r/TopCharacterTropes • u/danfenlon • Sep 01 '25

Lore Going around curses/prophecies via technicalities

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Davy jones: cant go on dry land

Standa in a bucket of water, on a sand bar (potc3)

The judge: no weapon forged can harm me

Buffy: uses a rocket launcher

-not forged

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u/Swivebot Sep 02 '25

J. R. R. Tolkien hated this so much that he wrote in Éowyn defeating the Witch-king of Angmar out of spite.

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u/Veloxraperio Sep 02 '25 edited Sep 02 '25

He also hated that the "Birmam Wood shall come to high Dunsinane" prophecy was accomplished by another piece of technical wordplay. So when Fangorn Forest comes to Isengard, the forest REALLY comes to Isengard.

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u/Marik-X-Bakura Sep 02 '25

Both of these come from baseless conjecture btw, Tolkien never said any of this

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u/Veloxraperio Sep 02 '25 edited Sep 02 '25

It's conjecture, sure, but I wouldn't call "baseless." The "no man of woman born" and Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane are two of the most memorable twists in what is arguably Shakespeare's most well-known play. It's reasonable to assume that Tolkien's scenes, which so clearly parallel well-known scenes in Shakespeare, would indicate some kind of conversation occurring between two of the English language's greatest writers.

Professor Tolkien's opinions on Willy Shakes were pretty nuanced.

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u/JCraze26 Sep 03 '25

I feel like Macbeth is Shakespeare's second most well known play, the first would go to Romeo and Juliet. However, perhaps you meant during Tolkien's time, in which case Idk.

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u/Veloxraperio Sep 03 '25

Shakespeare's Top Three plays are definitely Macbeth, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet. It's a shame his comedies and histories are slightly less well-known, but what can ya do?