Mouth of Sauron

Mouth of Sauron
(True Name Unknown)
Tolkien's legendarium character
Aliases Lieutenant of Barad-dûr
Messenger of Mordor
Race Men (Black Númenóreans)
Book(s) The Return of the King

The Mouth of Sauron is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Lord of the Rings — specifically in the chapter "The Black Gate Opens" in the third volume, The Return of the King — as the chief emissary of Sauron.

He belonged to the race of the Black Númenóreans and briefly appeared in person when he haggled with the Army of the West in front of the Black Gate (Morannon in Elvish), trying to convince Aragorn and Gandalf to give up and let Sauron win the war for Middle-earth. When Gandalf turned his proposal down, the Mouth of Sauron sets all the armies of Mordor to attack them.

Also known as the Lieutenant of Barad-dûr, he had served Sauron for much of his life, learning great sorcery but forgetting his own name. As the Mouth of Sauron, "he entered the service of the Dark Tower when it first rose again". There is some dispute over the length of time this implies. If it refers to Sauron's most recent return to Mordor, the Mouth of Sauron would have served Sauron for some 68 years when he encountered Aragorn and Gandalf. But some have theorized that since Mordor "first rose again" during Sauron's return shortly after the destruction of Númenor, the Mouth of Sauron may be well over 3000 years old. This is unlikely since no mortal could live that long, and Tolkien says explicitly that he was a living man and not a wraith.

The Mouth uses Sauron's name although Aragorn states earlier in the second volume, The Two Towers, that Sauron does not "use his right name, nor permit it to be spelt or spoken".[1]

Concept and creation

The appearance and the arrogance of the Mouth of Sauron before the Army of the West has been described as showing Biblical influences. The character matches the description of the False Prophet in the Book of Revelation, speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and is reminiscent of Saint Paul's comments in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians where he describes his public humiliation by the enemy.[2]

War and analogies to World War II in particular are another theme that has been identified in the Mouth of Sauron. Gandalf's refusal to negotiate with the Mouth, a mere emissary of Sauron, has been seen as an echo of Churchill's position in World War II,[3] while the Mouth's offer of a peace in slavery has been compared to Vichy France under German occupation.[4]

In adaptations

The Mouth of Sauron as depicted in the 1980 animated film The Return of the King

The Mouth of Sauron is featured in the 1980 animated version of The Return of the King produced by Rankin/Bass and was voiced by Don Messick. He rides out briefly with a single companion and makes no mention of Frodo's capture.

The Mouth of Sauron as he appears in the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

In the 2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by Peter Jackson, the Mouth of Sauron appears in the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, played by Bruce Spence. Jackson cut the Mouth from the theatrical version, believing the scene lacked effect. He originally planned to cast Kate Winslet in the role to suggest temptation, but chose instead to make the character diseased and disfigured. Spence is virtually unrecognizable: his helmet covers his entire face except the mouth, which is digitally increased disproportionally in size and disfigured by blackened, cracked lips and rotting teeth.[5][6] Unlike the book, where he sought to secure Aragorn's surrender by claiming that Frodo was captive in Mordor, the Mouth in the film attempts to instill despair by claiming that Frodo died under torture. In another departure from the book, Aragorn decapitates the Mouth with his sword Andúril.

The Mouth is also featured in EA Games' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King video game, and Warner Brothers' The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest as a boss character the player must defeat, in both games he appears in the level "The Black Gate". He is also a playable villain in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (GBA), The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, and Lego The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game.

References

  1. ↑ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954), The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings, Boston: Houghton Mifflin (published 1987), "The Departure of Boromir", ISBN 0-395-08254-4
  2. ↑ Morse, Robert E. (2002). Bilbo's Birthday and Frodo's Adventure of Faith. iUniverse. pp. 134–135. ISBN 0-595-21935-7.
  3. ↑ Timmons, Daniel (2006). Croft, Janet Brennan, ed. Tolkien and Shakespeare: essays on shared themes and language. McFarland & Co. p. 87. ISBN 0-7864-2827-9.
  4. ↑ Shippey, Tom (1983). The Road to Middle-earth. Houghton-Mifflin. p. 116. ISBN 0-395-33973-1.
  5. ↑ Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens (2004). Director/Writers' Special Extended Edition commentary (DVD). New Line Cinema.
  6. ↑ Russell, Gary (2004). The Art Of The Lord Of The Rings. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-618-51083-2.
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