Thorin Oakenshield: character description

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The character Thorin Oakenshield is well known to all fans of the legendarium of John R. R. Tolkien and adaptations of The Hobbit. He is called the King-under-the-Mountain and the heir of Erebor, the Dwarven kingdom under the Lonely Mountain. Together with his people, Thorin was expelled from his home after the attack of the terrible dragon Smaug. After several centuries, he managed to gather a small detachment and go on a campaign to return the lost gold and the throne. In addition to the dwarves themselves, Gandalf the Gray and the hobbit Bilbo Bagins took part in this campaign.

Thorin combined two images at once - a Scandinavian hero and a Shakespearean character. The first part of the story describes him in a positive way, but in the second part he is presented more in a negative light. His changes are associated with dragon gold and with greed that has eclipsed the mind of the King-under-the-Mountain. The fate of Thorin is similar to that of Boromir from The Lord of the Rings.

The last film project in which Thorin Oakenshield appeared on the screen was "The Hobbit". Actor,who played this role is Briton Richard Armitage.

Hero name

The character's full name is Thorin II (Second) Oakenshield. "Thorin" is translated from Old Norse as "courage". This name can be found in the Old Norse poem called "Divination of the Velva". The title Thorin II inherited from his ancestor, King Thorin I.

The hero got his nickname - Oakenshield - after the battle for Azanulbizar, where he had to defend himself with an ordinary oak branch. It is noteworthy that some translators use transliteration, calling Thorin not Oakenshield, but Oakenshield. Such a decision of the translation, again, can be connected with the poem "Censure of the Velva".

Also in the legendarium, the character is often referred to as the King of Durin's Folk. Durin is the oldest of the seven Dwarf-Forefathers, from whose line Thorin is descended. Oakenshield became king after the death of his father Thrain.

And finally, King Under the Mountain or Undermountain King is the last name by which this character is known. Thorin received the title of King of Erebor after the liberation of the Lonely Mountain from Smaug.

Characteristic and image

Based on the textual description from The Hobbit, we can imagine the image of Thorin Oakenshield as Professor Tolkien intended it to be. The hero appears before readers in a sky-blue hood, which is complemented by a silver brush. In addition, we are told that Thorin always wears a golden chain, and also knows how to play the harp. Of weapons, Oakenshield prefers his trusty axe, the Gondolinthe sword Orcrist, which he found in the trolls' lair, and the bow, which he resorts to while hunting. A photo of Thorin Oakenshield (played by actor Richard Armitage) can be seen below.

As for the moral character of the hero, he can be called ambivalent. Very often, Thorin appears as a brave and determined leader who is fair to his friends and true to his word. At the same time, he exhibits a tendency towards greed and pride, qualities that ultimately led to his downfall.

The beginning of the story

Thorin was born during the Third Age, in 2746. A descendant of the line of Durin, he was the son of Thrain the Second and the grandson of Thror, also known as the King Under the Mountain. Thorin also had a brother and sister - Frerin and Dis.

In 3E 2770, the Lonely Mountain was attacked by the dragon Smaug, attracted by rumors of Dwarf we alth. The people of Thror lost their home and went on long wanderings. In 2793, after Thror was killed by the orc Azog, war broke out between the Dwarves and the Orcs. The final battle took place at Azanulbizar, during which Thorin received his famous nickname Oakenshield.

After the end of the war, Thrain the Second led his people to the Blue Mountains, where he tried to make a new home. In 2841, he suddenly disappeared, and Thorin took his place, who was proclaimed the Exiled King. Thorin's reign brought some long-awaited peace and prosperity to the Dwarves.

Journey to the LonelyWoe

All the time spent in the Blue Mountains, Thorin Oakenshield dreamed of returning to his real home - Erebor. In 2941, Thorin visited Bree, where he met with Gandalf the Grey. Gandalf was worried about the Dark Lord and that, having been reborn, Sauron could use Smaug to attack the north of Middle-earth. The wizard listened to Thorin's plans and persuaded him not to enter into open war with the dragon. He proposed to assemble a small detachment, which would include the most devoted companions, including Thorin's nephews. He also advised to take a burglar and even named a specific candidate for this role - the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.

The path of the detachment to Erebor passed through the Blackwoods, where Thorin and his company were attacked first by spiders, and then by wood elves. The elven king Thranduil demanded to know the purpose of the dwarf campaign, but Oakenshield refused to reveal his plans. Bilbo Bagins was rescued from the subsequent imprisonment of the dwarves.

Arriving at the Lonely Mountain, Thorin and his companions awakened the dragon. When Smaug went to sow destruction in Lake-town, the dwarves managed to take refuge inside Erebor. The dragon was defeated by Bard, who demanded some of the gold from Thorin to restore the destroyed city, but was refused.

The Siege of Erebor and the Battle of the Five Armies

Of all the lost treasures, Thorin wanted to take possession of only one - the legendary stone Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain. The Arkenstone was given to Bard and Thranduil by Bilbo Baggins, as the hobbit wanted to resolve the conflict through peaceful negotiations. Thorin banished the burglar and promised to pay for the gem. Soonother armies appeared at the mountain - both supporters and opponents. The battle at Erebor was called the Battle of the Five Armies - it claimed the lives of many heroes, including Thorin. Before his death, the King Under the Mountain managed to make peace with Bilbo.

The embodiment of the image in the film trilogy: Thorin Oakenshield - actor Richard Armitage

The last major film trilogy set in the world of Middle-earth was directed by Peter Jackson. In it, the audience saw a slightly modified image of Thorin Oakenshield, and Richard Armitage became the actor who embodied the character on the screen.

He admitted that he created the inner image of the character, inspired by reading the plays of William Shakespeare and listening to Russian church music. In the movies, Thorin looks much younger and masculine than his book original.