STUDY GUIDE. Presenting sponsor: Children s Series Sponsor: MTYP acknowledges the ongoing support of: Media Sponsors:

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1 STUDY GUIDE Based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien Adapted by Kim Selody Produced by permission and under license from Middle-Earth Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Presenting sponsor: Children s Series Sponsor: MTYP acknowledges the ongoing support of: Media Sponsors:

2 , The Hobbit Based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien Adapted by Kim Selody Produced with permission and under license from Middle-earth Enterprises. All rights reserved. Study guide prepared by ELLEN PETERSON Study guide images created by LINDA LEON CAST HERBIE BARNES Bilbo Baggins TIFFANY AYALIK Elrond et al. COLUMPA BOBB Old Took et al. JAMES DURHAM Gollum et al. DAVID GILLIES Thorin TOBY HUGHES Bombur et al. LOC LU Balin et al. DAVID WARBURTON Gandalf et al. SANDRA McEWING 1 st Stage Manager DUSTYN WALES 2 nd Stage Manager KATHERINE JOHNSTON Apprentice Stage Manager CREATIVE TEAM HERBIE BARNES Director RON JENKINS Associate Director LINDA LEON Set / Costume Design SCOTT HENDERSON Lighting Design OLAF PYTLLIK Sound Design Manitoba Theatre for Young People is celebrating its 30 th season as Manitoba s only professional theatre devoted solely to young people. MTYP is Manitoba s most influential arts organization, in young audience development, family attendance, social issue education and cross-cultural understanding, playing to an audience of over 125,000 people each year. Each year, MTYP presents a season of performances at our theatre, The Shaw Performing Arts Centre at The Forks. In addition, the company tours extensively in Winnipeg and Manitoba in both the Fall and Spring, and tours nationally throughout Canada. MTYP operates a theatre school with over 1200 students enrolled each year, and its Aboriginal Arts Training & Mentorship Program reaches over 600 students annually. Manitoba Theatre for Young People is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) and engages under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional artists who are members of the Canadian Actors Equity Association. The Hobbit performance dates: October 27 November 13, 2011

3 Dear Educator, J. R. R. Tolkien intended The Hobbit for a wide age range of readers. Please feel free to adapt the following exercises to your class, be it a class of younger or older students, as you see fit. The actors and staff at MTYP greatly enjoy receiving feedback from you and your students through various expressions - drawings, reviews, stories, and / or comments. Please forward any responses to: Manitoba Theatre for Young People Shaw Performing Arts Centre 2 Forks Market Road Winnipeg, MB R3C 4X1 Sincerely yours, Leslee Silverman

4 STUDY GUIDE Myths develop a link with the past, a continuity that helps people weather the presents and look forward to the future. In an era of unprecedented change, the links to the past are stretched to the breaking point, and a people without roots are likely to become a people without branches or flowers. Daniel Grotta, The Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien

5 CONTENTS I. BEFORE THE PLAY Plot Synopsis II AFTER THE PLAY Questions for Discussion Activity: Writing Reviews III ABOUT THE AUTHOR IV ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE PLAY Glossary of Characters Activity: Pass the Story String Activity: Story and Scene V THE HERO S JOURNEY Activity: Courage VI RIDDLES A very hard riddle... (for older students) VII FANTASY AND MYTH: CREATING OTHER WORLDS Activity: Creating a world 3 Additional Activities Answers to riddles VIII FURTHER READlNG

6 I BEFORE THE PLAY Plot Synopsis I am not alive, but I grow. I don t have lungs, but I need air. I don t have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I? Hundreds of years before the adventure of The Hobbit begins, Smaug the Dragon destroyed the town of Dale and stole the great treasure that dwarves had stored under nearby Lonely Mountain. When the story of the play begins, Thorin has organized a party of dwarves to reclaim the treasure. Gandalf (the Wizard) hires Bilbo Baggins, a home loving Hobbit, to accompany the dwarves as expert burglar. Bilbo s adventurous streak starts him reluctantly on a grand adventure. In their quest to reclaim the treasure, Bilbo and the dwarves encounter trolls, elves and goblins, and outsmart the evil Gollum. They find ancient and powerful swords, a map, a magic ring, and are helped along the way by a variety of creatures. After a fight with the dragon and a terrible battle, Bilbo Baggins returns home more peace-loving than ever, but with an increased sense of his own courage and strength. II AFTER THE PLAY Questions for Discussion Why does Bilbo Baggins go on the journey even though he says he doesn t want to? What does Bilbo Baggins gain by his adventure? Does he change his mind about anything? Do any of the other characters change or learn? Is Tolkien s fantasy world similar to the real world in any way? Are the creatures like people? What is the moral of the story? What does the author think about greed? War? Activity: Writing Reviews Each student writes a review of the play, sharing their impressions of the performances, set and costume design, and script. Encourage the reviewers to state clearly what they did and did not like, and why.

