the irony of his life is that people like Frodo and Gandalf and others were always ready to offer him mercy, yet he would not or perhaps could not take it.
I daresay Grima like Gollum were were both at some deep level unable to forgive themselves for their crimes and thus could not believe anyone else could as a result. That is their tragedy
The last part of Saruman and Gríma's relationship really shows how far the wizard had fallen. He despised Wormtongue, but he still kept him around because it was the only way he could still command or dominate another being. Almost powerless as he had become, after he had witnessed all his plans fall into ruin, he STILL wanted someone to rule over, even though it was only one beggar pushing around the other. This is the same motive of hunger for power and domination that appears again and again in Tolkien's work (starting with Melkor's thoughts during the music of the Ainur) and of which the One Ring is the ultimate tool and symbol. Saruman had fallen into the same trap as Melkor and Sauron before him, and his lust for coercion and domination of others prevailed until the very end. This shows the true danger of the ring: Not only the harm it may cause to others, but the way in which it corrupts and destroys even the most wise and mighty minds.
Gollum never "hated" Frodo. He actually loved Frodo as much as a thing like Gollum could love. Frodo was the only other person in his long life, that understood him in the slightest. The Burden of the Ring connected them on a level that drug addicts connect with each other. It's deeper than friends, and deeper than family, but also very different. I also think Frodo loved Gollum for the same reason, but his love was mixed with a large dose of pity and fear. Seeing Gollum as a future possible version of himself. They are both from The Shire after all. In the end Gollum SAVED his Master. Was it out of love or out of the desire to feed his addiction? I like that it's left ambiguous because it could be both at the same time. 🙂
@@rothbardfreedom I'd have to HALF disagree with that. I believe his Master "used" to be the ring. Finding his first personal connection since he murdered his only friend centuries ago, changed him back into being more Smeagol than Gollum. (Note: Just like any addict that didn't make him totally trustworthy, but you can't fake that type of substantial change for more than a day or two, the addiction always wins) He could have easily killed Frodo numerous times along the way to Mordor and the ring would have just come back to him on it's own. Such as letting him drown in the swamp, but he saved him instead and told him to be careful. This journey took MONTHS. Another point is he absolutely hated Samwise, yet held off his rage because it would make his new Master unhappy. Gollum never held back on killing, even his best friend. Smeagol on the other hand just wanted to be happy. And it's so much easier to do that when you don't have to think and just serve. I think The Ring still had it's desirability for him at the end, but it didn't OWN him anymore. He made his own choice to jump in Mt. Doom. One final "hit" before destroying the evil addiction forever 😀
@@Mutiny960 I agree with you but must nitpick that the Stoors were not Shirefolk, but a branch of hobbits who settled the Anduin. They were more fishers than farmers.
He hammed it up too much. Probably not his fault. Probably how he was directed. Made the character seem implausible. Far too obviously a villain. Doesn’t make for a convincing double agent.
@@charlespirate1 i can agree he looked 100% like a villan. I do think they could have made it so he was wearing more rhohern colors instead of black it would of possibly helped disguise him a bit more.
As I have gradually expanded my Tolkien lore masters that I follow, I remain ever fond of your story telling. Your pacing, use of voices for different characters, emphases, and so much more makes you a fantastic storyteller.
Gríma Wormtongue is one of this characters, who really are a personification of the banality of evil and are neither great nor powerfull, but still dangerous... and in the same time I kinda feel bad at how pathetic he is.
I think it is significant that: 1. Grima resembles Gollum in his degradation and decay. 2. He flippantly sells others into slavery. He imprisoned Theoden with what is essentially a dementia spell. He barters with Saruman for Eowyn, as if she is chattel. Ultimately, Grima is treated like a beast of burden and a slave by Saruman. He labours under the same master-slave dynamic he was willing to condemn others to. 3. Grima talks smack about Gandalf the Grey Pilgrim looking like a beggar and then him and his boss become the Middle Earth equivalent of hobos riding the rails. 4. Grima is just Some Guy. He kills Saruman the White, an Istari wizard, head of the white council, and a Maiar. Again, he is Just Some Guy.
Despite his awfully pitiful prevail, existence and Willpower.. he still was the only Human across potentially any-age of MiddleEarth to Influence such large scale conflict
Grima is in many ways an echo of Gollum, writ smaller so to speak. I always felt the mingled pity and scorn that Theoden showed, and doubt I could have extended the forgiveness that either Theoden or Frodo ultimately proffered. Tolkien had an insight into human nature, and a natural grace, that was always rare and is almost seemingly lost.
Not necessarily true when he was poisoning Theoden's mind and body. I get the impression that he took much glee in having the power to wound someone so mighty. It's true that Grima was a weak person Sauraman could manipulate, but he spent years ruining Theoden and I don't recall him being remorseful about it. Grima was incapable of doing the "right thing" when he only knew how to do what Sauraman told him to do. And he didn't kill Sauraman because he all of a sudden became a hero, he did it out sheer desperation.
I think genuine horror at what he has helped unleash was part of that moment. But I think that was also the moment that Grima first beheld what he considered to be true power... and realized that, thanks in part to all his treachery, he would never be anything but a pawn.
It’s not absolutely clear that Grima’s dad was really a man named Galmod. In Old English Galmod roughly means licentiousness, so “son of Galmod” mighty simply mean “born out of wedlock” or “child of lust.” Probably we won’t know for sure. Grima itself can mean mask or grim, or even disgust - so even that name might have been another epithet along with Wormtongue, worm meaning dragon or serpent, eg, fork-tongued.. …
You have no idea how long i waited for a Grima Wormtongue video. It is finally good that there is a documentary on him as very little is known of him and is one of the characters who i kept on asking questions on. Thank you. Btw yours is one of the best if not the best channel for Tolkien's world.
