Worksheet from chapter

10 TO 12
Comprehension Questions:
1. Why has Strider been looking for Frodo Baggins?
Because he heard that he was carrying out of the shire with a secret
he wanted to know, (Gandalf told him to and he knows the secret of
the Ring).
2. What pledge does Aragorn make to Frodo and his friends?
Aragorn pledged to defend Frodo and the ring with his life, keep the
secret and help them continue their quest.
3. According to Strider, when and where are the Black Riders the
strongest?
Mt. Mordor, at night/in darkness.
4. What was Amun Sûl, and what remains of it?
Amon Sûl was more commonly called "Weathertop." It was a 1000
foot high hill along the road between Bree and Rivendell, and once
had a fortified watchtower where one of the palantíri was kept, but
this was destroyed about 1600 years prior to the time of LOTR. In
Frodo's time, the tower was a deserted ruin. Only a tumbled ring of
rocks remains.
5. What does Strider find in the middle of the Last Bridge, and how does
he interpret it?
He found a beryl, or elf-stone that is interpreted as a sign of hope, as
a sign that they were welcome.
 6. Who is Glorfindel?
Glorfindel is an Elf who lives in Rivendell. Glorfindel is one of several
Elves who has been sent out by Elrond to find the Ring-bearer, Frodo,
and to help him if he is in trouble. He warns Frodo that there are five
riders behind them, and that the Ford of Bruinen may hold more
Riders.

Vocabulary:
1. Rogue: a dishonest or unprincipled man.
2. Indignant: angry because of something that is wrong or not fair.
3. Pondering: to think carefully about something, especially for a
noticeable length of time.
4. Stealth: cautious and surreptitious action or movement.
5. Sallow: (of a person's face or complexion) of an unhealthy yellow or
pale brown color.
6. Quagmires: a soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot.
7. Wraith: a ghost or ghostlike image of someone, especially one seen
shortly before or after their death.
8. Undulating: having a smoothly rising and falling form or outline.
9. Cairn: a pile of stones.
10.Haggard: looking emaciated.
11.Pungent: having a sharply strong taste or smell.
12.Beryl: elf-stone.

Discussion and Essay Questions:

1. What do you think Strider means when, speaking of the Dark Riders,
he tells the hobbits, "You fear them, but you do not fear them enough,
yet." How is it possible to not fear something or someone enough?
It means that the hobbits had no idea what or who they really were,
they had no idea what they were capable of, they only feared their
creepy exterior and not their inner evil. In other words, the 4 did not
understand what these creatures were or what they could do. Like a
 small child being warned by his parents "don't touch the stove, it's
hot and you could hurt yourself", the child doesn't fear the stove
until he touches it and burns his finger. At that point he begins to fear
MORE because he has experienced pain and harm. Fear grows with
understanding and experience.

2. How do the ways in which the Black Riders “see” and otherwise sense
their surroundings link them with evil and the dark and make them
particularly terrifying? In what ways are these “talents” and powers
important in subsequent episodes?
Perhaps, where everything bad looks creepy and unpleasant, the
Black Riders not only look this way, but they also move among the
leftovers and darkness (because they are invisible wraiths), which
makes them even more terrible and frightening. Which brings them
even closer to evil.
Because it is true that they have certain powers or talents, but they
also have certain weaknesses. Besides, the context or the story of the
following chapters would not be the same if The Black Riders did not
have these powers. Since through these, new problems that the
hobbits have to face are generated.

3. After being wounded in his fight with the Black Rider, Frodo realizes
"that in putting on the Ring he obeyed not his own desire but the
commanding wish of his enemies." How can the Ring make someone
act against his own interests and in the interests of his enemies” How
can the Ring make someone act against his own interests and in the
interests of his enemies? What other instances are there of characters
acting against their own best interests?
The reason Frodo was under the influence of the Ringwraiths was
due to the wound in his shoulder from Morgul's sword. Gradually, he
was coming under their influence, not the Ring itself. Because he was
stabbed by a Ringwraith, a mortal wound that had the power to
subdue him under its will, (due to the Ringwraiths). In other words,
 the Ring did not make Frodo obey his enemies. In any case, since
Frodo was the bearer of the One, the Ringwraiths would be the ones
under Frodo's dominion due to the nature of the Ring that had
dominated them long ago.
As in the incident at the inn, when Frodo inadvertently put on the
Ring and became invisible. That acted in the interest of his enemies
because the story spread among them. It was not in his own interest,
and it helped the enemy.

4. Who or what is "the Enemy"? How are the Enemy's powers and
limitations revealed? What counter-powers do Frodo and his
companions wield against the Enemy? Where do these counter-
powers come from?
The enemy is Sauron, and he has power over the Ringwraiths, the
Orcs and Saruman, but he is limited by his lack of a physical body,
which is one weakness, another being that the Black Riders cannot
smell during the day. Frodo and his company have the power of
companionship and friendship, and these powers come from their
hearts.

5. What special (unsuspected) qualities and talents does Sam Gamgee

reveal as the journey continues? As the story progresses, in what ways
does Sam become essential to Frodo's success and to a successful
outcome to the quest?
Of all the characters we can see a direct and drastic change within
Sam, which is somewhat unexpected and surprising. The journey
allows Sam's heroism to make itself known. Sam transforms from a
quiet and meek fellow into a brave and powerful hero. We can see
his bravery, against all odds. Sam remains optimistic and persevering
despite all obstacles, which is a key element to Frodo's success, not
to mention the enormous loyalty he has to him, as Sam not only
helps save Frodo's life several times throughout the story, but also
provides hope for Frodo and the Fellowship.