7 III ABOUT THE AUTHOR What can run but never walks, Has a mouth but never talks, Has a bed but never sleeps, Has a head but never weeps? I am in fact a hobbit (in all but size). I like gardens, trees and unmechanized farmlands: I smoke a pipe and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking: I like, and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental Waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field): have a very simple sense of humour (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome): I go to bed late and get up late (when possible). I do not travel much. J.R.R. Tolkien The acclaimed Hobbit creator and scholar, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, was an inventor of sorts, having created mythological lands, creatures and languages in his many works. In school, Ronald discovered that he had an aptitude for languages. He also was fond of creating adventure stories and even new complex languages. As a teenager, he met his first and lifelong love, Edith Bratt. They married in 1916; a year after Tolkien graduated from Oxford with First Class Honours in philology, the study of language. He returned to Oxford ten years later as a professor of Anglo-Saxon. By that time, he and Edith had four children: John, Michael, Christopher and Priscilla. It was for them, and for his own diversion, that Tolkien originally wrote The Hobbit. Middle-earth, the fictional land where the story is set, was his playground, where he could escape after a day of teaching. In 1936, Tolkien showed the nearly completed manuscript to a student, who in turn submitted it to her employers at a London publishing house. The chairman of the firm gave the book to his 10-year-old son to scrutinise. The boy delighted in the tale, and declared that it should appeal to children between the ages of 5 and 9. When the book sold out soon after it was printed, Tolkien s publisher recommended that he write a sequel and so work began on The Lord of the Rings. The detail and background of Tolkien s stories are unmatched. Some interviewers who spoke with him have reported that Tolkien would talk about Middle-earth and its inhabitants as if they really existed. Perhaps it was because he had conceived such lengthy histories, family trees, legends and social customs and complete languages for each type of creature in his stories. This gave them the appearance of being real, of having existed even before Tolkien began writing about them. Tolkien professed to be a hobbit at least in his habits. But in his logic, knowledge and insights, and in his love of adventure, he was perhaps more like Gandalf the Grey, the wizard who guides all the good through their journeys.

8 IV ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE PLAY Glossary of Characters: To cross the water I m the way, For water I m above. I touch it not and, truth to say, I neither swim nor move. Hobbits Quiet, simple peaceful creatures who live in the Shire, west of the Misty Mountains. Short (fullgrown Hobbits are about half the size of men) with round stomachs and furry feet (they do not wear shoes). Their homes are made in the sides of hills and are dry, clean and comfortable. They are especially fond of food and especially dislike any kind of adventure. Gandalf the Grey - wizard and seer Also Known as Mithrander or the Grey Wanderer, friend to all Free Peoples. Generally limits the use of his power to guiding and assisting others in their quests. Usually disguised as an eccentric, old vagabond. Dwarves Short and stocky with long beards. Wear heavy boots and large hoods. Are primarily concerned with the crafting and hoarding of treasure. Their greatest enemies are dragons and they also despise goblins. Thorin Oakenshield Heir to King Durin, eldest and most royal of the Seven Fathers of Dwarves in middle-earth. An ungrateful, driven, greedy, demanding and pretentious dwarf. Bombur, Balin, Fili and KiIi The dwarves who accompany Thorin on his quest to recover the treasure from Smaug the Dragon. Trolls Giant, dull-witted predators with hides of overlapping scales. Turn to stone if caught in the direct rays of the sun. Live underground in dirty caves. Elves The first inhabitants of Middle-earth. Immortal creatures who are highly intelligent. Some are skilled metal smiths who invest their works with healing or magical powers. Airy and elusive, lovers of nature and song. Elrond Lord of RivendelI A royal descendent of the race of elves and hero of the North. Master of Rivendell - a safe and secret elf haven in the foothills of the Misty Mountains where evil things cannot come. Extremely kind, wise and knowledgeable.