Jackson made such a good choice by casting Brad Dourif as Grima. His portrayal of that character was near to perfect. I'd go as far as to say his work was by far the best out of the all three films. And no I'm not Brad Dourif. Honest!
Brad Dourif is one of those rare types that has a limited range but always plays that range perfectly. Very similar to Billy Drago, they do the unhinged/creeper roles with cinematic perfection.
Fully agree here; Dourif is just FAR too good at the unhinged but clever man. The pain beneath the insanity is always, always there too. Makes you wonder what sort of man Grima's father was...maybe that's why he couldn't quite forsake Saruman until the very end.
Great video! Of all the portrayals in the movies, I’ve really come to love Brad Dourif as Grima. What I’d give to see him in some scouring of the shire scenes!
Me too!! I love all of the Grima scenes because Brad Dourif's performance was absolutely fantastic. There's something about they way he talks, like he's almost speaking in iambic pentameter
Well done reading from the books. The healing of Théoden is one of my favorite passages. Done by council, rather than any exorcism, as done in the movies. The latter also completely invalidating the need for Grima as a servant of Saruman.
@@issyd2366 Nope. Revisit the scene from the movie. Théoden was under active mind-control there. A puppet, dancing by Saruman's strings. Even speaking with his voice. No need for that sniveling counsellor in that scenario.
Great video Matt! Grima Wormtongue is such an interesting character and it was interesting to see how easily he was manipulated by Saruman. We really only get a glimpse of him as he was after being corrupted, I wish we could have seen him what he was like before his deception to his King and those of Rohan.
It's not all bad. He killed a Maia, an angelic/demonic being of immense power, though Saruman was probably running on fumes at this point. Kind of weird how the Valar didn't seem to have ANY contingencies in place to stop rouge Maia other than sending in other Maia and restricting their power levels.
They're somewhat limited by Eru's thing about free-will. Eru learnt from several earlier examples that sending in powerful angels to "Fix" things would, likely, corrupt that angel into becoming a dark lord himself. Or a queen, beautiful and terrible as the Dawn.
I have never read the books and the last time I watched the movies was when I was 6 (I'm 21 now). BUT I find your videos very intriguing and I love the lore of the Tolkien universe
Wormtongue was not just evil but a cowardly being as well who would betray anyone if he thought it would be to his advantage.
Год назад+16
The name in Icelandic is Grímur. Gríma in Icelandic is singular for mask, plural is grímur. Yeah, Icelandic is weird like that :P Grímur is actually quite a popular name. At least I know a few
The fact that a good solid half of the lines from the book you quoted Peter Jackson used in the movies just shows, for the billionth time, how amazing those movies were/are.
With Saruman so weakened after leaving Isengard how was he able to have such a strong hold over Grima’s will. If Grima truly wished to be free of him, why didn’t he? Unless Grima’s bond to Saruman was of his own making and not of Saruman’s?
Look up Colleen Stan. She was kidnapped by a sex pervert and his battered housewife. He briefly let her see her family but she didn’t make a run for it. This is something many victims of kidnapping and abusive relationships endure. I think a big part of it is the idea that while things are bad, they will get worse if you try to leave. Stockholm Syndrome is another manifestation of this. I think it’s also worth noting how Saruman bullies Grima for doing *terrible things that he ordered him to do.* This is another common abuser tactic. You bully, coerce, or blackmail someone into doing something bad or embarrassing. You threaten them with exposure if they ever try to back away. A lot of women in pornography are there because their abusers want leverage on them. Compare this to the film’s interpretation of Gollum and Sméagol. What does Gollum say in the Peter Jackson films? “You’re a liar, and a thief.” “Murderer.” “Nobody likes you.” Smeagol has moments where he considers changing, but he stops because he feels all hope is lost. Why try to be good when you’ve been exiled, abandoned by your family, and rumoured to have eaten babies? If Smeagol keeps being a criminal, he gets to keep his one comfort - the ring. If he tries to be a nice guy, he’ll lose the ring and will still be regarded by society as a repugnant criminal. With Grima, Saruman uses exposure to humiliate and isolate him. Frodo is willing to help Grima get away from Saruman. Saruman, not wanting Grima to think he has any other option, jumps in and tells Frodo and the hobbits something horrible. Like Smeagol, Grima murdered one of their own. Saruman thinks that the sympathetic hobbits will turn into an icy lynch mob if he tells the truth about Grima’s follies. The point isn’t to tell the hobbits the truth, it’s to destroy what ever bit of sympathy they may have had for him. What’s sad is that Grima had a chance to get out. The ring basically broke Smeagol’s brain, so it’s hard to judge him. The ring’s first act of control over Smeagol was a murder - he was in over his head immediately. With Grima, he could have stayed and fought. Or gone into exile somewhere else. The problem was he would no longer be the advisor of the king. He’d be (what is essentially) an ex-con doing physical labour as an act of atonement. He’d be known by everyone (including Eowyn) as a creepy liar. I think Grima regarded a life as an Average Dude to be beneath him and insufficient for his happiness. He wasn’t willing to go through the humiliating process of admitting he messed up, and so humiliation upon humiliation is dumped on him by Saruman. All of this fits in pretty nicely with Tolkien’s Catholicism. Sin drags you down into more sin. A lack of catharsis or confession leads to the sin accumulating and gaining custody over you. What would have happened if Smeagol dropped the ring, ran back to the Stoor hobbits and admitted what he did? Maybe if Grima and Smeagol were willing to confess their sins, seek redemption and move on, they would have retained their freedom. As it stands, their crimes deprived them of opportunities to do and be something else. It sucks. It’s deeply sad.
