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inglorion · 12-13-2001, 08:49 AM

Good point Serevian and thanks for bringing this discussion back to life again, else I had never discovered it and then the world would have to live without this post [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

The whole 'who is stronger'-issue is of no importance if you ask me. Since Gandalf was not allowed to use his full strength to accomplish what he was sent for: the destruction of Sauron. If the whole thing was just a matter of brute strength don´t you think the Valar would have sent someone who would have obliterated Sauron and his gang? The Valar were quite clear about this being a problem of Middle-Earth and not of Aman, however since they were still the Guardians and all, they sent in the Istari to help the Free Peoples. Not to do the job for them.
Another point is the way in which the Evil, in this case Sauron, is battled is very important. Of course the One Ring makes the matter more complicated. You can´t just go and beat the hell out of Sauron making sure he will never be able to cast his shadow over the world again, and expect everything to be ok. The Ring will find itself a new master and so on ... The only way to get rid of Sauron was the indirect sneaky approach used by Gandalf, inspiring those he helped to stand up and do something about it, as is plainly shown in 'The shadow of the past' where Gandalf gradually leads Frodo to his departure from the Shire. By telling him all about the Ring he makes Frodo see the best thing to do is to leave, which he almost certainly wouldn´t have done without Gandalf´s information. There are many more examples in the book of this kind of work, Gandalf´s work. This is what he does, nothing more and nothing less. Of course on a few occasions he uses force, but only when all other possibilities have run out and only in a restricted way. I think if he really was to show his full strength, bearing in mind he had Narya, it would have made quite a firework.
However, his skill was not in force but in wisdom, the opposite of Sauron you might say. That is why you can´t really say which one is stronger; their fields of development are too different.

Greetings, gildor

12-13-2001, 08:49 AM	#25
inglorion Haunting Spirit Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Hollandia Posts: 55	Good point Serevian and thanks for bringing this discussion back to life again, else I had never discovered it and then the world would have to live without this post [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] The whole 'who is stronger'-issue is of no importance if you ask me. Since Gandalf was not allowed to use his full strength to accomplish what he was sent for: the destruction of Sauron. If the whole thing was just a matter of brute strength don´t you think the Valar would have sent someone who would have obliterated Sauron and his gang? The Valar were quite clear about this being a problem of Middle-Earth and not of Aman, however since they were still the Guardians and all, they sent in the Istari to help the Free Peoples. Not to do the job for them. Another point is the way in which the Evil, in this case Sauron, is battled is very important. Of course the One Ring makes the matter more complicated. You can´t just go and beat the hell out of Sauron making sure he will never be able to cast his shadow over the world again, and expect everything to be ok. The Ring will find itself a new master and so on ... The only way to get rid of Sauron was the indirect sneaky approach used by Gandalf, inspiring those he helped to stand up and do something about it, as is plainly shown in 'The shadow of the past' where Gandalf gradually leads Frodo to his departure from the Shire. By telling him all about the Ring he makes Frodo see the best thing to do is to leave, which he almost certainly wouldn´t have done without Gandalf´s information. There are many more examples in the book of this kind of work, Gandalf´s work. This is what he does, nothing more and nothing less. Of course on a few occasions he uses force, but only when all other possibilities have run out and only in a restricted way. I think if he really was to show his full strength, bearing in mind he had Narya, it would have made quite a firework. However, his skill was not in force but in wisdom, the opposite of Sauron you might say. That is why you can´t really say which one is stronger; their fields of development are too different. Greetings, gildor __________________ Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards for they are subtle and quick to anger.