Ultimate LOTR - 'The Two Towers' Part 2 Quiz | Literature

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas enter the great hall of Théoden in Edoras with a mind to wrest the king from the insidious control of Saruman and his accomplice Wormtongue. This task is managed primarily by Gandalf who discredits Wormtongue while at the same time appearing to remove the dark and vexing spell from Théoden's mind. The final chapter in the king's reconversion to the light is provided by the doorward Háma, who offers up Éomer's sword for Théoden to grasp. Following this, the king is once again reunited by his own sword. What is this sword called?

Answer: Herugrim

Théoden's ancient sword was hidden away in a chest by Wormtongue, but is easily retrieved once Gandalf worked his magic on the King of Rohan. Following his revival Théoden allows Wormtongue to slink away from his kingdom and prepares his men for the dangerous, inevitable confrontation with Saruman's forces...things are starting to heat up!

2. King Théoden and his riders depart from Edoras with Gandalf and company with much haste in order to make battle with the combination of Saruman's evil orc forces and the hillmen of Dunland under the evil sorcerer's command. In order to ensure the safety of Edoras while he is gone, who is assigned to command the remaining Rohirrim?

Answer: Éowyn

Éowyn, the lovely sister-daughter of King Théoden, commands Edoras while her brother and uncle go into terrible battle with the rest of the Riders of the Mark. Later we discover that Éowyn has fallen in love at first sight with Aragorn, but alas he is not to be hers.

This is no matter for the warrior-princess, her eventual husband is equally heroic, if not as regal as the future King of Gondor.

3. The Riders of Rohan, King at their side, ride up towards Helm's Deep where they will make a stand against the battle-hungry hordes of Saruman. Just prior to reaching the fortress of Helm's Deep they reach Helm's Dike, a trench of considerable length that is guarded by a number of men from Rohan. Who is the leader of the guards posted along the Dike?

Answer: Gamling

Though an older gentleman, Gamling fights bravely during the massive battle of Helm's Deep alongside Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn. Prior to the major battle his forces help to hold off Saruman's forces for a spell before having to retreat back to the fortress to join the ranks of the rearguard posted there.

4. During the great battle of Helm's Deep, a great slaughter of orcs and hillmen occur at the hands of the forces of Théoden, and our friends Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli get involved in the action as well! In fact, Gimli and Legolas engage in a morbid game of sorts, a kind of 'can you top this' with orc necks being the tally. Of Gimli or Legolas, which one manages to kill the most enemies during the ensuing battle?

Answer: Gimli

Though early on, during the archery phase of the battle, Legolas takes a seemingly insurmountable 20-2 lead, the battle in close quarters affords Gimli ample opportunity to narrow the disparity between the two. The following day, after the battle has been won, Gimli happily announces a total of 42 kills which outstrips Legolas' total by a single orc-neck! Of course, Legolas and Gimli did not win the battle alone, the forces guarding Helm's Deep were fortunate to see the return of Gandalf riding alongside Erkenbrand's men. The dangerous battle soon became a rout!

5. Following the victory of the forces of Rohan at Helm's Deep, our protagonists ride towards Isengard to confront the villainous commander of the recently defeated orc army Saruman. Hence, they ride along the road to Isengard, the place within which Saruman dwells. What is the name of the great tower occupied by Saruman at the center of Isengard?

Answer: Orthanc

Orthanc has a different double meaning, depending on the language of translation. According to the Elvish tongue, the word 'orthanc' translates as 'Mount Fang', while according to the ancient language of Rohan the term would translate as 'Cunning Mind'.

The latter translation, to me, seems more effective in describing its occupant, the traitorous wizard Saruman. As Gandalf and friends approach Orthanc they are shocked to see that Isengard lay in virtual ruin, though Orthanc still stands untarnished...the Ents have been busy!

