From within the Shire, an unlikely hero emerges. Equipped with a golden ring forged from the fires of Mount Doom, tasked with an adventurous mission to save Middle-earth and accompanied by the clumsy but loyal gardener Samwise Gamgee, the young hobbit Frodo Baggins takes on the role of ring bearer, traveling through various worldly realms to… destroy an ancient evil force and restore peace to the land. Through the extraordinary and often unpredictable efforts of Frodo and his companions, the Lord of the Rings films reveal numerous essential criteria for an epic, exemplifying the tendency of good to thrive in the face of evil. Central to their success as epics, iconic films describe a quest of great importance. With the origins explained in the opening scene of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the trilogy portrays the continuation of a past conflict, in which "one master ring to control all others" was created by the dark lord Sauron, and re-emerged years later as the cause of Frodo Baggin's journey. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay This backstory is the first epic criterion to appear in the films, imitating the in-depth description of past events common to the genre and first introducing the evil force to be faced in the expedition. Continuing in this vein, Sauron, as the primary antagonist and root of Frodo's quest, exemplifies the good versus evil element vital to an epic quest. Ruler of the land of Mordor engulfed in flames and occupied by hideous orcs, Sauron stands in stark contrast to the benevolent and gentle Frodo, a humble hobbit who was chosen by the Council of Elrond to defend Middle-earth from corruption. Not only is this aspect of the quest essential as it describes conflicting forces of morality and evil, but it also shows the great importance of Frodo's mission. After pushing the creature Gollum and the One Ring into the flames of Mount Doom, Frodo ends a war that would most likely have led to the death of his friends and allowed Sauron to take control of Middle-earth, demonstrating the extreme significance of the task assigned to him. task and showing the eternal triumph of good over evil. Frodo's adventure, featuring a broad backstory, moral individuals battling a spiteful force, and a vital task, meets the criteria of an epic quest excellently. Yet, alongside Frodo, characters such as Aragorn, Legolas and Samwise present themselves as important defenders of good throughout the trilogy; each individual, in his actions and attributes, represents the essential qualities of an epic hero. Frodo and Samwise, two virtuous hobbits, Legolas, a wise elf, and Aragorn, a brave human, all display the values ​​of their societies through their efforts, a popular aspect of epic heroes. As the only individual outside the Council of Elrond capable of bearing the One Ring without suffering corruption, Frodo exemplifies the good nature of the hobbit species and also reiterates the epic quality of good versus evil as he is a pure individual. This idea also comes across in the actions of Aragorn, who represents the leadership qualities possessed by humanity as he leads Frodo and his friends away from the Nazgûl, servants of Sauron. Furthermore, each of these characters is known for performing extraordinary feats in order to uphold goodness, another essential quality of an epic hero. During the final film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Samwise attempts to help Frodo make his journey to Mount Doom, exclaiming, “I cannot carry [the ring] for you, but I can carry you! " So, Samwise, a little.