Lord of the Rings | Literary Precedents
Although The Lord of the Rings is clearly a work for adults and The Hobbit just as clearly a work for children (although beloved by adults), they really are of a piece and their literary precedents are, for the most part, identical. To the extent that they differ, The Hobbit can be said to owe somewhat more to the folk tradition, whereas The Lord of the Rings can be seen as more heavily indebted to the medieval chronicle and the high romance tradition of Chretien de Troyes and Sir Thomas Malory. Scholars seeking out the works which influenced Tolkien, however,...
[The entire page is 123 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Tell a friend about Lord of the Rings at eNotes.
