Wormtongue is a rash individual and underestimates the power of the outsider Gandalf to exploit him as a traitor. Wormtongue’s first mistake was getting caught stealing Theoden’s sword. After this discovery, Theoden gives Wormtongue the option to ride into battle with him or return to Saruman. Instead of agreeing to fight with Theoden, “His eyes glittered. Such malice was in them that men stepped back from him. He bared his teeth: and with a hissing breath he spat before the king’s feet, and darting to the side, he fled down the stairs” (509). Instead of keeping his contact with Theoden, Wormtongue abandons his position as advisor to return to Saruman. When Gandalf throws down Saruman at Orthanc, Wormtongue becomes enraged and throws out the palentir at Gandalf. This was a terrible decision, because as Gandalf points out, “’Strange are the turns of fortune! Often does hatred hurt itself! I guess that, even if we had entered in, we could have found few treasures in Orthanc more precious than the thing which Wormtongue threw down at us’” (571). Wormtongue let his emotions overcome him and paid the price by giving away the
Wormtongue is a rash individual and underestimates the power of the outsider Gandalf to exploit him as a traitor. Wormtongue’s first mistake was getting caught stealing Theoden’s sword. After this discovery, Theoden gives Wormtongue the option to ride into battle with him or return to Saruman. Instead of agreeing to fight with Theoden, “His eyes glittered. Such malice was in them that men stepped back from him. He bared his teeth: and with a hissing breath he spat before the king’s feet, and darting to the side, he fled down the stairs” (509). Instead of keeping his contact with Theoden, Wormtongue abandons his position as advisor to return to Saruman. When Gandalf throws down Saruman at Orthanc, Wormtongue becomes enraged and throws out the palentir at Gandalf. This was a terrible decision, because as Gandalf points out, “’Strange are the turns of fortune! Often does hatred hurt itself! I guess that, even if we had entered in, we could have found few treasures in Orthanc more precious than the thing which Wormtongue threw down at us’” (571). Wormtongue let his emotions overcome him and paid the price by giving away the