9 Goblins Ferocious, blood-drinking creatures used as soldiers by the forces of evil in Middle-earth. Not clever enough to mount full blown attacks against enemy forces on their own, but manage to successfully ambush travellers passing near their mountain or woodland hideouts. Gollum - Murderer and Ringbearer Formerly a hobbit. Corrupted and disfigured by the evil side of the powerful ring he has possessed for over 500 years. A treacherous murderer. Thranduil Elfin-king of Northern Mirkwood With his wood elves, he has managed to resist the evil forces that have overrun Mirkwood Forest. He has, however, by necessity, become wary and suspicious over the years and will not tolerate even friendly or neutral parties who wander off the Old Forest Road and into his woods. Bard the Bowman Plays a significant role in recovering the treasure from Smaug the Dragon. Is at a later time crowned King of the city of Dale for his heroism and restores the city, (which had long ago been destroyed by the dragon) to its former glory. Smaug - the Dragon Cunning, cruel and fearsome. Destroyed the town of Dale and stole the great treasure that dwarves had stored under nearby Lonely Mountain until Thorin and company finally came to reclaim it two centuries later. Activity: Pass the Story String Prepare a Story String in advance, using a ball of coloured yarn. At varying intervals along the length of the yarn, tie a short piece of a different colour. Rewind the ball of yarn as you go, until you have come to the end. Find a small box or can with a removable lid, and punch a hole in the lid. Thread the end of the yarn through the hole. Students sit in a circle. The first storyteller is given a short round stick, such as a paintbrush handle, and as s/he begins to tell a story, s/he winds the yarn around the stick until reaching the knot. When the knot meets the stick, the storyteller passes the stick and the yarn on to the next person, who continues the story from that point. You can use this as a method for retelling (and therefore retaining) the story of the play or another story they have recently read. Or you can invent a story. It helps to give the first storyteller a setting or character to start with. You can also add the rule that every time a storyteller comes to a knot, they must add a new and original element to the story.

10 Activity: Story and Scene If your class was familiar with the Hobbit before seeing the MTYP production, they would have noticed many differences between the book and the play. To create a ninety-minute play based on a lengthy book, decisions have to be made about which events, characters and themes are most important. No two playwrights will approach this task in the same way. Divide the class into small groups and give each group the same story to read - preferably a very familiar one with several characters and elaborate settings. After reading the story together, each group plans and rehearses the scene they feel is the climax of the story. For sets and props, they may only use what they find in the classroom. When they have prepared their scenes, perform them, and note the differences in interpretation. Different groups might choose entirely different scenes as the climax.

11 V THE HERO S JOURNEY What is it the more you take, the more you leave behind? Bilbo s story is a hero s journey. He embarks on a quest, during which he faces many tests and t choices. What are some other stories that use this framework? What is the point of telling a story in this way? Activity: Courage Discuss Bilbo s journey with your class, focusing on the tests and choices he faces. What helps Bilbo get through it? Bilbo discovers that he has a great deal more courage than he realised. Discuss what it means to have courage, and list examples of courageous people. Ask your students to draw a picture of a time when they needed courage to get through a situation. VI RIDDLES The beginning of eternity, The end of time and space, The beginning of every end, And the end of every race. There are plenty of books of riddles, and riddle sites on the web. Older students may be able to make up their own riddles. A very hard riddle... (for older students) You are standing between two doors, and you must enter one of them, One leads to paradise, the other to a place full of evil. Each door has a guard. One guard always lies, the other always tells the truth, but there is no way to know which is which. The guards both know which door is the one leading to paradise. To help you with your choice, you may ask one of the guards one question. What do you ask? Solution: Ask either guard the following question: Which door will the other guard tell me is the one leading to paradise? The lying guard will tell the wrong door, because he will lie about the answer the truthful guard will give. The truthful guard will tell you the lie the other guard will tell. Enter the door opposite to the answer you get.

