Discuss the theme of pride and how it relates to the main characters throughout the tales. In which of these heroic figures does pride turn out to be their fatal flaw?

These tales are all published in an unfinished state, several with multiple versions. Does having the different versions add to the overall experience, or just make things more confusing and difficult to understand?

Discuss hope and how it relates to victory. Show how keeping hope alive serves as a driving factor for victory, while a loss of hope leads to defeat.

Several of these tales are written strictly for reference material. Does having this material make the rest of the works easier to decipher? What do these tales add to the world of Middle Earth?

Tolkien is known for his attention to detail and the richness of his settings. How does seeing the...