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Fordim Hedgethistle · 08-23-2005, 06:36 PM

Stunned, yes, I am stunned that Aragorn and Pippin are garnering so many votes, when the most likely to have succumbed is clearly ++GANDALF.

My reasoning? Each and every time someone is tempted to seize the Ring it is with the express purpose of using it to confront Sauron and to raise him or herself above the Enemy: Boromir wishes to become a great captain and lead an army against Mordor; Galadriel will become the Dark Queen; Sam dreams of throwing down the Dark Tower; even Gollum dreams of being Gollum the Great and eating fish every day.

What prevents Frodo from succumbing for so long is his ability to set aside that desire to confront evil in this mano y mano model of combative, militaristic heroism (that Boromir personifies). Instead, he clings to his love of and for other people: his duty, as he understands it, is to protect the Shire. Sam, Merry and Pippin see their duty as being to protect Frodo; Aragorn’s duty is to return to Gondor and save it; and Legolas and Gimli share the duty of the Halflings (to aid Frodo) but increasingly to each other in their remarkable friendship. The point of the Quest is to destroy the Ring and to this they are all dedicated – it’s only when people move away from this goal and embrace a more combative one (attack Sauron directly) that they run into trouble.

And this is where I come to Gandalf. His sole and only purpose in being sent to M-E is to combat Sauron: not directly, to be sure, but he has been placed there as the opponent to the Enemy. Unlike the hobbits – who are there to save the Shire – or Aragorn – who is there to win Arwen (by saving Gondor) – or Legolas and Gimli – who are there to save the Greenwood and the Mountain, and to forge a new bond between both – Gandalf is in M-E to defeat Sauron.

The lure of the Ring (“Take me, and you can destroy Sauron”) would find its readiest ear in the Wizard…don’t forget, it’s already corrupted one White Wizard…

(Why do you think that when Gandalf returned he made sure that he went west toward Aragorn, or -- more precisely -- away from Frodo, when he could have just as easily gone into Mordor to help the Ringbearer? I suspect that deep down, or even not so deep down, he knew that he was the greatest threat to Frodo.)

08-23-2005, 06:36 PM	#23
Fordim Hedgethistle Gibbering Gibbet Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Beyond cloud nine Posts: 1,844	Stunned, yes, I am stunned that Aragorn and Pippin are garnering so many votes, when the most likely to have succumbed is clearly ++GANDALF. My reasoning? Each and every time someone is tempted to seize the Ring it is with the express purpose of using it to confront Sauron and to raise him or herself above the Enemy: Boromir wishes to become a great captain and lead an army against Mordor; Galadriel will become the Dark Queen; Sam dreams of throwing down the Dark Tower; even Gollum dreams of being Gollum the Great and eating fish every day. What prevents Frodo from succumbing for so long is his ability to set aside that desire to confront evil in this mano y mano model of combative, militaristic heroism (that Boromir personifies). Instead, he clings to his love of and for other people: his duty, as he understands it, is to protect the Shire. Sam, Merry and Pippin see their duty as being to protect Frodo; Aragorn’s duty is to return to Gondor and save it; and Legolas and Gimli share the duty of the Halflings (to aid Frodo) but increasingly to each other in their remarkable friendship. The point of the Quest is to destroy the Ring and to this they are all dedicated – it’s only when people move away from this goal and embrace a more combative one (attack Sauron directly) that they run into trouble. And this is where I come to Gandalf. His sole and only purpose in being sent to M-E is to combat Sauron: not directly, to be sure, but he has been placed there as the opponent to the Enemy. Unlike the hobbits – who are there to save the Shire – or Aragorn – who is there to win Arwen (by saving Gondor) – or Legolas and Gimli – who are there to save the Greenwood and the Mountain, and to forge a new bond between both – Gandalf is in M-E to defeat Sauron. The lure of the Ring (“Take me, and you can destroy Sauron”) would find its readiest ear in the Wizard…don’t forget, it’s already corrupted one White Wizard… (Why do you think that when Gandalf returned he made sure that he went west toward Aragorn, or -- more precisely -- away from Frodo, when he could have just as easily gone into Mordor to help the Ringbearer? I suspect that deep down, or even not so deep down, he knew that he was the greatest threat to Frodo.) __________________ Scribbling scrabbling.