12 VII FANTASY AND MYTH! CREATING OTHER WORLDS Activity: Creating a world I never was, am always to be, No one ever saw me, nor ever will, And yet I am the confidence of all Who live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. When he wrote The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien created an entire Mythology of Middle earth, complete with a language, geography, races and history. Using the school and its surrounding area as the basis, create a fantasy world. Some steps toward completing a mythology of your own: Choose key locations and give them new names. Perhaps the principal s office is the Palace of the Lord of the Intercom. One corner of the school yard might be the Bully s Lair, etc. Make a map of your world. Which areas are perilous? Where might there be a hidden treasure? What objects have magical powers? Give the different classroom groups and the staff their own cultural identities. Who are they? What do they like to do? Naturally, you will not want to make any group the bad guys. Use Tolkien s descriptions of Hobbits as a guide:...as a rule good natured rather than beautiful, broad, bright-eyed, with mouths apt to laughter, and to eating and drinking. And laugh they did, and eat, and drink, often and heartily, being fond of simple jests at all times, and of six meals a day (when they could get them). They were hospitable and delighted in parties, and in presents, which they gave away and eagerly accepted. Your classroom will have its own culture. Create a story or poem about the history of your people. Choose a favourite food, game and a national hero. Make a flag. Characters: Each student can create his or her own character to live in the world you have created. Invent the character s name, personality, likes and dislikes, physical appearance, costume, magic powers, friends and family, and so on. Add a visual art component to the exercise by drawing portraits or making masks for the characters. Activity Let each student find a space in the room by him or herself. For a few minutes, ask them to close their eyes and visualise their character moving, walking, sitting, eating, etc. The call out an hour of the day: 6:00 in the morning, and working individually, the students perform whatever activity their character might be doing at 6:00 AM. They might be sleeping, eating breakfast, or guarding the castle. Go through the whole day in this fashion. By the end of the exercise, the students will have a very vividly imagined character to use in role-play exercises. Pair the students up and have them create a scene in which their characters meet.

13 Activity Plan a treasure hunt/adventure in the school, using your map and characters, and riddles for clues. Your class could plan the event for other classes to experience. This might be an opportunity to tackle map-reading and orienteering. Activity Look for books, movies and television shows set in fantasy Worlds. Examples include: Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, The Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, and Pokémon. What do these stories have in common? Which characters fulfill the same role (Wise leader, seeker, and evil presence) in each world? Write or act out a story in which a character from one world finds him/herself in one of the other worlds. Answers to riddles (in the order in which they appear) fire a river a bridge footsteps the letter e tomorrow

14 VIII FURTHER READING Another classroom study guide: A Literature Unit: A Guide for Using the Hobbit in the Classroom Retail: $11.95 Available at: Scholar s Choice 1610 Ness Avenue Q Not in stores currently, you can order online if you have a membership. Recommended readings, as compiled by the Winnipeg Millenium Library: 1. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), , Lord of the Rings / London : HarperCollinsPublishers, 1995, c Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), , Farmer Giles of Ham /London : Unwin Paperbacks, c Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), , The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and other verses from the Red Book / Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1978, c Cooper, Susan. Gill, Margery. Over sea, Under stone / San Diego : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich [1979], c Dark is rising sequence; bk Cooper, Susan. Cober, Alan E. The dark is rising / New York : Atheneum, c A Margaret A. McElderry Book. Fantasy fiction - Dark is rising sequence; bk Cooper, Susan. Greenwitch / New York : Atheneum, c Dark is rising sequence; bk Cooper, Susan. Heslop, Michael. The grey king / New York : Atheneum, c Dark is rising sequence; bk Cooper, Susan. Silver on the tree / New York : Atheneum, c Dark is rising sequence; bk.05

15 9. Le Guin, Ursula K, Robbins, Ruth. A wizard of Earthsea / Oakland, California : Parnassus Press, c Fantasy fiction - Earthsea series; bk Le Guin, Ursula K, Garraty, Gill. The tombs of Atuan Illustrated by Gail Garraty New York : Atheneum, c Earthsea series; bk Le Guin, Ursula K., Garraty, Gail. The farthest shore / New York : Atheneum, c Earthsea series; bk McKinley, Robin. The blue sword / New York : Greenwillow Books, c McKinley, Robin. The berg and the crown / New York : Greenwillow Books, c Rowling J. K. Harry Potter and the philosopher s stone / London :Bloomsbury, c Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets / Vancouver B. C. : Raincoast Books, c Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban / Vancouver, B. C. : Raincoast Books, c1999.