sam's character can be considered heroic in the traditional sense, many find this traditional interpretation to be lacking and not provide a complete understanding of hischaracter. For many, including Tolkien, Sam represents the everyday man who loves the simpler things like staying at home, gardening, and being with friends. By nature, Sam is an extremely peaceful if rather ordinary creature. While in some ways because of Sam's physical actions they could be considered heroic in the traditional sense, this understanding of Sam doesn't go deep enough. It is important to realize that this perceived heroism of Sam is simply the result of his love for Frodo and his relentless commitment to his duty and this is where true heroism lies. Characters like Beowulf are considered heroic for their physical abilities and actions which often involve fighting. Sam, however, is not a great fighter (though he has his moments) and is physically limited by his short hobbit stature. In Lord Ragan's famous work The Hero; A Study in Tradition, Myth, and Drama describes 22 aspects that are common in the lives of countless traditional heroes, and out of 22 Sam perhaps has about 4. This gives more credence to the argument that Sam cannot simply be defined by hero standards traditional. but rather requires its heroic evaluation based on new standards. Sam is a hero because of what he represents and who he is. It is not his skill with the sword that allows him to defeat Shelob and countless other enemies, but rather his love for Frodo and the courage it awakens in him and this is a key difference between the heroic nature of Sam and Beowulf. While Beowulf and other traditional heroes fight for pride and honor, Sam fights for love and the greater good. Sam is the everyman who, when called upon by duty to fight evil, rises to the occasion despite his desire to return home. In a letter published in the book The Letters of JRR Tolkien, Tolkien compares Sam to the common English soldier who fought alongside him in the First World War stating: "My Sam Gamgee is truly a reflection of the English soldier, privates and orderlies whom I knew in the 1914 war and whom I recognized as far superior to me". Sam is truly heroic because, despite his flaws and ordinariness, he is up to the task and constantly confronts evil and consistently refuses to leave Frodo despite his numerous opportunities to do so. Sam's promise to protect Frodo as well as his loyalty and love for Frodo demonstrate loyalty and love of the rarest form. The writer William Taylor writes in his essay entitled "Frodo Lives" that "no one has ever counted the protagonists of fiction who are supported by a loyal friend, but of all of them, few are more successful than the amiable and outspoken Sam Gamgee, and few they so clearly illustrate the structural function of the role” (821). This loyalty is witnessed at the end of “The Fellowship of the Ring” when Frodo attempts to leave the rest of the company and continue the journey alone. Sam sees him rowing away, he enters into the water and attempts to swim towards Frodo despite his inability to swim. Frodo tries to dissuade him by reminding him that he is going to Mordor, however Sam is undeterred and replies: “I know well enough, Mr Frodo. Of course you are with you” (406). Here we see that Sam is willing to do anything, even to death, for Frodo. Sam is a true friend of Frodo and constantly puts aside his own well-being for that of Frodo and the success of the quest. Brian Murphy in his article, “Samwise the Brave: Examining the central hero of The Lord of the Rings” sums up Sam's character well by stating: “Certainly Sam cannot be compared to Conan or Fafhrd in terms of skill-arms. Like all hobbits, he is small in stature, has no skill with a blade, and is much more at home in a garden than on a battlefield.But Sam possesses undaunted courage when cornered, optimism in the face of impossible odds, and, above all, an unwavering reminder of duty to serve his master... His decision to stay and sacrifice his personal desire to return home to serve the greater good (the destruction of the Ring) is the very essence of heroism.” As Murphy points out, Sam's ability to remain optimistic and aware of the greater meaning in the midst of suffering and darkness is another reason why Sam is considered heroic. Sam shows optimism and wisdom when Frodo is almost killed at Osgiliath by the Nazgul and questions the point of the entire journey and his own determination to continue. Sam responds by saying: “They're like the great stories, Mr Frodo, the ones that really matter. They were full of darkness and danger, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could it be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so many bad things had happened? But in the end this shadow is only a passing thing, even darkness must pass. A new day will come and when the sun will shine brighter. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too young to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I understand, I know now that the people in those stories had many chances to go back, they just didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something” Here we see that Sam, despite all the bad things happening around him and in the world, is able to find the motivation to keep going. This quote is also significant because in many ways it is the same reason why The Lord of the Rings remains imprinted on readers and viewers; it illuminates the human condition in a way we can relate to. When Frodo asks what they are holding on to, Sam responds with one of his greatest quotes by proclaiming, "There is good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it is worth fighting for." This quote truly encapsulates Sam's noble character as it recognizes his ability to find light and goodness in a world seemingly filled only with darkness. Another reason Sam can be considered a hero is his ability to resist the power and temptation of the ring. After Sam believes that Frodo has been killed by Shelob, he takes the ring with the intent to finish the quest and destroy the ring and immediately feels its power and temptation. In the book we are told: “Already the Ring was tempting him, gnawing at his will and his reason. Wild fantasies arose in his mind; and he saw Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, advancing with a flaming sword across the dark land, and the armies flocking to his call as he marched to overthrow Barad-dur. And then all the clouds moved away, and the white sun shone, and at his command the valley of Gorgoroth became a garden of flowers and trees and brought forth fruit. He had only to wear the Ring and claim it for himself, and all this could happen. In that hour of trial it was love for his master that helped him most to keep him steadfast; but deep within him his clear hobbit sense still lived unconquered: he knew deep down in his heart that he was not old enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were no mere deception to betray him. A free gardener's one little garden was all he needed and was owed, not a garden bloated to a kingdom; use your own hands, not those of others to command. 'And in any case all these notions are just a trick, he said to himself' (900). This passage is one of the most significant of Sam's character. The Ring tries to work on Sam's particular interests, particularly his love of gardening, but the common sense of the common man prevails and,.