6. Merry and Pippin greet Gandalf, Aragorn, the King, and the rest of the company after they arrive in Isengard. The two hobbits relax among the ruins of Isengard, 'guarding' the tower within which Saruman and Wormtongue are now imprisoned. After some tales are told of war and devastation, happier topics are discussed among the friends. Merry is especially pleased to have come across what special 'stash' belonging to Saruman?

Answer: Tobacco

Merry and Pippin cheerfully smoke away at the tobacco they found loaded in barrels at one of the storehouses within Isengard. Interestingly, the tobacco has been acquired from the Shire! Specifically, it is 'Longbottom Leaf', as Merry describes, the barrels having the brandmarks of the Hornblower, a Shire resident.

They do not consider at this point how Saruman came across the tobacco, though later in the story the matter will become very clear!

7. We discover that the Ents have indeed been responsible for the destruction of Isengard, having used their strength to rend the walls asunder and to scatter and crush the remaining servants of Saruman. The Ents also divert the river Isen to 'cleanse' the place of the foul evil that had existed previous. The Ents did not act alone in their fury against Isengard, however, some other tree-like allies fought by their side. What are these arboreal creatures called?

Answer: Huorns

We don't know much about the Huorns, as Treebeard remains vague about their origins. What we do know is that they are much more tree-like then the Ents, and in fact may have been former Ents who have opted to live the existence of trees. Regardless, they are angered, as are the Ents, but the wanton destruction of their tree brothers by Saruman's forces and exact justice upon the wicked wizard in a vengeful flurry that leaves Merry and Pippin, and indeed even Gandalf and friends, in awe.

8. After learning all there is to know about the destruction of Isengard, Gandalf decides it is time to confront Saruman himself. Before he can approach the tower of Saruman, however, several of the party insist on joining him, including the two hobbits. Gandalf views this with some skepticism and concern, and warns his friends particularly about which of these?

Answer: Saruman's voice

Though Saruman's military has been destroyed he has not yet been completely 'defanged' (if I can use a pun on the Elvish for Orthanc). His tower still stands and his voice still has very persuasive powers. In fact, he nearly convinces King Théoden to make peace with him, despite the fact that Saruman had earlier deceived the King and made war upon his people.

In the end though his voice cannot again mesmerize Théoden, and he denies the wicked deceiver.

9. Gandalf's confrontation with Saruman ends with the cracking of Saruman's staff, symbolizing his ejection from the Istari. Following this, Saruman crawls back away from the window out of which his confrontation with Gandalf occurred. An item is then lobbed out of the window, narrowly missing Gandalf's head as it crashes to the stairs near his feet...it's a palantír! Which member of the party runs to retrieve the magical globe as it rolls toward a pool of water?

Answer: Pippin

Naturally the always-curious Pippin runs off to gather up the palantír, despite the potential danger its powers present. Later, Pippin will have a less than savory confrontation with the dark lord Sauron during a curious viewing of the dark object. By the way, the palantír was tossed out of the window by Wormtongue and not Saruman, his purpose apparently to smite Gandalf...he fails in this violent attempt at harming our wizened wizard friend with the hoary beard.

10. Which character ultimately takes possession of Saruman's magical stone, the palantír, that our protagonists retrieve from Isengard almost inadvertently?

Answer: Aragorn

Gandalf insightfully reflects on the dangers of the palantír following Pippin's unfortunate seduction by the powerful object. Considering that the palantír once belonged to Aragorn's ancestor Elendil, the true owner and rightful wielder of the object is Isildur's heir, Aragorn. Aragorn also peers into the palantír, but he is not mesmerized by it...rather he uses it to fool Sauron into believing that he possesses the one Ring of the dark lord. Thank you for trying this quiz, if you enjoyed it I invite you to try my previous quizzes on the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, and the quizzes that follow up on this one as well!

Source: Author thejazzkickazz

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Ultimate LOTR - 'The Two Towers' Part 2 Quiz

The second installment in 'The Two Towers' portion of my 'ultimate' set of LOTR quizzes, this one covers the second book of the trilogy from the freeing of Théoden's mind at Edoras to the downfall of Saruman...good luck!

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