Summary
- The significance of “The Two Towers” title in The Lord of the Rings film series remains a mystery to fans and even the author, J.R.R. Tolkien.
- Towers such as Orthanc and Minas Morgul play a crucial role in the narrative, holding vital objects and serving as key locations in the story.
- Tolkien initially intended The Lord of the Rings as one book, but due to paper shortages after WWII, he divided it into three books, leading to the title dilemma.
The Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest and most highly regarded franchises of all time, having produced six phenomenal films and a fairly enjoyable TV series set before the events of The Hobbit. Even though it has been more than two decades since the first The Lord of the Rings film was released, fans find ways to revisit the classics, as they should, given the amount of effort that went into creating these magnificent films.
Although the films were released as a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings was supposed to be one long book that ultimately split into three volumes. As a result, each film carries a significant meaning that corresponds to the plot, such as The Fellowship of the Ring, which depicts the unbreakable bond between the hobbits, and The Return of the King, which emphasizes Aragorn’s rightful return to the throne of Gondor. However, fans have long been skeptical about the second film in the series, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
The Lord of the Rings is a complex narrative with a plethora of wonderful characters and numerous prominent locations that are integral to the franchise’s lore, including the towers that we frequently see as the plot progresses. However, there were more than twenty towers in the books, while there were certainly more than two towers in the films. So, what is the significance behind J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings books, naming the second book The Two Towers? And what are the two towers?
What Are The Two Towers in The Lord of the Rings?
Over the course of the film series, the protagonists encounter various towers in Middle Earth, including Barad-Dur, which served as Sauron’s central stronghold in Mordor, Orthanc, the impenetrable tower of Isengard, Minas Morgul, once known as Minas Ithil or Tower of the Moon and many more. In an obvious sense, neither the novel nor the film of The Two Towers specified precisely which towers they were referring to. One might believe that since the second film featured both the battle of Helm’s Deep and Sauron’s stronghold, Orthanc, the towers would symbolize both. However, Helm’s Deep is not a tower but rather a fortified gorge commanded by King Theodon.
Even though Tolkien never explained the reasoning behind the title of The Two Towers, he did draw a book cover of Orthanc and Minas Morgul in 1954. While Saruman resided in the black tower of Orthanc, the Lord of the Nazgul ruled over Minas Morgul, both of which were significant in Book 2, albeit not so much in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers film. Nonetheless, both towers held Palantiri (spherical objects employed by Sauron to gather intel), making them more relevant to the story.
Having said that, Tolkien frequently changed his mind when it came to The Two Towers, since he never planned to split the narrative into three books and struggled to come up with a fitting title for the second book. In addition, he was believed to have mentioned Orthanc and the Tower of Cirith Ungol as the two towers in a subsequent letter to the publisher, Rayner Unwin. The Tower of Cirith Ungol is the Orcs’ stronghold, where Frodo was held after being captured by the enemies, whom Sam later fights and frees in The Return of the King.
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While Orthanc remained a subset of this mystery, the second tower can be considered an ambiguous choice, as Tolkien himself was unsure what it was. According to the books, Orthanc and Minas Morgul make more sense as they were both significant parts of the story, but fans are entitled to draw their own conclusions. In other words, there is no definitive answer to this subject, only a myriad of alternatives that lead to additional debates.
Why Was the Book Named The Two Towers?
The Two Towers is such an unforeseen title for the book that it sparked some confusion in the minds of both readers and viewers. So, what prompted Tolkien to settle on this name over something like “The War for the Ring” or “The Great Battle at Helm’s Deep,” which would have made far more sense? As stated above, Tolkien intended to compose The Lord of the Rings as one book instead of splitting it into three parts.
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However, following World War II, the globe endured a severe shortage of paper, and the publishers of The Lord of the Rings were reluctant to print thousands of copies of such a lengthy book. Given the circumstances, Tolkien had no choice but to divide the story into three books, each with its own title. While naming the first and third books was straightforward, naming the second book proved more difficult. He eventually settled on a random name that fitted nicely with the story in the book, which happened to be The Two Towers. So, what do you think the two towers in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers are?