@@wormwoodcocktail Wow. I appreciate the length you went to give a reply. Your reply actually reminded me of a James Bond film where the bad guy is actually the victim of Stockholm syndrome. They did their captors bidding because in their captivity they fell in love with their captor. As for Sméagol it is very sad. He didn’t really have a chance to repent because the ring’s captivity’s was instantaneous. But I see how the same issue applies to Grima. Though he did get an offer by Theoden to return. Is that what you meant by Grima returning to Rohan as an average working man?
@@thebrowneyesofmandalore Never saw that James Bond movie. Anyway, yeah, that’s what I meant by ordinary man. Or going into exile and being some random labourer or schoolteacher. He could have just stopped working with Saruman, even if he refused Theoden’s offer to fight alongside him. And yeah, Gollum’s whole deal is super depressing.
I kinda wonder how much Saruman's servants like Greema can be viewed as bad characters. Sarumans strength in controlling people was such in the lore that it's almost like creatures just become his puppets
You mention at the end that Grima is the last casualty of the War of the Ring, but weren't there still campaigns in the east that Aragorn fought to finally subdue Sauron's servants there? Or are those not considered part of the War of the Ring?
There truly are no happy ends in tolkiens world, not that I am sure he deserved it, but it would have been nice if he were to have taken Frodos last bit of mercy.
How does the tale of Grima's secret terrifying encounter with the Nazgul enter into the Redbook and down the years onto our pages? Who does he reveal it to so that it gets written into the history of those times?
serious question I have been working through, "Why did the hobbits kill Grima?" Frodo seems to go to great lengths to keep others from dying. Was it just "trigger finger" or do you think there is more to it than that? I know it all happened really fast but I was suprised that they killed Grima. I dont think it was revenge for Lotho. Anyone else have any insight or constructive thoughts on why Grima was killed?
Probably just trigger happy. They had Bow to arrow already to kill Saruman when he tried to kill Frodo, and the book indicates Frodo only barely stopped them. In the heat of the moment, when Grima kills someone, regardless of the fact that someone was Saruman, they likely just loosed off.
A strange character he is. He could 'poison' the mind of a mighty Theoden King, but yet his mind is poisoned by Saruman and cannot stand up for himself against him, even if he has the chance.
@@bob1234881 he actually is. Even though Morgoth and his followers are pure evil Tolkien always insists that evil cannot create and thus seeks to corrupt that what is good. Hence many figures first considered good later on turn bad, it's a constant struggle for the force of good to remain thus (oath of Feanor, fall of Numenor, Isildur, kinslaying).
@@daarom3472 The point is that the baddies have ridiculously obvious baddie names. Presumably any originally-good-but-corrupted figures had their baddie names from day one? I guess it's like if your parents named you Johnny Tightlips - even if you started life right, the mobsters would soon be sending you job offers you couldn't refuse...
Well, in universe, that wasn't actually his name, just like all of the other characters. It's frodo's translation into Westron, which Tolkien then "translated" into English, making the names sound like something that might be a name in old-ish English.
04:40 - the Witch-King ALSO knew through black magic that Grima would bring about harm to Saruman, possibly even knew Grima would kill Saruman, THAT was another reason the Nazgul let Grima go.
"Bring Harm" is most likely right on point. Knowing he was going to murder him seems a bit too insightful. The magic in LOTR is never exact. You kinda know what it might do, and just hope for an outcome in the general direction of your goal. Even The Ring's invisibility might fail on you at the worst possible moment because The Ring itself is tempermental and might remove itself from your finger all on it's own. If predicting the future were that clear and concise, Sauron would have found The Ring a long time ago.
Of course the Witch King will not slay Grima. It is established by Aragorn in book 1 that the Nazgul depend on living informants. Would not do to kill off ones that are as willing as Grima. And wise it was, too. In the end Wormtongue slew Saruman after all. (Come to think of it, this is almost a parallel to Bilbo, sparing Gollum, who in the end kinda slew Sauron.) 🙂
Sméagol’s soul would not be saved with a happy ending after his final actions were that of selfishness for the One Ring. I wonder what became of Gríma’s soul, a man who, despite all that he had done, deserved pity and surely compassion, at the core of it all.
Sadly, pity and what one deserves do not equal out to redemption - though he was pitiful, his actions directly brought harm to innumerable people. He never seemed to act out of kindness or good will - he was pitiful, cowardly, violent, covetous/lecherous, and in the end a murderer. He was a victim of his own shortcomings, but those shortcomings led to numerous other innocent victims as well; his killing Saruman/Sharky wasn't even a heroic act - he acted out of desperation, cowardice, and hatred right up to the very end. If I believed in souls, I'd say he would wind up in a similar position to Saruman - death will bring him no peace. He may deserve a second chance to live a life free of his most egregious faults, but really - who in this world shouldn't deserve such an opportunity?
That's a pretty consistent theme in Tolkien's world. Those who choose evil eventually will suffer dearly the consequences of their actions. Sauron ends up as a powerless, invisible spirit when the Ring is destroyed, Saruman dies in a pitiful manner and is unable to ever return to Valinor, the Sons of Feanor suffered greatly for their kinslayings and the Silmaril that caused all of it would never be in their reach.
A sad/pitiful endings they deserve and earn to be frank. Karma makes its way to the doings of every person. Many times wicked people suffer from the ill choices they make without much foreign interferences. Grima is permitted to redeem himself for many times, but he never does. It is his cowardice that leads him to the abuse of Saruman and his self degeneration.
I had a headcanon after The Hobbit movies that Alfrid, the sycophant from Lake-Town, could have escaped to Rohan after the Battle of Five Armies, and been Grima's grandfather. Then I saw the deleted scene where Alfrid died. Oh well.
