How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Two Towers.
Quote #1
SARUMAN: The world is changing. Who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard and Mordor? To stand against the might of Sauron and Saruman, and the union of the two towers? Together, my Lord Sauron, we shall rule this Middle-earth.
At the base of the war is the desire for power, for control, for total dominance of an entire continent. There are few political intricacies, this is simply Saruman and Sauron's war of aggression, to take Middle-earth for their own.
Quote #2
As Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas come to the pile of smoldering orc bodies, the camera first gives us a close up on an orc head skewered on a pike.
We know that the orcs are savage beasts, but this is a little taste of the violence of men. The focus on the head shows the Rohirrim's intent to display their brutal handiwork, and we realize that just because they're "good guys" doesn't mean they're asking for surrender and taking prisoners.
Quote #3
GANDALF: Through fire and water, from the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought with the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside.
Gandalf's ascension from Gray Wizard to White Wizard isn't accomplished through good deeds or passing the Wizard test; this isn't Harry Potter. Gandalf must fight and defeat a Balrog, his journey through this test commensurate to his journey through Middle-earth; it is one of violence and war. Even the traditions of Wizards are steeped in warfare, which makes sense as this history of Middle-earth is about with conflict.