Aragorn son of Arathorn reveals more of his kingly nature in The Two Towers than he had in The Fellowship of the Ring. This is due, in part, to the apparent resurrection of Gandalf and the deferential treatment he offers the heir to the throne of Gondor and Arnor even in his new, more powerful state.

Both characters serve as Christ figures, one as the supernatural figure who gains power by passing through death, the other as a king disguised as a common man. Yet neither of these characters, though each powerful in his own right, controls the fate of the Ring, and thus of the whole of Middle-Earth.

That destiny lies with Frodo, and with his faithful servant Samwise. Tolkien intentionally leaves the most important duties, and the most dangerous missions, to these two most "common man" characters. Both Frodo and Sam are Hobbits, a small and...