Ahh Grimma Wormtongue, there are lots of memorable lines that can be easily applied to real life scenarios such as: A friend being late: "Late is the hour in which... you choose to appear!" Mountain Hiking/traveling: "It is a dangerous road, take through the mountains. It will be slow. They will have women and children with them." Being scolded by your parents/teachers/peers: "I have only wished to serve you, my lord" *proceeds to grovel in the ground* Someone being asked a question: "a just question, my liege" Questioning something/someone's might: "But my lord there is no such force/thing." and of course, seeing something magnificent: *proceeds to tear up in only one eye*
Sincere question: Why did the Fellowship let Wormtongue go at Rohan in The Two Towers film? I understand why Aragorn stayed Theoden’s hand on the steps of the Golden Hall, as murder in front of his people, however justified, would be beneath the king. But his exile led to the deaths of so many on the exodus from Edoras and during the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Why not keep him prisoner? Did they not know he could and likely would betray the secrets of Helm’s Deep to Sarumon? Is that solely a film change that overlooked the obvious danger he presented? Or did he do this in the book as well? It’s been years since I’ve read the books…
From what I remember, it was Aragorn who tried to kill Grima, but Theoden stayed HIS hand. It's been a long time since I read the books as well, so I don't remember why.
Worm tongue was trying to play both sides until the very end and so they gave him a choice. To grab a horse and follow his king or to take the horse and flee to Saruman and because Wormtongue fled, Theoden knew his chief advisor was truly a traitor.
It's incredibly fitting that it took a Balrog of Morgoth, the most fearsome creature in the world, to kill Gandalf after an epic three day battle, and yet Saruman was killed by a pathetic and cowardly traitor in an instant.
the irony of his life is that people like Frodo and Gandalf and others were always ready to offer him mercy, yet he would not or perhaps could not take it.
Much like Gollum, his tragedy was being unable to grasp the merciful hand held out to him.
Theoden as well offered him a place by his side even after all he had done.
I daresay Grima like Gollum were were both at some deep level unable to forgive themselves for their crimes and thus could not believe anyone else could as a result. That is their tragedy
@@LordEriolTolkien Tolkien was Catholic. He believed in mercy.
He also knew that many would not accept mercy.
@@zimriel We are at the point that people don't even recognise Mercy or its value.
And I am not even Catholic
The last part of Saruman and Gríma's relationship really shows how far the wizard had fallen. He despised Wormtongue, but he still kept him around because it was the only way he could still command or dominate another being. Almost powerless as he had become, after he had witnessed all his plans fall into ruin, he STILL wanted someone to rule over, even though it was only one beggar pushing around the other. This is the same motive of hunger for power and domination that appears again and again in Tolkien's work (starting with Melkor's thoughts during the music of the Ainur) and of which the One Ring is the ultimate tool and symbol. Saruman had fallen into the same trap as Melkor and Sauron before him, and his lust for coercion and domination of others prevailed until the very end. This shows the true danger of the ring: Not only the harm it may cause to others, but the way in which it corrupts and destroys even the most wise and mighty minds.
Such is the pathetic state we witness all too often in reality..
It's interesting how both Wormtongue and Gollum hated their masters and their masters lead them to their deaths.
Gollum never "hated" Frodo. He actually loved Frodo as much as a thing like Gollum could love. Frodo was the only other person in his long life, that understood him in the slightest. The Burden of the Ring connected them on a level that drug addicts connect with each other. It's deeper than friends, and deeper than family, but also very different.
I also think Frodo loved Gollum for the same reason, but his love was mixed with a large dose of pity and fear. Seeing Gollum as a future possible version of himself. They are both from The Shire after all. In the end Gollum SAVED his Master. Was it out of love or out of the desire to feed his addiction? I like that it's left ambiguous because it could be both at the same time. 🙂
@@Mutiny960 Gollum's master is the Ring. He just tried to gain Frodo's trust to get it back.
@@rothbardfreedom I'd have to HALF disagree with that. I believe his Master "used" to be the ring. Finding his first personal connection since he murdered his only friend centuries ago, changed him back into being more Smeagol than Gollum. (Note: Just like any addict that didn't make him totally trustworthy, but you can't fake that type of substantial change for more than a day or two, the addiction always wins)
He could have easily killed Frodo numerous times along the way to Mordor and the ring would have just come back to him on it's own. Such as letting him drown in the swamp, but he saved him instead and told him to be careful. This journey took MONTHS. Another point is he absolutely hated Samwise, yet held off his rage because it would make his new Master unhappy. Gollum never held back on killing, even his best friend. Smeagol on the other hand just wanted to be happy. And it's so much easier to do that when you don't have to think and just serve.
I think The Ring still had it's desirability for him at the end, but it didn't OWN him anymore. He made his own choice to jump in Mt. Doom. One final "hit" before destroying the evil addiction forever 😀
@@Mutiny960 I agree with you but must nitpick that the Stoors were not Shirefolk, but a branch of hobbits who settled the Anduin. They were more fishers than farmers.
@@Mutiny960 gollum didn't choose to jump. He slipped.
Brad Dourif was so great in this role. Very memorable.
I thought it was too bad the full story wasn't allowed to play out in the movie. Brad Dourif was born for the role.
He hammed it up too much. Probably not his fault. Probably how he was directed. Made the character seem implausible. Far too obviously a villain. Doesn’t make for a convincing double agent.
Chucky
@@charlespirate1 i can agree he looked 100% like a villan. I do think they could have made it so he was wearing more rhohern colors instead of black it would of possibly helped disguise him a bit more.
@@charlespirate1 "Obviously being a villain" has never stopped anyone in the real world.
As I have gradually expanded my Tolkien lore masters that I follow, I remain ever fond of your story telling. Your pacing, use of voices for different characters, emphases, and so much more makes you a fantastic storyteller.
