97 pages • 3 hours read
The Fellowship of the Ring
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During Reading
Reading Questions & Paired Texts
Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.
PROLOGUE-BOOK 1, CHAPTER 2
Reading Check
1. What title do the Hobbits give to their police?
2. What birthday is Bilbo celebrating?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Why do the Sackville-Bagginses decide to attend Bilbo’s party? How is their attendance meaningful?
2. What birthday is Frodo celebrating on the same day as Bilbo’s, and how is this birthday significant?
3. How does Gandalf confirm that Frodo’s ring is the One Ring? In what ways is the One Ring a danger?
Paired Resource
- This poem was written by Tolkien in response to C. S. Lewis’s criticism of the myth-making process. Listen along to a recorded reading here.
- What arguments does “Mythopoeia” give for the importance of myth and storytelling? How does it enhance your understanding of the Hobbit characters to learn about their history?
BOOK 1, CHAPTERS 3-5
Reading Check
1. Where does Gandalf tell Frodo to go?
2. What is in the basket that Farmer Maggot gives to Frodo?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Why is Frodo afraid of Farmer Maggot? In what way is this fear ironic?
2. Why does Frodo call his friends “deceitful scoundrels”?
BOOK 1, CHAPTERS 6-8
Reading Check
1. What does Merry dream about in Tom Bombadil’s house?
2. Who made the blades that the Hobbits receive?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. How does Tom Bombadil rescue Pippin from Old Man Willow?
2. Why does Frodo want to turn back after leaving Tom Bombadil’s house? How does this moment resolve?
Paired Resource
“The Brief History of Music Storytelling”
- This discussion offers thoughts on the role of musical storytelling in preserving and contributing to a culture’s history.
- The ideas in this discussion connect to the theme of The Power of Songs.
- Why do you think Tolkien chose to include entire songs in the narrative? How do songs add to the story in a way that traditional prose would not?
BOOK 1, CHAPTERS 9-12
Reading Check
1. Who told Mr. Butterbur to look out for Frodo at the inn?
2. Where do the Riders want to take Frodo?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. How do the Hobbits of the Shire view the Hobbits of Bree?
2. How does Frodo demonstrate at The Prancing Pony that he is not in firm control with regard to the One Ring’s powers?
3. Why don’t the Hobbits want to buy the horse from Bill Ferny?
BOOK 2, CHAPTERS 1-3
Reading Check
1. Who would Frodo like to see “more than all the towers and palaces in the world”? (Book 2, Chapter 1)
2. What does Elrond call the One Ring?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. What would have happened to Frodo if the Riders had succeeded in piercing his heart?
2. Why doesn’t the Company bring a lot of weapons with them on their journey?
BOOK 2, CHAPTERS 4-5
Reading Check
1. What kind of animals do the Company members face and defeat?
2. What sound do the war drums make?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Why does Gandalf struggle to open the door to the Mines? How is he eventually successful?
Paired Resource
- This National Geographic article explains how archaeologists draw conclusions about the past.
- How do archaeologists use artifacts to learn about a society? What do the remnants of Moria tell us about the Dwarves and their society?
BOOK 2, CHAPTERS 6-8
Reading Check
1. Who is able to maintain eye contact with Galadriel?
2. What is Sam excited to find in the boats?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Why does Aragorn insist that everyone in the Company be blindfolded on the way to Lórien? What might this demonstrate indirectly with regard to Aragorn’s character?
2. How is it possible that Frodo is able to see Galadriel’s ring?
Paired Resource
“What Are Sanctuary Cities and Why Do They Exist?”
- This article provides an explanation regarding the purpose of a “sanctuary city” and why a city might choose to designate itself as such.
- This article connects to the theme Exilic Wanderings and Home.
- How does Lothlórien serve as a place of sanctuary for the characters? How does this parallel the role of “sanctuary cities” in modern America?
BOOK 2, CHAPTERS 9-10
Reading Check
1. Who has been following the Company since Moria?
2. What mode of transportation does Frodo take to leave the Company?
Short Answer
Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.
