In the final installment of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the Fellowship has been separated for some time, and the stage has been set for all-out war throughout Middle Earth. When Sauron attacks Gondor, Gandalf, Aragorn, and the others scramble to warn the defenders.
Aragorn calls upon an ancient curse for aid in saving Middle Earth. He travels to the Paths of the Dead and with an army of oath-breakers he marches on Sauron's army, still hoping to distract Sauron from Frodo's quest.
Sam saves his friend from imprisonment in the tower at Cirith Ungol, leaving Gollum to his own devices. Frodo and Sam continue toward the Cracks of Doom and the Ring becomes more and more powerful preying on Frodo and overcoming his will. With the quest nearly at its end the hobbit surrenders, but Gollum reappears. A struggle ensues and the Ring is destroyed.
At Sauron's defeat, Aragorn takes back his throne and is crowned king of Arnor and Gondor. Saruman escapes from imprisonment in Isengard and takes over the Shire, only to be defeated by the four hobbits. Middle Earth dissolves into peace and the heroes fade into legend.
Unlike the first two parts of the trilogy, The Return of the King is focused on the military victory and its aftermath. The Fellowship faces difficult obstacles to reach their goal, and in the end are driven apart by that same duty which pushed them to begin in Fellowship. Tolkien's ending shows that sometimes the heroes don't go home and live peaceful lives, but are driven by their wounds to continue the chaos which created them; however there are heroes who return to their lives and are successful. High school and more mature readers can better understand the points illustrated through Tolkien's trilogy.
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