Gríma Wormtongue is one of this characters, who really are a personification of the banality of evil and are neither great nor powerfull, but still dangerous... and in the same time I kinda feel bad at how pathetic he is.
He got what he deserved, if you ask me.
@@valentinkambushev4968 Definitely! But still it was not a nice or beautiful thing what happened to him.
@@JonathanGhost42 the way you die often reflects the way you've lived.
@@valentinkambushev4968 Hmm, interesting standpoint.
❤ this is the best comment interaction I have ever witnessed.
I think Pitch Meetings said it quite well.
“Never a good idea to hire someone with ‘worm’ in their name. Or ‘tongue’ for that matter.”
I think it is significant that:
1. Grima resembles Gollum in his degradation and decay.
2. He flippantly sells others into slavery. He imprisoned Theoden with what is essentially a dementia spell. He barters with Saruman for Eowyn, as if she is chattel. Ultimately, Grima is treated like a beast of burden and a slave by Saruman. He labours under the same master-slave dynamic he was willing to condemn others to.
3. Grima talks smack about Gandalf the Grey Pilgrim looking like a beggar and then him and his boss become the Middle Earth equivalent of hobos riding the rails.
4. Grima is just Some Guy. He kills Saruman the White, an Istari wizard, head of the white council, and a Maiar. Again, he is Just Some Guy.
Despite his awfully pitiful prevail, existence and Willpower.. he still was the only Human across potentially any-age of MiddleEarth to Influence such large scale conflict
Actually I am Some Guy.
@@someguy3766 Talking about a different guy
@@wormwoodcocktail So there is some other some guy?
@@someguy3766 Bro, don’t know how you tell you this, but there might be several, perhaps a couple dozen, guys out there, friend.
Grima is in many ways an echo of Gollum, writ smaller so to speak. I always felt the mingled pity and scorn that Theoden showed, and doubt I could have extended the forgiveness that either Theoden or Frodo ultimately proffered.
Tolkien had an insight into human nature, and a natural grace, that was always rare and is almost seemingly lost.
Exactly. They’re basically foils. He even crawls around on the ground and gets a disgusting new nickname - just like my boy Sméagol.
Ah, Gríma, one of the original underlinings of evil wizards.
As OG as it gets
yes master
If we're thinking of Renfield, this story was told before The Two Towers was told
Can somebody explain this
Grima was a beaten dog always on the verge of doing the right thing then beaten back down again, another insightful video thanks nerd of the rings 👍
Not necessarily true when he was poisoning Theoden's mind and body.
I get the impression that he took much glee in having the power to wound someone so mighty.
It's true that Grima was a weak person Sauraman could manipulate, but he spent years ruining Theoden and I don't recall him being remorseful about it.
Grima was incapable of doing the "right thing" when he only knew how to do what Sauraman told him to do.
And he didn't kill Sauraman because he all of a sudden became a hero, he did it out sheer desperation.
Your Grima voice is spot-on!
I liked the detail in the Two Towers film when Saruman reveals his Uruk hai army to Grima, and Grima gets weepy. With regret? Despair?
More like a "Oh God, what have we unleashed?!"
I think genuine horror at what he has helped unleash was part of that moment.
But I think that was also the moment that Grima first beheld what he considered to be true power... and realized that, thanks in part to all his treachery, he would never be anything but a pawn.
It’s not absolutely clear that Grima’s dad was really a man named Galmod. In Old English Galmod roughly means licentiousness, so “son of Galmod” mighty simply mean “born out of wedlock” or “child of lust.” Probably we won’t know for sure. Grima itself can mean mask or grim, or even disgust - so even that name might have been another epithet along with Wormtongue, worm meaning dragon or serpent, eg, fork-tongued.. …
You have no idea how long i waited for a Grima Wormtongue video. It is finally good that there is a documentary on him as very little is known of him and is one of the characters who i kept on asking questions on. Thank you.
Btw yours is one of the best if not the best channel for Tolkien's world.
By far the best
It is hard not to compare Grima to modern political campaign managers.
this post needs a thousand thumbs
And crackhead eshays
More like a big tech fact checker
Jackson made such a good choice by casting Brad Dourif as Grima. His portrayal of that character was near to perfect. I'd go as far as to say his work was by far the best out of the all three films.
And no I'm not Brad Dourif. Honest!
Brad Dourif is one of those rare types that has a limited range but always plays that range perfectly. Very similar to Billy Drago, they do the unhinged/creeper roles with cinematic perfection.
Fully agree here; Dourif is just FAR too good at the unhinged but clever man. The pain beneath the insanity is always, always there too. Makes you wonder what sort of man Grima's father was...maybe that's why he couldn't quite forsake Saruman until the very end.
Dourif has no limited range he's a genius actor. Big up his role in Deadwood too, outstanding actor.
He played Piter De Vries in the 1984 version of Dune, too.
@@CantankerousDave Yes he did! He also played a character in the 3rd Myst game, FANTASTIC role.
J. Allard suggests that Grima was based on or inspired by Unferth from Beowulf, a character that sits near King Hrothgar and serve as a taunter.
I was just searching for videos about Grima and thought "I hope NOTR has one" and you uploaded just today! What a timing
Great video! Of all the portrayals in the movies, I’ve really come to love Brad Dourif as Grima. What I’d give to see him in some scouring of the shire scenes!
Me too!! I love all of the Grima scenes because Brad Dourif's performance was absolutely fantastic. There's something about they way he talks, like he's almost speaking in iambic pentameter
Well done reading from the books. The healing of Théoden is one of my favorite passages. Done by council, rather than any exorcism, as done in the movies. The latter also completely invalidating the need for Grima as a servant of Saruman.
