LOTR Blog Party Day Four - Favorite Character

~ ~ ~

Hugo Weaving as Elrond

     Not having read the books, but have seen the movies numerous times, my favorite character (and I do have quite a few!) is Elrond. He was just the quintessential just and wise ruler; to put it simply, Elrond is to LOTR what King Edmund the Just is to The Chronicles of Narnia (after he was redeemed by Aslan, of course). When I read about him in "The Hobbit" I just got the picture of good and honorable leader who is desperate to change the world, but knows it's not his place to do so. Also, Elrond was the only elf who ever showed kindness to Thorin and his company of dwarves and was only elf that Thorin had any admiration for.

Hugo Weaving as Elrond and Liv Tyler as Arwen

    Like a said in the Favorite Movie/Book post, one of the reasons I loved The Two Towers was because of how it went into the the deep relationship between Elrond and Arwen. Elrond himself has been a victim of the fandom 'bad dad hate' (other fathers including John Winchester from Supernatural and Odin Allfather from the Thor). What I would like to know, is what is so undeniably evil about a father wanting to protect his daughter from absolute and certain death? Elrond (and this is from a movie-verse perspective) never disapproved of Aragorn (he did raise him), but like any good father, he wants to ensure his daughter's safety and happiness and that can only come about if Aragorn finally takes up his birthright and become a king and leader.

     All someone has to do to disprove the 'bad dad' arguments is watch the ending of Return of The King and be completely overwhelmed by Elrond's reaction of his daughter who is alive and beautiful and returning to the man she loves.