In Praise of Bernard Hill and King Théoden
Whether in battle scenes or intimate moments, the late Hill brought Tolkien's beloved King of Rohan to poignant life.
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Welcome to Tolkien Tuesdays, where I talk about various things that I love about the lore and writings of Tolkien, whether in a chapter reading or a character study or an essay. I hope you enjoy reading these ruminations as much as I enjoy writing them and, if you have a moment, I’d love it if you’d subscribe to this newsletter. It’s free, but there are paid options, as well, if you’re of a mind to support a struggling writer. Either way, thank you for joining me!
Like many others in the Tolkien community, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Bernard Hill, the British actor who, among many other roles in his career, is particularly well-known and praised for his portrayal of King Théoden in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings. Though at first nearly unrecognizable due to the malign influence of Wormtongue and possession by the nefarious Saruman, after he is liberated by Gandalf, Bernard Hill’s King becomes one of the trilogy’s most notable and beloved avatars of heroic masculinity. At times steely and at others remarkably gentle–particularly when it comes to his relationship with his niece, Éowyn–the character as interpreted by Hill, who died May 5, is truly one of the best in a film trilogy filled with beloved individuals.
Théoden is rightly seen as one of Tolkien’s best creations. Unlike the Steward Denethor, who hails from the mighty line of Númenor, Théoden is of a race of men that is of humbler (though no less ancient) stock and, as such, closer to the humans that we know in our own time. Moreover, unlike Denethor, who gives in to despair and chooses self-immolation rather than continuing to fight against the powers of Mordor, the King of Rohan continues to battle right up until the end of his life. A similar dynamic is still at play in Jackson’s film. While this version of Denethor–played by John Noble–is far more myopic and straightforwardly cruel than his novel counterpart, he is still of a different order than Hill’s Théoden who, from the moment he is liberated from Saruman’s influence displays remarkable strength of spirit, even when it seems as is his entire kingdom will fall beneath Saruman’s heel.
To be sure, Hill’s Théoden, like many of the other heroes of Jackson’s take on Tolkien, is more flawed and more human than his novel counterpart. He has moments of doubt and despair–most notably at Helm’s Deep, where at times he seems almost poised to give up the fight against such “reckless hate”--and there is even some question whether he will go to the aid of Gondor. As he says (in one of the trilogy’s most memorable moments): “Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell?” It remains unclear right up until the moment when Aragorn sees the beacons whether Rohan will ride to Gondor’s aid or whether they will tend to their own but, in the end, Théoden does what is right. Only Hill could have delivered the line “And Rohan will answer” with such grace and power and determination.
Time and again during both The Two Towers and The Return of the King, Hill excels at capturing the king’s martial valor, and it’s impossible not to feel a rush of feeling, of exhilaration, and of exultation when Théoden gives his climactic speech at the Pelennor Fields. Even faced with the vast forces of Mordor and what will almost certainly mean his own death, the aged king nevertheless is determined to lead his men into battle, to exhort them to this last doomed charge. Just as he did at Helm’s Deep, Bernard Hill calls up a thrilling performance that sears itself into the viewer’s imagination, making us feel as if we, too, are among the gathered Rohirrim, riding to relieve a city beleaguered by the sinister forces of the Dark Lord.
And then, of course, there is the terrible moment when Théoden, mortally wounded from his encounter with the fell beast ridden by the Witch-king of Angmar, still finds the strength to give his beloved niece, who has done so much for him. “My body is broken,” he says, “You have to let me go. I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed.” Even though Jackson has been rightly praised for his skills in imagining the big battle set pieces of Tolkien’s work, he also excels at these more intimate moments, drawing extraordinary performances out of his actors. Here Hill captures so much of what makes Théoden such a beloved character, for though he knows he is dying and takes comfort from the fact that he was able to redeem himself from his earlier decrepitude by engaging in martial feats of valor, he also uses his last breaths to grant peace to the young woman left behind. It’s like a scene right out of Beowulf, and it’s thanks to Hill’s tremendous performance that we feel our hearts break along with Éowyn’s.
For me, though, his most remarkable and wrenching scene will always be the one in which Théoden bears witness to the burial of his son, Théodred. “Alas that these evil days should be mine,” he says, “the young perish, and the old linger. That I should live to see the last days of my house [...] No parent should ever have to bury their child.” To watch the spasm of grief pass across the king’s face, to watch him hold his face in his hands, and to watch him fall to his knees in a paroxysm of loss, is to experience vicariously the agony of a father bidding farewell not just to the son who, it’s worth remembering, he didn’t even realize was dead thanks to Wormtongue and Saruman.
Even if Jackson had done nothing else right in his adaptation of Tolkien’s masterpiece–and he did do many great things with the source material, in my humble opinion–he couldn’t have chosen a better person than Bernard Hill to play King Théoden. Hill brings this character out of the realm of the heroic and the archetypal into that of lived reality, giving us someone that we can feel for and understand at a deeply human level. When Théoden dies on the battlefield, we feel as if something has gone with him, and the same is true of saying goodbye to Bernard Hill. Though we will always have Jackson’s films, Hill’s passing is a reminder of the ephemerality of our stars.
Rest easy, king. You’ve more than earned it.
I think a true testament to Bernard Hill as an actor and Theoden as a character is that he was 13-year-old David's favorite character. I spent hours as Aragorn or Legolas in the video games, but even at a young, impressionable age, I found Theoden the most compelling, flawed, and human character in the whole trilogy.
We meet him at his absolute lowest point. He's broken and so full of doom and gloom, but he always rises to the occasion and allows himself to dare to hope.
Better than any character, I think he personifies the theme of hope against all odds in this story.
Pre-battle inspirational speeches tend to be cheesy and come off as forced, they are very rarely earned. Theoden's speech, in a movie full of great speeches and emotional moments, is probably the highlight of the entire trilogy. This man has suffered loss and defeat, and arrives at Minas Tirith with a meager force that couldn't possibly content with the vast size of the forces of Mordor. When he gives his pre-battle speech, it isn't to motivate his men (and Eowyn) to victory, it's to pump them up to die. He is getting them excited to die. And it works! That speech gives me chills every single time.
Theoden and Bernard were absolute legends.