In chapter three Shippey makes a point about the modern topics addressed by Tolkien. There is a Medival setting and time era that is illustrated in the books. However the idividuals act in rather contemporary ways. They adopt the view of Lord Acton “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Many people of the time would not have agreed with him before 1887. In the medival world, christianity was promenient and the lives of saints very much known and admired. The saints were admired as miraclous poelple who used their power purely for good. There was no shortage of the evil powerthirsty king in medival literature. However there was no theme of good people becoming corrupt by power that is seen in later literature. Though th Lord of the Rings is a very medival book however has very modern themes. The major good leaders in the book such as Galadriel and Gandalf all refuse to carry the ring for they fear their corruption. They understand and believe in Lord Actons view, that power corrupts.
