Frodo, Sam and Gollum’s Destination – Cirith Ungol
Gollum led Frodo and Sam along the paths of Ephel Duath through the Morgul Vale and past Minas Morgul to Cirith Ungol.
Cirith Ungol was the only location of Mordor not heavily defended by the dark forces of Sauron. For a reason though.
Estrangement between Frodo and Sam by Gollum
In the movie only, Gollum tries to separate Frodo from Sam and constantly makes brawls between them.
As the party of Gollum, Sam and Frodo became closer to Mordor, the One Ring’s power also grew and the evil of the One Ring started to influence Frodo Baggins.
Frodo Baggins started to grow bad emotions of Sam while Gollum constantly provoked him. Sam kindly offered to bear the One Ring for Frodo but Frodo started to feel that Sam was trying to detach the One Ring from him.
Weight of the One Ring and Frodo’s bruises
In the movie, the One Ring’s influence starts to grow as Frodo became closer to Mordor. This is depicted by the bruises on Frodo Baggins’s neck.
The depiction of these bruises are to show that the One Ring is physically growing heavier on Frodo’s neck to an extent that it hurts him.
Cirith Ungol
Cirith Ungol was guarded by the Tower of Cirith Ungol that was made by Gondor when Sauron was defeated as an overwatch tower.
The name Cirith Ungol means the spider’s pass in Sindarin elf language as Cirith means way or pass and ungol means spider. The name of Cirith Ungol implied the presence of the Great Spider Shelob although Shelob nested in Cirith Ungol after Sauron’s return.
Sauron and the forces of Mordor didn’t heavily guard Cirith Ungol because of Shelob’s presence and her nest. Shelob would devour the orcs that tried to ward her off and the orc garrisons of Cirith Ungol.
Sauron then decided to leave Cirith Ungol under Shelob’s guard as Sauron thought the presence of Shelob would make a better defense.
Shelob the Great Spider
Shelob was the last descendant of the Great Spider Ungoliant of the 1st Ages. Ungoliant was born from the endless void that was out of Iluvatar’s authority.
Ungoliant was responsible for destroying the Two Trees of Valinor the Gold Tree Laurelin and the Silver Tree Telperion. Ungoliant was a terrible being that even threatened Sauron’s former master Melkor(Morgoth).
Shelob would nest in Cirith Ungol and has resided there for thousands of years in her nest. Shelob’s offsprings would infest Mirkwoods as the dakrness of Sauron devoured the lights.
Gollum was once captured by Shelob, however Shelob released Gollum as Gollum promised to lure prey to her.
Frodo Baggins abandons Samwise Gamgee
In the movie, by Gollum’s plot Gollum threw away all the remaining lembas, the way bread of the elves while Sam and Frodo were asleep.
After they discovered all the lembas was gone, Gollum blamed it on Sam and claimed that Sam consumed them all with greed as Gollum put some crumbs over Sam.
Frodo Baggins, already inflicted by the One Ring and consumed by negativity, eventually abandons Samwise Gamgee.
In the novel, this didn’t happen and Gollum or Smeagol even thought of not betraying Sam and Frodo after seeing Frodo asleep. However as Sam treated Gollum brutally once more, Gollum initiates his plan to feed Sam and Frodo to Shelob
Frodo and Sam’s skirmish against Shelob
In the novel, Frodo and Sam didn’t separate from each other and this was more of a movie adaptation.
Sam and Frodo both warded off Shelob together with the elf sword Sting and the Phial of Galadriel that had the light of the Star of Earendil but Frodo was injured and paralyzed by Shelob’s venom.
Sam’s skirmish against Shelob
In the movie, Gollum abandons Frodo in Shelob’s lair and although Frodo resisted, Shelob ambushes Frodo from the back and paralyzes him wither her venom.
Sam, however was following Frodo and Sam first though Frodo was dead and attempted to avenge him.
With the Phial of Galadriel and Frodo’s sword Sting, Sam was able to blind Shelob and ward the great spider off. Sam grieved over Frodo without knowing that he was dead.
Phial of Galadriel
The Phial of Galadriel was the gift that that Galadriel gave to Frodo Baggins that contained the light of the star of Earendil.
Earendil was the father of Elrond and the great half-elf, half-human hero that defeated Ancalagon, the great uruloki and helped win the War of the Wrath defeating Morgoth, Sauron’s former master.
After Morogth’s defeat, Earendil put a Silmaril on his flying boat Vingilote and overwatched the void.
The Phial of Galadriel contained the light of this Silmaril of Earendil that warded off evil creatures and became a symbol of hope.
Frodo’s capture at the Tower of Cirith Ungol and Sam’s rescue
Sam overheard the orc scouts that captured paralyzed Frodo and he realized that Frodo wasn’t dead. The orc scouts took Frodo to the Tower of Cirith Ungol and stripped all the belongings of Frodo.
Luckily, Sam recovered the One Ring from Frodo before the orc scouts arrived thinking Frodo was dead. The orc scouts were especially interested in the Mithril armor of Frodo and took it to Sauron.
Gorbag, an orc from Minas Morgul wanted the Mitrhil armor for himself while Shagrat, an uruk from Mordor demands that the Mitrhil armor must be reported to Sauron.
The orcs of Minas Morgul led by Gorbag and the uruks of Mordor led by Shagrat eventually fought each other.
Shagrat was able to bring all the possessions of Frodo Baggins including the mithril armor to Sauron except for the One Ring. Samwise Gamgee was able to take advantage of this fight among the orcs and fought the remaining survivors and rescued Frodo Baggins.
Frodo and Sam disguise as orcs and enters Mordor to destroy the One Ring.
