L O T R

I know this may seem entirely out of place here and in some ways, it is. Nevertheless, resulting from my fierce love for the legendary Lord of the Rings trilogy, coupled with my obsession with character analysis, I've been lead to shed light on the similarities between two particularly tragic personas: our elegant vampire and the Gollum. At first glance, the two may appear to have extremely little or nothing in common. However, looking past the glaring differences in physical appearances, interesting conclusions can be drawn.

To aid in this visually and intellectually, I offer the use of images and lyrics. The latter are from Emiliana Torrini's captivating and haunting song, featured in LotR: The Two Towers, "Gollum's Song". Perhaps by the end of this study in comparison, we will see that these two are not really so far-removed from one another after all.

Where once was light
Now darkness falls
Where once was love
Love is no more
Don't say goodbye
Don't say I didn't try
The Gollum

He is a character that perhaps begins as one with little presence, but becomes highly influential in the tide of the story. He is a wretched creature who once was an unassuming Hobbit, born of a prominent family of Riverfolk. Smeagol, as he was originally named, enjoyed all of the simple trappings of a country life. This of course all changed one fateful day when he and his cousin, Deagol, were out fishing. The ring caught Deagol's eye, and he retrieved it from the water. Not long after, Smeagol was touched by the power of the ring and desired it for himself - so much so, that he killed Deagol to get it. This marked the beginning of his descent into darkness, of his transformation into the Gollum we have come to know.

After this, he became increasingly unpleasant and ended up being banished from his home. It was then that he sought refuge in a den underneath the Misty Mountains; because of his isolation and obsession with the ring, both his tolerance for light and his sanity slipped away. He would remain there, in mental anguish, until being visited by a Hobbit whose actions would shape the future of all Middle Earth. Bilbo Baggins stole the ring and after a long session of riddles, proceeded to leave Gollum behind. Gollum would not recall the name 'Baggins' kindly...
These tears we cry
Are falling rain
For all the lies you told us
The hurt, the blame
And we will weep to be so alone
We are lost
We can never go home
Fast forward into the future, the world is split into warring factions. Sauron has waged open war upon all of Middle Earth and a group of unlikely allies is charged with its salvation. Gollum, amidst all of this chaos, is also at war - with himself. His mind has split into two, one half treacherous and lusting for the ring and the other half humble and eager for companionship. Indeed, he refers to himself in the plural, "We" and "Us": pitiable evidence of what the horror of total isolation is capable of. For the malice of Sauron has touched him as well. It has resulted in banishment and isolation, delivered him into the hands of torturers, and driven him into a life and death struggle to obtain what he believes is rightfully his, his own salvation. A familiar course of action, he will take any measures necessary to get the One Ring back.

His obsession-driven violence is only heightened after he believes his "master" Frodo has betrayed him. The "good" half of his mind has finally given in to his malevolent half, and is prepared to kill the Hobbits to win back his "Precious" item. And it is this very sort of violence that brings Gollum to his death.
So in the end
I'll be what I will be
No loyal friend
Was ever there for me
Now we say goodbye
We say you didn't try
A Lesson in Parallels

This brings us to what makes them such kindred spirits. Beginning with the obvious observation, they both exhibit a lack of complete sanity. Gollum has a simultaneously murderous and meek split personality and Joachim is bloodthirsty and excitable. But it is how they became this way that is most important here, it is examining what events lead them to make their fatal decisions. For each one has his own "Precious".
These tears you cry
Have come too late
Take back the lies
The hurt, the blame
And you will weep
When you face the end alone
You are lost
You can never go home
You are lost
You can never go home
As discussed, Gollum is thoroughly obsessed with the One Ring, going so far as to kill his cousin to take it from him. And, as the trilogy unfolds, he accompanies Frodo and Sam, serving as their guide to Mordor. He does so in somewhat good faith, only until Frodo "betrays" him, and drives his meek side right into the arms of his murderous side. He is conniving, always thinking of when and how to be rid of the meddlesome Hobbits and get his prized possession back. It is an overpowering desire for the item. And it sends him to Mount Doom, straight into outright battle with those same two Hobbits. By this time, Gollum has completely lost touch with everything but his need for the ring, seemingly blind to the dangers all around him: the sharp rocks and the lava boiling inside the mountain. When Frodo puts on the ring for the final time, himself captivated by its evil influence, Gollum spares no time to hop on his back. The two afflicted beings engage in a savage battle to wrestle the One Ring for himself; Gollum actually bites off part of Frodo's finger to get it, perhaps not a sign of a rational mind.

This would win him the golden treasure. Finally. His moment of bliss, twisted though it was. He leaps in victory, doing so precariously close to the edge of the cliff, one overhanging the unforgiving lava. Frodo, enraged, hurls himself at Gollum and again the two struggle to wrest it away. But instead, their battle plunges them both over the side of the cliff. Gollum has won the ring and as he falls, he rejoices in that knowledge, holding the ring close and grinning. He is totally oblivious to his inevitable fate, and only realizes what has happened once he hits the lava. Even in death, he is reaching desperately for his "Precious".

For Joachim, the years of anger and sorrow led him to become excitable, averse to rational discourse and eager for blood-letting. While we may not know the precise nature of his past with Walter, we do know that he is now imprisoned because of that same redhead, and spends his lonely days and nights thinking of what may have been and what he would do if given the opportunity. Gruesome retribution against the master vampire constantly swirls about his mind. He can think of nothing better, nothing more fulfilling than the death of his keeper. When Leon Belmont enters his prison, ignorant to the vampire's internal strife, he serves as a focal point for his rage. The conversation begins innocently enough. But it is short-lived, as Joachim becomes irritated at Leon's inquiry. The knight's wondering at Joachim's imprisonment was a harsh reminder of the one he hated, of the violence building within him. It may even have sounded cheeky, something he would not tolerate from a hapless human who somehow found his way into the castle of hell. Both men wanted Walter dead, but there was no time for treaties or truces.

Beating Leon would be a kind of stepping stone to beating Walter, now that his cell had been unlocked. No regard for consequences. Only the red of Walter's blood did he see before his eyes. He was effectively blind to all else. Bringing on battle, Joachim was arrogant, belligerent; these were the fatal flaws of our antihero. Leon Belmont, a man blessed with Light, could not be defeated by the likes of him. An alliance might very well have saved the vampire's life. But the desire for Walter's destruction at his own hands was too great. Even as he too met his death, he was reaching for his "Precious".