Having exercised great bravery and cleverness in helping the dwarves escape from the Elvenking’s prison, Bilbo now seems to revert to his milder hobbit nature in his unhappiness about going on to the Lonely Mountain and Smaug the dragon. His journey toward leadership and real personal development is not a straight line; he experiences set-backs on the way to his ultimate goal.
Thorin’s confrontation with the Master of Esgaroth allows him to reassert some leadership of the group as he reclaims the title of King Under the Mountain that he inherited from his grandfather.