1. Why does Boromir agree to follow Aragorn’s path through Amon Hen? How does this incident establish opposing traits between Aragorn and Boromir?
2. What circumstances permit Boromir to make an attempt to procure the One Ring? In what way do Boromir’s actions incite the resolution of The Fellowship of the Ring?
3. In what ways near the story’s conclusion does Sam show that he understands Frodo better than the others? What traits does Sam represent in his actions?
Recommended Next Reads
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
- This novel tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, the previous owner of the One Ring before Frodo takes charge of it. Tolkien wrote the book before The Lord of the Rings, and the events in this story take place several decades before the trilogy.
- Shared themes include the power of friendship and Exilic Wanderings and Home.
- Shared elements include high fantasy and Tolkien’s world of Middle-earth.
- The Hobbit on SuperSummary
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
- This is the first novel in the epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time. It follows a young farm boy named Rand al’Thor who, along with his friends, is drawn into a world of magic, prophecies, and a battle against dark forces as he discovers his own destiny as the Dragon Reborn.
- Shared themes include the power of friendship and The Battle Between Good and Evil.
- Shared elements include high fantasy and intricate world-building.
- The Eye of the World on SuperSummary
Reading Questions Answer Key
PROLOGUE-BOOK 1, CHAPTER 2
Reading Check
1. Shirriffs (Prologue)
2. Eleventy-first (111th) (Book 1, Chapter 1)
Short Answer
1. The Sackville-Bagginses attend Bilbo’s party because the invitation was fancy, and Bilbo’s parties usually had excellent food. Their attendance marks this birthday celebration as particularly significant, as they have experienced a general falling out with Bilbo over the years and are not usually on “visiting terms” with him. In this regard, Bilbo’s inviting the Sackville-Bagginses foreshadows his special announcement that he is leaving the Shire. (Book 1, Chapter 1)
2. Frodo’s birthday is the same as Bilbo’s. Frodo celebrates his 33rd birthday as Bilbo celebrates his 111th; the 33rd Hobbit birthday marks a coming-of-age into adulthood. While the birthday signifies that Frodo has matured in years, his upcoming quest will also serve as a coming-of-age experience in terms of courage and wisdom.
3. Gandalf confirms that Frodo’s ring is the One Ring by throwing it into the fire, causing an inscription to appear. The inscription, written in the language of Mordor, includes the phrase “One Ring to rule them all.” The One Ring is a danger because it has the power to corrupt the one who wears it and causes its bearer to struggle when faced with parting from it. More importantly, Gandalf has discovered that Sauron learned from Gollum the current location of the One Ring; to keep the Shire safe, Frodo must leave the Shire with the ring. (Book 1, Chapter 2)
BOOK 1, CHAPTERS 3-5
Reading Check
1. Rivendell (Book 1, Chapter 3)
2. Mushrooms (Book 1, Chapter 4)
Short Answer
1. Frodo is afraid of Farmer Maggot because he received a beating from Farmer Maggot as a child. Frodo is also afraid that Farmer Maggot’s dogs will attack him. Farmer Maggot, however, does not reveal Frodo’s whereabouts when the Black Rider comes looking for Frodo; Farmer Maggot also supplies mushrooms and a ride to the ferry for Frodo and his companions. Frodo wishes he had become friends with the farmer sooner. (Book 1, Chapter 4)
2. Frodo calls his friends “deceitful scoundrels” because they have been spying on him. Sam, Merry, and Pippin have been conspiring together to make sure that he does not leave the Shire without them. (Book 1, Chapter 5)
BOOK 1, CHAPTERS 6-8
Reading Check
1. Drowning (Book 1, Chapter 7)
2. Men of Westernesse (Book 1, Chapter 8)
Short Answer
1. Tom Bombadil scolds Old Man Willow in a song, and the tree lets Pippin go. It is significant that Tom’s humane approach is successful after Sam and Frodo’s attempt to use fire in rescuing their friends is not. (Book 1, Chapter 6)
2. Frodo wants to turn back because they did not say goodbye to Goldberry. Goldberry then appears in a vision, wishes the travelers a blessing, and tells them to “hold to [their] purpose.” (Book 1, Chapter 8)
BOOK 1, CHAPTERS 9-12
Reading Check
1. Gandalf (Book 1, Chapter 10)
2. Mordor (Book 1, Chapter 12)
Short Answer
1. The Hobbits of the Shire think that the Hobbits of Bree are boring and rough around the edges. (Book 1, Chapter 9)
2. Frodo accidentally slips the ring onto his finger at The Prancing Pony and disappears before his companions’ eyes. When he returns, he tries to say he simply crawled out of sight momentarily, but the other guests are now suspicious of him.
