Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will release on Amazon streaming services and bring characters never seen on screen to life. Audiences will be expecting the same level of depth from these new characters as those in the original series.
The writing will play an enormous part of meeting these expectations just as it does for characters like Gandalf the Grey. In the book series and the films there are lines of dialogues both by and about Gandalf that, in only a few words, give readers and viewers a summation of who the mystical wizard is.
"I Was Talking Aloud To Myself. A Habit Of The Old: They Choose The Wisest Person Present To Speak To."
The Two Towers
Gandalf's teasing line is a bit of an understatement. Gandalf is a Maiar in the Tolkien legendarium, an ancient spirit as old as the world itself. The wizard has always appeared as an old man and has taken on the characteristics of the elderly.
This line also shows the playful and cheeky side of the wizard. Old and crooked, Gandalf shows a keen sense of humor throughout The Lord of the Rings stories and is never afraid of a bit of showmanship and self-iration when the situation calls for it.
"I Do Not Know. At Any Rate You Are Not Ready For That Long Road Yet."
The Fellowship Of The Ring
As a great wizard, Gandalf is one of the most powerful entities in Middle-Earth during the time of Lord of the Rings. By the end of the story, he has even outpaced his old mentor, Saruman, as the wisest and perhaps most talented magic in Middle-Earth.
But even with all his wisdom and power, Gandalf is not all knowing. At the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring he can not see the journey ahead of himself and Frodo who he is speaking to. Gandalf openly its he does not know what is ahead showing great humility.
"Do Not Tempt Me! I Dare Not Take It, Not Even To Keep It Safe, Unused."
The Fellowship Of The Ring
Sauron's one ring is not just any magic ring. It doesn't grant wishes or shoot energy, what it does is enhance one's own power and desire. For that reason, anyone who tries to wield will eventually be overcome by their own ambition and use it for evil. Just as Sauron intended to use it.
In his wisdom, Gandalf understands this. He is fearful in this line because he not only has a firm grasp on his own power and what the ring could increase it to but he also has a very real understanding that he is vulnerable too.
"On The Shores Of The Sea Comes The End Of Our Fellowship In Middle-Earth. Go In Peace!"
The Return Of The King
This line comes near the very end of the Lord of the Rings saga and is a great example of how even Gandalf has been changed by the events of the saga. At the beginning of the story, the wizard is grumpy and even a little headstrong.
He knows he has a duty and is fearsome in his resolve to complete the task of saving Middle-Earth. But once it has been saved, the wizard speaks to the hobbits as equals, friends. And he wishes them peace, a signal that he himself has finally found peace.
"Only A Small Part Is Played In Great Deeds By Any Hero."
The Return Of The King
Every member of the fellowship of the ring is a hero in their own right. Each character battles enemies of Mordor as well as the doubts and personal challenges along the way to saving Middle Earth. Gandalf is powerful, wise, and respected; he could be a king in any other time.
But he knows that even with all his heroic qualities, he will only play a part in the story of destroying the ring. For Gandalf, it is just as important to aid in victory than it is to be the only hero.
“All We Have To Decide Is What To Do With The Time That Is Given Us.”
The Fellowship Of The Ring
This is one of the most repeated lines from J.R.R. Tolkien and for good reason. It is an amazing piece of writing and an important lesson about soldiering forward even in the most difficult of times. It's the start of Gandalf's quote, "So do I", in response to Frodo's "I wish it need not have happened in my time" that shows another side of the wizard.
From when audiences first meet Gandalf, it appears that he knows all the answers or at least will find them. He is up to the task of destroying the ring. But he its here that he too wishes he was not given this grave responsibility.
"Do You Wish Me A Good Morning, Or Mean That It Is A Good Morning Whether I Want It Or Not?"
The Fellowship Of The Ring
Gandalf is often accused of speaking in riddles and it's clear he has been The Hobbit. Gandalf takes advantage of a young Bilbo Baggins' trained politeness to confuse the Hobbit. One of the ways Gandalf stays so mysterious and charming at the same time is by teasing.
He likes to make people look at things from different angles. It's in this way he pushes the cautious into challenging themselves and coming out of their shells.
"He Had Decided That He Was Not Quite His Sort, And Wanted Him To Go Away. But The Old Man Did Not Move."
The Hobbit
Like all the Maiar sent to Middle-Earth by the Lord of the Rings' god, Gandalf is charged with defending and protecting the world from evil. Saruman and Radagast and the two unnamed Blue Wizards have varying levels of success with the task.
But in this line spoken in The Hobbit, one of Gandalf's defining traits is shown. His stubbornness and refusal to concede when he knows he is right is showcased by his refusal to even listen to Bilbo because the wizard knows the important role Bilbo will play in the future.
"Many That Live Deserve Death. And Some That Die Deserve Life. Can You Give It To Them?"
The Fellowship Of The Ring
When Gandalf speaks this line to Frodo in Moria, he is stating a main thesis of The Lord of the Rings as well as characterizing his own thoughts on life and death. Readers see that Gandalf can easily deliver death to his enemies but that doesn't mean he can judge them.
His magical powers may allow him the ability to take life but Gandalf understands that no one can determine who deserves which fate. It's here that Gandalf makes an important distinction between himself and the other powerful beings of Middle-Earth who believe it is their right to death and judgment on to others.
"I Will Not Say: Do Not Weep; For Not All Tears Are An Evil."
The Return Of The King
Throughout The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf proves himself to be courageous, wise, menacing, and everything else that makes him a powerful ally in the war against Sauron. But with one of his final lines Gandalf reminds everyone that he is also kind.
Gandalf is a friend of the Hobbits and the people of Middle Earth and while not close to a human in his origin, his great capacity for empathy helps him understand human feelings. Particularly that sadness is sometimes the appropriate reaction to the end of something.
