Lessons from the Shire: A Study of Merry and Pippin
Of all the classic friendships in literature, the bond between Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck and Peregrin (Pippin) Took is one of my favourites.
While viewed primarily as the comic relief of the film series, The Lord of the Rings, I might argue that Merry and Pippin’s friendship rivals that of their fellow Hobbits, Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins. They are stuck to each other’s side from finding mushrooms to eavesdropping on the Rivendell Council to being captured by Isengard’s Uruk-hai and surviving the Fangorn Forest.
Yet, it is in the third film, The Return of the King (2003), where we see the greatest character growth from both of our Halfling friends. Only when they are separated by the causes of war do they become aware of their own fears and pitfalls. When they do not have the other to lean on, they are each forced to face their fears in the presence of others — for Merry, Eowyn; for Pippin, Gandalf.
From Shire to the Breaking of the Fellowship
We are first introduced to Merry and Pippin as the troublemakers of the Shire who nearly set Bilbo Baggins’ entire birthday party on fire by setting off one of Gandalf the Grey’s powerful fireworks.
“Do another!” cries Pippin, face blackened with soot.
Of course, both Hobbits are caught by Gandalf and set to washing dishes for the remainder of the party.
Thus forms our initial impression of Merry and Pippin — playful and mischievous, clearly created and performed for the humour of the audience.
Our next encounter with the two Halfling rascals is the quite-accidental stumbling of Frodo and Sam upon the pair as they steal crops from Farmer Maggot. Again, the scene is quite humourous as the four Hobbits madly run from the farmer’s dogs and tumble off a cliff one at a time, finally landing in a patch of mushrooms, which delights Pippin, of course.
But the scene takes a dark turn when the Ringwraith appears in search of Frodo and the Ring. The four Hobbits hide in terror beneath a rotting log, but Merry’s fear does not prevent him from helping Frodo escape via the Brandywine Ferry. Merry and Pippin both join Frodo and Sam’s journey without hesitation, even despite their early encounter with the Darkness of Middle-Earth.
Suddenly, the viewer realizes there is more to these Hobbits than playfulness and naivety — though there certainly is that. There is a fierce loyalty to these Halflings, one that cannot be tempered by fear or danger. Instead, they band more closely together, even as they flee from the Ringwraiths’ pursuit.
Once in Rivendell, Merry and Pippin eavesdrop on the discussion of the Council of the Ring, whereupon they enthusiastically voice their support for Frodo’s quest to Mount Doom, though Pippin’s memorable quote betrays his ignorance of the mission:
PIPPIN: Anyways, you need people of intelligence on this sort of...mission...quest...thing…
MERRY: Well that rules you out, Pip.
— The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001
Alas, it is not long until the Hobbits experience the darkness of Moria, the loss of their wise leader, Gandalf, and the breaking of the Fellowship due to the greed of Boromir and the attack of the Uruk-hai. Merry and Pippin are kidnapped, while Sam and Frodo continue their quest, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli set out to save the mischievous Hobbits.
From Kidnapping to the Ents
With The Two Towers (2002), there begins a shift in the characters of Merry and Pippin. They still provide some comic relief, but their characters grow more serious as they survive the Uruk-hai attack and are taken up by Treebeard in the Fangorn Forest.
While still interspersed with humour, we are also privy to Pippin’s genuine concern for his friend’s injuries after being kidnapped by the Uruk-hai. He is taken outside of himself out of concern for his friend and the viewer realizes that there is more to Pippin than one first initially thought.
Later, Merry’s reflection on the implications of war reveals his more contemplative nature. Here too, the viewer is struck by the depth and profundity of Merry’s thoughts as he realizes more quickly than Pippin the seriousness of the threat to Middle-Earth.
“The fires of Isengard will spread and the woods of Tuckburough and Buckland will burn. And all that was once green and good in this world will be gone. There won't be a Shire, Pippin.”
