02/27/2025
By Andrew Drenas

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Return of the King," the third book in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Medieval and Renaissance Studies will be hosting a special lecture.

On Monday, March 24, Professor Michael Drout (Wheaton College), an expert on the works of Tolkien, will come to UMass Lowell to give a talk entitled "Making I = Eye: How the One Ring Works in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings.'" In this lecture, Professor Drout will explore how the One Ring is an object of such enormous power that if the Dark Lord Sauron regains it, "his victory will be swift and complete." But despite this power, the Ring cannot be used for good, as its intrinsic evil will corrupt anyone who tries to wield it. Furthermore, the Ring somehow addicts its bearers so that they become obsessed and are unable to damage the Ring or throw it away. From what the Ring does to Frodo, Sam, and Gollum, we can determine that if Sauron regained the Ring, he could so impose his will that for the people of Middle-earth, the pronoun "I" would refer not to themselves, but to the Eye of Mordor.

This event will take place from 4-5:30 p.m. in O'Leary 222. It is free and open to the public. It is being co-sponsored by Medieval & Renaissance Studies, the English Department, and the History Department. For more information, contact Professor Andrew Drenas, coordinator of Medieval & Renaissance Studies, at Andrew_Drenas@uml.edu.