Another Wormtongue

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 11783

Fascinating post, Marvin.

There is another Wormtongue in fiction who needs a mention:  The 
Lord of the Rings' Grima, nicknamed Wormtongue, who is a servant of 
Theoden of Rohan but goes over to Saruman.
  
I have to head to work so I don't have time to think out the 
parallels--maybe some other LOTR fan wants to run with it--but the 
basic pattern of betrayal and cowardice is there.  And I love your 
analysis that Wormtail's temptation is despair--the same with Grima, I 
would say off the top of my head.

Putting The Screwtape Letters on my must-read list,
Amy Z

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Ron peered into Harry's teacup, his forehead
wrinkled with effort.  "There's a blob a bit
like a bowler hat," he said.  "Maybe you're 
going to work for the Ministry of Magic. . . ."
               -HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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