— Merry, The Two Towers, 2002
Spurred by Boromir’s selfless sacrifice for them, Merry passionately begs the Entmoot to fight for Middle-Earth. His frustration is palpable; his desire for action is imminent. Pippin quietly observes the exchange while Merry argues heatedly with the slow-spoken Ents; Pippin’s playful nature is left aside as he finally realizes the grand scope of their (and Frodo’s) mission.
Yet it is Pippin who, in a quick-witted word of wisdom, suggests that Treebeard walk toward Isengard instead of away from the armies of Saruman. This then results in the defeat of the White Tower by the Ents who are angered at the treatment of their tree-brethren by Saruman.
"The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm. It's the last thing he'll suspect."
— Pippin, The Two Towers, 2002
At the close of The Two Towers, the viewer is left chuckling once again at the inebriated mischief of the two Hobbits who have stumbled upon Isengard’s food storehouse. There is a sense of camaraderie as Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf are reunited with Merry and Pippin as the scent of Ol’ Toby lingers in the air.
Thus, there is growth in these two Halflings in the journey through the Fangorn Forest, but their humour and voracious appetite are left intact. Their quest is not yet complete, however. The greatest challenge of Middle-Earth — and of the Hobbits — is yet to come.
From Rohan to Minas Tirith
For much of The Return of the King (2003), Merry and Pippin are separated. The viewer feels an immediate sense of loss when Gandalf rides away from Rohan with Pippin in tow following the disastrous encounter with the Palantir. Pippin’s confusion over leaving Merry behind is echoed in his cries for his friend as Gandalf gallops away.
Thus, Pippin and Gandalf ride toward Minas Tirith to warn Gondor of the coming doom, and Merry joins the warriors of Rohan as they gather for war.
Pippin desires to contribute to the fight and offers his sword — somewhat hastily and foolishly — to Denethor, steward of Gondor. He dons the White Tree of Gondor, but when the fight arrives at the doors of Minas Tirith, his pensive thoughts are revealed to Gandalf.
"I don't want to be in a battle. But waiting on the edge of one I can't escape is even worse."
— Pippin, The Return of the King, 2003
Confronted with the evils of Mordor and imminent death, Pippin’s bravado flees. No longer is he playful; he recognizes the permanence of death. Pippin is shocked into sobriety. As stones of siege rain around them, Pippin’s fear is stark on his face. His thoughts turn more fully to death and he realizes his utter inability to flee from its inevitability.
PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.
GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.
GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.—The Return of the King, 2003
At this moment, the viewer realizes how far our playful, mischievous Pippin has journeyed from the Shire — physically, but also in maturity. Yet, despite this hopeful image of death, he does not resign himself to death but acts bravely in defending Faramir from the machinations of his mad father as Denethor nearly burns his son alive on the pyre.
Pippin realizes that death, while not a spectre of which to be frightened, is a departure from this Middle-Earth life and Faramir’s life was not yet at an end. So he intervenes to rescue Faramir (though it is Gandalf’s and Shadowfax’s actions that result in Denethor’s fiery death). Pippin knows that life is worth fighting for and he finally sees that he has a role in the fight against evil, even as a small Hobbit. He acts boldly, bravely, and fearlessly.
Merry, too, longs to contribute to the fight but is told by larger, stronger Men that “the battlefield is no place for a Hobbit.” (King Theoden, The Return of the King)
Merry’s stoutheartedness is reflected in his friendship with Eowyn; both desire to fight as true warriors, and both are rejected for reasons outside of their control — Merry because he is considered too small to fight a war with Men and Orcs, and Eowyn because she is a woman. Both are fiercely passionate about justice and want to ‘do their part’ in the fight for Middle-Earth.
Despite all naysayers, Merry is not swayed by others telling him that he cannot fight in meaningful ways. Instead, he is driven by his singular desire to fight against evil and will do all he can despite his small, seemingly insignificant stature. He doesn’t let anyone tell him what he cannot do. He does as he feels led and will not take no for an answer. Merry rises up against the darkness and asserts himself in the fight, even against those who doubt.
