The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun

# The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun

## Introduction
- Overview of the Poem
  - Written by J.R.R. Tolkien
  - Published posthumously
  - A narrative poem in the tradition of medieval lays
- Themes
  - Love and Marriage
  - Fate and Free Will
  - The Supernatural

## Part I: The Setting and Characters
- The Lord and Lady
  - Aotrou and Itroun introduced
  - Their childless marriage
  - Desire for an heir
- The Corrigan
  - Introduction of the supernatural being
  - The Corrigan's role as a water spirit
  - Her offer to help Aotrou and Itroun

## Part II: The Bargain and Its Consequences
- The Pact with the Corrigan
  - Aotrou's agreement with the Corrigan
  - The magical potion and its effects
  - Birth of twins
- The Price of the Bargain
  - The Corrigan's demand for repayment
  - Aotrou's dilemma and decision
  - The inevitability of fate

## Part III: The Tragic Outcome
- Aotrou's Fate
  - The Corrigan's vengeance
  - Aotrou's death
  - Itroun's grief and lamentation
- The Aftermath
  - The twins' future
  - Itroun's life after Aotrou
  - Reflection on the cost of bargains with the supernatural

## Part IV: Themes and Symbolism
- Exploration of Themes
  - The tension between desire and consequence
  - The nature of sacrifice
  - The role of destiny
- Symbolic Elements
  - The Corrigan as a symbol of temptation
  - The twins as symbols of hope and loss
  - The forest as a liminal space

## Conclusion
- Legacy of the Poem
  - Connection to Tolkien's larger mythos
  - Influence on his other works
- Critical Reception
  - Scholarly interpretations
  - Reader responses