How Does Bilbo Understand the Spiders?
WouterIn The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins encounters spiders. He learns that the giant spiders can speak. He then uses his sword, Sting, to cut free dwarves who are caught in spider webs. He also learns that the dwarves are weak from spider poison.
Fortunately, Bilbo has no trouble figuring out what the spiders are saying. He calls them names, taunts them, and even sings to them to get them away from him.
The spiders are scary. They’re also leaner than the dwarves, and are more sharp. But they’re not mindless monsters like Gollum. They’re very human, and they have their own personalities.
Bilbo’s magic ring was connected to Lotr, but the One Ring of Sauron wasn’t yet in existence. The ring played a few tricks on Bilbo. It didn’t make him invisible, but it did give him a deeper understanding of the world.
Bilbo was a very old man at this point. He had lost a great deal of memory. He had also become very sleepy. He no longer went to feasts in the Great Hall, and was less involved in other things. He began to think of ways he could help his fellow company members.
Bilbo begins to work on his own plan to free the dwarves from the wood elves. It’s the first time he’s felt a real sense of resolve.
Bilbo’s magical ring came off his finger. He didn’t realize that it was linked to the One Ring of Sauron until he was entrapped by spiders.
