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Wormtongue is a parasite. Wormtongue is to be found always close to another. Wormtongue is parasitic of the other’s personality. Self-doubt and depression are sown in the other to bend the individual will. This worm is a parasite. Wormtongue cannot exist alone; he needs a host to manipulate. Wormtongue is always to be found alongside his host. The relationship pretends to be symbiotic but rather it is parasitic. Wormtongue's technique is not persuasion but invasion.
Wormtongue is the voice of the shadow. Sauron is the centre of the shadow and the Wraiths are the will of the shadow. Wormtongue is the shadow’s voice. As will is corrupted by the shadow into the form of the wraith so the voice is corrupted into an instrument of hypnotic manipulation in Wormtongue. Wormtongue is from the shadow and his weapon is from the shadow. A shadow of doubt. The shadow causes doubt of oneself and the loyalty of others. Wormtongue is himself a shadow. You will always find the manipulator standing just behind his victim. In his dark garb and his bent posture Wormtongue looks like a shadow. Wormtongue is the shadow of the mind of the king. It is as if Wormtongue has extracted the shadow in the mind of the king, embodied it and turned it to a wider malevolent purpose.
The serpent like quality of Wormtongue’s features recalls the hypnotic power of the mythic gorgon. The gorgon could control the will of it’s victim with its hypnotic charm.
Wormtongue has the features of a gorgon.
Once in the grip of the Gorgon the victim’s will could be bent to that of the gorgon. Medusa could turn her victim to stone using the serpent power. The turning to stone symbolised the freezing of the will.
Wormtongue's garb has references to his serpent power
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