Not at all. He still needed someone there who could give the orders.
@@issyd2366 Nope. Revisit the scene from the movie. Théoden was under active mind-control there. A puppet, dancing by Saruman's strings. Even speaking with his voice. No need for that sniveling counsellor in that scenario.
Great video Matt! Grima Wormtongue is such an interesting character and it was interesting to see how easily he was manipulated by Saruman. We really only get a glimpse of him as he was after being corrupted, I wish we could have seen him what he was like before his deception to his King and those of Rohan.
It's not all bad. He killed a Maia, an angelic/demonic being of immense power, though Saruman was probably running on fumes at this point. Kind of weird how the Valar didn't seem to have ANY contingencies in place to stop rouge Maia other than sending in other Maia and restricting their power levels.
They're somewhat limited by Eru's thing about free-will.
Eru learnt from several earlier examples that sending in powerful angels to "Fix" things would, likely, corrupt that angel into becoming a dark lord himself. Or a queen, beautiful and terrible as the Dawn.
Imagine you get so hangry that you stab the Middle Earth equivalent of a Biblically Accurate Angel to death.
I think the Valar must have thought "Eh, it'll work itself out"
A truly tragic story. I’m sure the story of Reek in GOT was inspired by Wormtongue.
well yeah, GRRM really wants to be JRRT but thinks he can redeem JRRT from Moorcock's critique
Moorcock serves Melkor, GRRM is Saruman
@@zimriel what
Just another example of the power of Saruman's voice. Very good video with lots of info.
I have never read the books and the last time I watched the movies was when I was 6 (I'm 21 now). BUT I find your videos very intriguing and I love the lore of the Tolkien universe
You have one of the best channels out there. Really enjoy your videos.
Wormtongue was not just evil but a cowardly being as well who would betray anyone if he thought it would be to his advantage.
The name in Icelandic is Grímur. Gríma in Icelandic is singular for mask, plural is grímur. Yeah, Icelandic is weird like that :P Grímur is actually quite a popular name. At least I know a few
I hope most of them are fine people. ;)
@@JonathanGhost42 All very nice dudes :)
Here is a wiki about the name :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%ADmur
Grima Wormtounge is proof that sometimes you can judge a book by its cover lol
I got to say man, I absolutely enjoy your videos
Gotta say, your vocal audio processing is cleannn. 👌
Finally someone talk about Grima, a collateral victim of the ring, thanks!
The fact that a good solid half of the lines from the book you quoted Peter Jackson used in the movies just shows, for the billionth time, how amazing those movies were/are.
With Saruman so weakened after leaving Isengard how was he able to have such a strong hold over Grima’s will. If Grima truly wished to be free of him, why didn’t he? Unless Grima’s bond to Saruman was of his own making and not of Saruman’s?
Look up Colleen Stan. She was kidnapped by a sex pervert and his battered housewife. He briefly let her see her family but she didn’t make a run for it. This is something many victims of kidnapping and abusive relationships endure. I think a big part of it is the idea that while things are bad, they will get worse if you try to leave. Stockholm Syndrome is another manifestation of this.
I think it’s also worth noting how Saruman bullies Grima for doing *terrible things that he ordered him to do.* This is another common abuser tactic. You bully, coerce, or blackmail someone into doing something bad or embarrassing. You threaten them with exposure if they ever try to back away. A lot of women in pornography are there because their abusers want leverage on them.
Compare this to the film’s interpretation of Gollum and Sméagol. What does Gollum say in the Peter Jackson films? “You’re a liar, and a thief.” “Murderer.” “Nobody likes you.” Smeagol has moments where he considers changing, but he stops because he feels all hope is lost. Why try to be good when you’ve been exiled, abandoned by your family, and rumoured to have eaten babies? If Smeagol keeps being a criminal, he gets to keep his one comfort - the ring. If he tries to be a nice guy, he’ll lose the ring and will still be regarded by society as a repugnant criminal.
With Grima, Saruman uses exposure to humiliate and isolate him. Frodo is willing to help Grima get away from Saruman. Saruman, not wanting Grima to think he has any other option, jumps in and tells Frodo and the hobbits something horrible. Like Smeagol, Grima murdered one of their own. Saruman thinks that the sympathetic hobbits will turn into an icy lynch mob if he tells the truth about Grima’s follies. The point isn’t to tell the hobbits the truth, it’s to destroy what ever bit of sympathy they may have had for him.
What’s sad is that Grima had a chance to get out. The ring basically broke Smeagol’s brain, so it’s hard to judge him. The ring’s first act of control over Smeagol was a murder - he was in over his head immediately.
With Grima, he could have stayed and fought. Or gone into exile somewhere else. The problem was he would no longer be the advisor of the king. He’d be (what is essentially) an ex-con doing physical labour as an act of atonement. He’d be known by everyone (including Eowyn) as a creepy liar. I think Grima regarded a life as an Average Dude to be beneath him and insufficient for his happiness. He wasn’t willing to go through the humiliating process of admitting he messed up, and so humiliation upon humiliation is dumped on him by Saruman.
All of this fits in pretty nicely with Tolkien’s Catholicism. Sin drags you down into more sin. A lack of catharsis or confession leads to the sin accumulating and gaining custody over you. What would have happened if Smeagol dropped the ring, ran back to the Stoor hobbits and admitted what he did? Maybe if Grima and Smeagol were willing to confess their sins, seek redemption and move on, they would have retained their freedom. As it stands, their crimes deprived them of opportunities to do and be something else. It sucks. It’s deeply sad.
