The Two Towers

The Two Towers is the second of the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, first published in 1954. It continues the story after the breaking of the Fellowship of the Ring, following the now-divided company along separate paths as the War of the Ring gathers force. The volume comprises the third and fourth of the six internal books of The Lord of the Rings.

The title refers to two of the great towers of Middle-earth, variously identified with the strongholds of Sauron and Saruman, whose alliance and conflict shape the events of the book.

Overview

The volume tells two largely separate stories. In the first half, the members of the Fellowship who remained in the west of Middle-earth are drawn into the affairs of the kingdom of Rohan. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Orcs who captured Merry and Pippin, encounter the returned Gandalf, now Gandalf the White, and aid Rohan against the treachery of the wizard Saruman, whose forces are defeated at the Battle of Helm's Deep. The captured hobbits, meanwhile, rouse the tree-like Ents, who march against Saruman's fortress of Isengard.

The second half follows Frodo Baggins and Sam as they continue toward Mordor with the One Ring, guided by the treacherous Gollum. Their journey leads them through the desolation before Mordor and into the pass of Cirith Ungol, where Frodo is ensnared by the giant spider Shelob, and the Phial of Galadriel proves a vital defense.

Place in the series

The Two Towers advances both the war in the west and the secret journey of the Ring-bearer toward Mordor. Its principal viewpoint characters include Aragorn, Merry, Pippin, Frodo Baggins, and Sam. It ends with Frodo captured and Sam left to decide his next move, a cliffhanger resolved in The Return of the King.

Publication

The Two Towers was first published in 1954, shortly after The Fellowship of the Ring. Like the other volumes, it is part of the single novel The Lord of the Rings, divided for publication.