Minas Morgul (scene)
| Minas Morgul | |
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| Scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King |
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| Scene number | 11 (theatrical) 15 (extended) |
| Event | Frodo, Sam, and Gollum begin the climb of the stairs of Cirith Ungol |
| Characters | Frodo, Sam, Gollum Witch-king Gandalf |
| Navigation | |
| Previous: "The Deep Breath Before the Plunge" |
Next: Sam's Warning |
Minas Morgul is the eleventh scene of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the fifteenth scene of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (extended edition).
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
Frodo, Sam, and Gollum approach Minas Morgul. Gollum warns them it is a nasty place. He is visibly anxious as they make their way to the stairs of Cirith Ungol, mere metres away from the walkway leading to the city, and urges them to hurry. Upon seeing the scale of the climb ahead of them, Frodo and Sam are daunted. As Sam and Gollum begin to climb, Frodo begins to stagger towards the city, as though forced to against his own will. Gollum and Sam wrench him back from the bridge, and as they do so, a great rumbling occurs and a pillar of blue flame rises quickly from the city into the sky. This is seen by Gondorian soldiers in Minas Tirith, and by Gandalf and Pippin; the wizard comforts the scared young hobbit.
Frodo, Sam and Gollum hide at the base of the stairs. They see the Witch-king emerge from the city, atop a fell beast. The two hobbits feel pain at the piercing scream of the Nazgûl, with Frodo recalling the attack of the Witch-king's blade on Weathertop. A great host of Orcs emerge from the city and cross the bridge, passing the hiding place of Frodo and Sam. The Witch-king leaves the city with his army and Frodo and Sam begin their ascent.
Gandalf looks on concernedly. He understands that the "great battle" has begun.
The board is set, the pieces are moving.
—Gandalf
Differences[edit | edit source]
This scene shows that the stairs of Cirith Ungol are much closer in proximity to Minas Morgul than they are in the book. The distance between the stairs and Minas Morgul is described in the chapter The Stairs of Cirith Ungol. It is said that Frodo, Sam, and Gollum "came slowly to the white bridge. Here the road, gleaming faintly, passed over the stream in the midst of the valley, and went on, winding deviously up towards the city's gate: a black mouth opening in the outer circle of the northward walls."[1]:704
In the book, the Witch-king halted and turned his head side to side as though searching for something. The text mentions that "he was troubled, sensing some other power within his valley," and that Frodo felt an urgent command to put on the Ring as he was doing so.[1]:706 While the Witch-king does briefly look around during his entrance in this scene, the book describes his actions and thoughts in finer detail in this instance.