@@wormwoodcocktail Wow. I appreciate the length you went to give a reply. Your reply actually reminded me of a James Bond film where the bad guy is actually the victim of Stockholm syndrome. They did their captors bidding because in their captivity they fell in love with their captor. As for Sméagol it is very sad. He didn’t really have a chance to repent because the ring’s captivity’s was instantaneous. But I see how the same issue applies to Grima. Though he did get an offer by Theoden to return. Is that what you meant by Grima returning to Rohan as an average working man?
@@thebrowneyesofmandalore
Never saw that James Bond movie. Anyway, yeah, that’s what I meant by ordinary man. Or going into exile and being some random labourer or schoolteacher. He could have just stopped working with Saruman, even if he refused Theoden’s offer to fight alongside him.
And yeah, Gollum’s whole deal is super depressing.
I kinda wonder how much Saruman's servants like Greema can be viewed as bad characters. Sarumans strength in controlling people was such in the lore that it's almost like creatures just become his puppets
I also share this querry for what truly makes a quality character & plot besides its conflict and complexity.
You mention at the end that Grima is the last casualty of the War of the Ring, but weren't there still campaigns in the east that Aragorn fought to finally subdue Sauron's servants there? Or are those not considered part of the War of the Ring?
The War, by the account of Frodo and Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings, ended after The Scouring of the Shire.
There truly are no happy ends in tolkiens world, not that I am sure he deserved it, but it would have been nice if he were to have taken Frodos last bit of mercy.
I was watching the Two Towers last night and was wondering if Grima had much a backstory. Great video!
How does the tale of Grima's secret terrifying encounter with the Nazgul enter into the Redbook and down the years onto our pages? Who does he reveal it to so that it gets written into the history of those times?
serious question I have been working through, "Why did the hobbits kill Grima?" Frodo seems to go to great lengths to keep others from dying. Was it just "trigger finger" or do you think there is more to it than that? I know it all happened really fast but I was suprised that they killed Grima. I dont think it was revenge for Lotho. Anyone else have any insight or constructive thoughts on why Grima was killed?
Probably just trigger happy. They had Bow to arrow already to kill Saruman when he tried to kill Frodo, and the book indicates Frodo only barely stopped them. In the heat of the moment, when Grima kills someone, regardless of the fact that someone was Saruman, they likely just loosed off.
Six-part streaming series detailing Grima Wormtongues rise and turn to the dark side. Go!
Awesome video! I always forget That he Told the Witch King that info!
Great voice work and storytelling. Was first familiar with the character via Brad Dourif's portrayal.
excellent ytube. Well done (nice panning of lovely images) and thank you
Damn I never knew the crazy arch the book takes with Saruman and Grima ending up in the shire.
Grima had a weird obsession with Eowyn, so the guy had great taste.
A strange character he is.
He could 'poison' the mind of a mighty Theoden King, but yet his mind is poisoned by Saruman and cannot stand up for himself against him, even if he has the chance.
maybe he was able to poison the kings mind with help from saruman
Your impersonation of Grima sounds like a cultured Frieza.
Worm is quite fitting actually.
Oh I didn't know his name in English, in french it's translated "langue de serpent" or "Snaketongue".
FIVE MONTHS locked in Orthanc with Saruman? That’s longer than I thought.
One of the more forgotten characters, and perhaps rightly so.
There’s just something so oddly satisfying of having a character with so blatantly evil of a name and rolling with it.
Heh, roll🤣
JRR was always very subtle with the good and bad. 😂
@@bob1234881 he actually is. Even though Morgoth and his followers are pure evil Tolkien always insists that evil cannot create and thus seeks to corrupt that what is good. Hence many figures first considered good later on turn bad, it's a constant struggle for the force of good to remain thus (oath of Feanor, fall of Numenor, Isildur, kinslaying).
@@daarom3472 The point is that the baddies have ridiculously obvious baddie names. Presumably any originally-good-but-corrupted figures had their baddie names from day one? I guess it's like if your parents named you Johnny Tightlips - even if you started life right, the mobsters would soon be sending you job offers you couldn't refuse...
Well, in universe, that wasn't actually his name, just like all of the other characters. It's frodo's translation into Westron, which Tolkien then "translated" into English, making the names sound like something that might be a name in old-ish English.
🔥🔥🔥
i finished all the books so these videos keep me in middle earth 🌍
I guess you can say Saruman was not his "friend till the end".
Brilliant video on a much ignored character.
04:40 - the Witch-King ALSO knew through black magic that Grima would bring about harm to Saruman, possibly even knew Grima would kill Saruman, THAT was another reason the Nazgul let Grima go.
"Bring Harm" is most likely right on point. Knowing he was going to murder him seems a bit too insightful. The magic in LOTR is never exact. You kinda know what it might do, and just hope for an outcome in the general direction of your goal. Even The Ring's invisibility might fail on you at the worst possible moment because The Ring itself is tempermental and might remove itself from your finger all on it's own.
If predicting the future were that clear and concise, Sauron would have found The Ring a long time ago.
RiP Wormtongue. Only recorded human to kill a Maiar.
Of course the Witch King will not slay Grima. It is established by Aragorn in book 1 that the Nazgul depend on living informants. Would not do to kill off ones that are as willing as Grima. And wise it was, too. In the end Wormtongue slew Saruman after all. (Come to think of it, this is almost a parallel to Bilbo, sparing Gollum, who in the end kinda slew Sauron.) 🙂
The real question I want answered is why is Grima Wormtongue handsome in the thumbnail?
To be fair, it is a rough start when your name is “Grima Wormtongue”. You pretty much have to be a henchman at that point.
It's interesting how Theodred was mortally wounded in Feb 25th, the same day as Boromir's death in Amon Hen
Glad to see you cover this game! You’re only the 2nd person I’ve seen really talk about it. After this video I want to get this game even more!
Rumour has it, that Grima is now a modern day journalist.
Life of Bard the Dragon Slayer please and History of Dale please
And Greenwood the Great/Mirkwood.
