Though the Cracks (or Crack) of Doom was literally a crevice within Mount Doom, there's a secondary level to the name. As Tolkien points out in his notes for translators, the phrase comes from Shakespeare, specifically from Macbeth Act 4, scene 1: 'What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?'. In that context, the 'crack' is a loud sound (either a thunderclap or the sound of a trumpet) announcing the arrival of judgement day (or 'doomsday'). So, Tolkien's choice of this name for the fiery fissure of Orodruin is rather more portentous than its simple literal meaning might suggest.
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