3. The Hobbits do not want to buy the horse from Bill Ferny because it is old and thin, and Bill is overcharging them. (Book 1, Chapter 11)
BOOK 2, CHAPTERS 1-3
Reading Check
1. Bilbo (Book 2, Chapter 1)
2. Isildur’s Bane (Book 2, Chapter 2)
Short Answer
1. Frodo would have been turned into a wraith if the Riders were successful in piercing his heart. (Book 2, Chapter 1)
2. The Company does not bring a lot of weapons with them because they want to be stealthy and not attract attention. (Book 2, Chapter 3)
BOOK 2, CHAPTERS 4-5
Reading Check
1. Wolves (Book 2, Chapter 4)
2. “Doom, doom” (Book 2, Chapter 5)
Short Answer
1. Gandalf tries a variety of spells and commands to try to open the doors to the Mines of Moria without success. Then, he understands that the door’s inscription, “Speak, friend, and enter” is a riddle; he only must say the Elven word for “friend” to open the door to the Mines. (Book 2, Chapter 4)
BOOK 2, CHAPTERS 6-8
Reading Check
1. Legolas and Aragorn (Book 2, Chapter 7)
2. Rope (Book 2, Chapter 8)
Short Answer
1. Haldir wants to blindfold Gimli on the way into Lórien because of the historical enmity between the elves and the dwarves, but Aragorn insists that everyone should be blindfolded so that Gimli does not get singled out. This demonstrates indirectly that Aragorn is skillful in evaluating others’ personalities and sensitivities; he leads by recommending solutions that will diffuse conflict and keep the peace. (Book 2, Chapter 6)
2. Frodo is able to see Nenya, Galadriel’s ring, because he is also a ring-bearer. (Book 2, Chapter 7)
BOOK 2, CHAPTERS 9-10
Reading Check
1. Gollum (Book 2, Chapter 9)
2. Boat (Book 2, Chapter 10)
Short Answer
1. Boromir agrees grudgingly to follow Aragorn’s path through Amon Hen because he knows that Frodo is more likely to follow Aragorn than him; he gives in because his intention is to remain near Frodo. While Aragorn wisely promotes a safe path to evade the rapids, Boromir unhelpfully critiques the plan, saying the carrying of the boats will be too strenuous. (Book 2, Chapter 9)
2. Aragorn charges Frodo with the decision of how the group should continue: fight in Gondor; go with Frodo to Mordor; or break the Fellowship and allow each to go his own way. Overwrought with the weighty decision, Frodo goes off alone to think, and Boromir follows him. Boromir first tries to coerce Frodo’s decisions, and then tries to take the One Ring for himself. Frodo escapes from Boromir by putting on the Ring and becoming invisible. His vision of Sauron’s eye convinces him that he must travel on alone to protect his friends. (Book 2, Chapter 10)
3. Sam speaks out to the other members of the Fellowship that they have all misunderstood Frodo’s worries; that Frodo’s hesitation in choosing their path results from his fear for their well-being, not fear for himself. Sam also distrusts Boromir’s recounting of his encounter with Frodo. Sam intuitively knows that Frodo, invisible, is in the boat departing from the dock, and demonstrates loyalty and courage by jumping into the water and insisting on accompany Frodo onward.
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By J. R. R. Tolkien