Well summarized! :D
Cheers from France !
His name was not the least bit suspicious. He looks like an upstanding guy too. I would appoint him as chief advisor for sure. oO
Well done! 🔥
Saruman, one of the most powerful individuals in ME, reduced to a beggar.
he is the human counterpart of that elf in the first age who betrayed gondolin to morgoth
Sméagol’s soul would not be saved with a happy ending after his final actions were that of selfishness for the One Ring. I wonder what became of Gríma’s soul, a man who, despite all that he had done, deserved pity and surely compassion, at the core of it all.
Grima WAS offered forgiveness and redemption -
and rejected them.
@@cindyknudson2715 I’d hardly count running when he did as rejection
Sadly, pity and what one deserves do not equal out to redemption - though he was pitiful, his actions directly brought harm to innumerable people.
He never seemed to act out of kindness or good will - he was pitiful, cowardly, violent, covetous/lecherous, and in the end a murderer. He was a victim of his own shortcomings, but those shortcomings led to numerous other innocent victims as well; his killing Saruman/Sharky wasn't even a heroic act - he acted out of desperation, cowardice, and hatred right up to the very end.
If I believed in souls, I'd say he would wind up in a similar position to Saruman - death will bring him no peace.
He may deserve a second chance to live a life free of his most egregious faults, but really - who in this world shouldn't deserve such an opportunity?
The lotr mtg set really should have put grima on a diabolic tutor reprint. I always thought the guy on that card looked like Grima to me anyways.
Why do evil characters like this have sad/pitiful endings, not fair
That's a pretty consistent theme in Tolkien's world. Those who choose evil eventually will suffer dearly the consequences of their actions. Sauron ends up as a powerless, invisible spirit when the Ring is destroyed, Saruman dies in a pitiful manner and is unable to ever return to Valinor, the Sons of Feanor suffered greatly for their kinslayings and the Silmaril that caused all of it would never be in their reach.
A sad/pitiful endings they deserve and earn to be frank. Karma makes its way to the doings of every person. Many times wicked people suffer from the ill choices they make without much foreign interferences. Grima is permitted to redeem himself for many times, but he never does. It is his cowardice that leads him to the abuse of Saruman and his self degeneration.
Grima's poison was high in gluten food.
Theoden was clearly suffering with digestive issues. A low fodmap diet restored his youth.
Nice work dude
When I first saw the photo I didn't read the caption and thought "Snape?"😅
Nice one
Great video.
I had a headcanon after The Hobbit movies that Alfrid, the sycophant from Lake-Town, could have escaped to Rohan after the Battle of Five Armies, and been Grima's grandfather.
Then I saw the deleted scene where Alfrid died. Oh well.
I like his theatrical ending better. It's the end a character like him deserves.
Great stuff
thanks for todays;svideo appreciate it
Why Grima looks like Tool's drummer?
Can you please post a link for the used soundtrack please
Love the vid you should do the life of theoden
Ahh Grimma Wormtongue, there are lots of memorable lines that can be easily applied to real life scenarios such as:
A friend being late: "Late is the hour in which... you choose to appear!"
Mountain Hiking/traveling: "It is a dangerous road, take through the mountains. It will be slow. They will have women and children with them."
Being scolded by your parents/teachers/peers: "I have only wished to serve you, my lord" *proceeds to grovel in the ground*
Someone being asked a question: "a just question, my liege"
Questioning something/someone's might: "But my lord there is no such force/thing."
and of course, seeing something magnificent: *proceeds to tear up in only one eye*
And of course the classic when you disagree with someone: "That - is a lie."
My Lord there is no such force
Summons a swarm of Ducks
I wonder if Saruman was hittin it while they were on the road
Sincere question: Why did the Fellowship let Wormtongue go at Rohan in The Two Towers film? I understand why Aragorn stayed Theoden’s hand on the steps of the Golden Hall, as murder in front of his people, however justified, would be beneath the king. But his exile led to the deaths of so many on the exodus from Edoras and during the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Why not keep him prisoner? Did they not know he could and likely would betray the secrets of Helm’s Deep to Sarumon? Is that solely a film change that overlooked the obvious danger he presented? Or did he do this in the book as well? It’s been years since I’ve read the books…
From what I remember, it was Aragorn who tried to kill Grima, but Theoden stayed HIS hand. It's been a long time since I read the books as well, so I don't remember why.
@@DuchessofEarlGrey this is accurate.
Worm tongue was trying to play both sides until the very end and so they gave him a choice. To grab a horse and follow his king or to take the horse and flee to Saruman and because Wormtongue fled, Theoden knew his chief advisor was truly a traitor.
@@TheYaegerjeusmc Did Theoden send anyone to track him down as a result?
treated like crap ending with 3 arrows in the back.... he told him to take the wizards staff
Just as an editor comment the bass on your mic is peaking over your other levels.
My son dated Grima Wormtongues sister. He finally broke up with her and life came back to him. He was King again.
Nerd of the rings ,will you ever do a video on a battle ,and the strategi behinde it?
LOL. One of those Grimas looks like Zooey Zephyr.
Make a video about Gundabad
Grima was in it for the Orc poontang'
COUD You do an video about alfred alfrid in he is am character in the Hobbit
That is a lie, Saruman has always been our friend and ally
The hobbits probably wouldnt have cared much that he killed Lotho…
to think He killed a maier lol
Just the Maiar's physical form.
a disgraced Maiar, devoid of any powers, a shell of his former self; a mere decrepit man.
It's incredibly fitting that it took a Balrog of Morgoth, the most fearsome creature in the world, to kill Gandalf after an epic three day battle, and yet Saruman was killed by a pathetic and cowardly traitor in an instant.