But Merry could not have acted as he did without Eowyn to assist him. She gave him the means to fight — a sword, armour, and a horse ride to Minas Tirith. She offered him what little protection she could give and enabled him to fight.
EOMER: You should not encourage him.
EOWYN: You should not doubt him.
EOMER: I do not doubt his heart, only the reach of his arm.
— The Return of the King, 2003
Yet, it is in the most unlikely of heroes that victory is won. Disguised and desperate to fight for the good of Middle-Earth against Sauron’s darkness, Merry and Eowyn fight courageously against the Witch-King of Angmar. Together, their bold actions result in the defeat of the Witch-King and the victory of Minas Tirith — though both are severely injured as a result.
At the end of the battle, Pippin wildly searches for Merry on the battlefield. In a heartwrenching display of love and loyalty, Pippin vows to look after his friend and nurse him back to health. The friends are reunited; their bond stronger than ever.
MERRY: Are you going to leave me?
PIPPIN: No, Merry, I’m going to look after you.
— The Return of the King, 2003
Finally, in the last stand at the Black Gate, both Merry and Pippin are honoured as brave fighters as they lead the armies of Middle-Earth in the charge against Sauron’s darkness. Of course, they are comically overtaken by the longer legs of Men, but the fact that they began the charge is not forgotten. No one dared keep the Hobbits from the fight any longer.
Returning to the Shire
Upon the final defeat of Sauron, the Hobbits return to Middle-Earth. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin sit solemnly in their familiar pub. They’ve come full circle from the beginning of The Fellowship, and none of them are who they once were. They are changed Hobbits.
Pippin is a more serious Hobbit than he was. He has been shocked by the evil that he has seen; his innocent playfulness has been tempered by his experiences. He has come face to face with death and horrendous darkness. He returns to the Shire with gladness, but he is changed.
Like Pippin, Merry realizes that life is more than fun and jokes. He took on a mantle of responsibility as he looked after Pippin in the first half of the series. He recognized more quickly than Pippin the depth of darkness in the world and instead of frightening him, it strengthened him.
Whereas Pippin was shocked into sobriety, Merry demonstrates courage that, like Sam, was there all along but didn’t have the occasion to arise until the challenges of the Fellowship and the fight for Middle-Earth. Merry’s journey shows a steadiness of his character and a willingness to face evil without shying away.
Saying Goodbye
And so we land at the final heartfelt scene where Frodo chooses to leave Middle-Earth forever at the Grey Havens. It is difficult not to cry at the displayed emotions of the Hobbits as they bid Frodo farewell. It is in this scene that the forever friendship of the four Hobbits is commemorated. The viewer reflects on each of the characters of these stout Halflings and recognizes how deeply they have been changed from the start. Yet, friendship ties them together. Their journey to the darkness has forged an unbreakable bond between them all.
The trauma of the Ring is too much for Frodo, who decides to leave Middle-Earth in search of peace. Sam has found happiness in his one love, Rosie, and it is in returning to the green earth and gardens of the Shire that he finds peace.
As for Pippin and Merry, well, I imagine that they go on to regale the Shire with all of their adventures over many pints of good ale and rounds of Ol’ Toby. They have not lost their humour, but it has matured and deepened. They have seen much and grown much; their peace and happiness are found in knowing that they have faced down evil, fought their hardest, and won — not by themselves, but together with all those who fight for the good in the land.
Therefore, Merry and Pippin are not merely sidekicks of Frodo and Sam. Nor are they simply comic relief. They are fully developed characters in their own right who grow and mature as a result of their quest through Middle-Earth. The viewer experiences the Hobbits’ jarring dissonance from life in the Shire to the Darkness of Mordor, the terror of gaping death, and the will of each to do their part to push back the Darkness for the sake of the Light. Despite their seeming insignificance, the Halflings are the saviours of Middle-Earth.
In the words of St. Paul, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:10)
