Article Title
Tolkien's Monsters: Concept and Function in The Lord of the Rings (Part II): Shelob the Great
Abstract
Three-part examination of “how Tolkien’s theory of the centrality of the monsters in Beowulf influenced his own concept of ‘monster’ and what function that concept should fulfill within” The Lord of the Rings. Part II considers the characteristics of Shelob (and Ungoliant) as monsters, traces the sources and development of these characteristics, and analyzes the importance of the confrontation with Shelob in the overall plot, especially in the character development of Sam.
