[Formendacil]

Turning back to the original question of the thread, and not the interesting, verbose discussion it has currently sidled into, I have to confess that I voted with Master Fordhim.

This is due, mainly, to reading the thread title, seeing it was a poll, reading the POLL, and making my selection- all before reading the initial post of Fordhim's.

As a general rule, I post before reading so that my opinion before anyone has a chance to affect it, is most clearly shown. That is, after all, the point of a poll.

Normally, this works well enough, but this time, I fear that my answer may be somewhat confused.

When I voted for Gandalf, I was answering the question of the POLL: "Which of the Fellowship would succumb to the Ring first?". I interpreted this in the sense of "if every member of the Fellowship was given a 'One Ring', who would succumb first?" And I stick by my answer. Gandalf had the greatest power and the greatest ambitions. If he were to receive a Ring (and not rid himself of it), he would turn to evil the most quickly.

However, I then read, to my chagrin, the question posed in the opening POST: "If the Fellowship remained together, who would crack next?"

This is, in my opinion of course, a very different question. Naturally, it assumes that Gandalf didn't fall in Moria, and that the Fellowship stuck together- assumptions that I am willing to make for the sake of discussion. However, my answer now changes drastically. If the Fellowship remained together, I do not think that it would be Gandalf who would go first, but rather, one of the younger hobbits. I think it would be Merry.

My reasoning is that the Ring would be putting out its siren call to ALL the Fellowship, but that Gandalf and Aragorn would be the most immune by reason of their very conscious decisions to refuse the Ring. Gandalf in Bag End, and Aragorn in Bree have both clearly refused to take the Ring. Legolas is an Elf who has pretty much no ambitions that we are shown, and is probably the best in the Fellowship at taking things on faith. "Gandalf said so, so it must be so." Gimli, as a Dwarf, has what might be called genetic immunity. He'd be tempted, but the Rings don't work all that well on Dwarves to begin with, as demonstrated by the Seven.

That leaves the three Hobbits. Sam is easily eliminated by his return of the Ring to Frodo in the RK- a giving up of the Ring not done by any other. Even Bilbo needed help.

We are now left with Merry and Pippin. For reasons given, many people seem to think that Pippin would go first. He is, after all, the less wise, more curious, and more foolhardy of the two. But I think it would be Merry.

The Ring would be more attractive to Merry. Merry is more worldwise, and knows more of what it could do. The temptations for him on that score would therefore be greater. Furthermore, Merry IS the closer friend to Frodo. Pippin is close, but Merry is closer. Merry knew him longer, for one thing, going back at least to the Party, and probably to Frodo's orphanage in Brandy Hall. What's more, Merry sometimes acts more like Frodo's caretaker. He worries more about Frodo's health than Pippin does. Pippin is a good deal more blythe about things. And I see the temptation striking Merry through his caring heart. Frodo wilted the closer they got to Mordor, and I don't see that being any easier for Merry than for Sam, but I CAN see Merry taking the Ring away out of compassion.

And don't anyone say that being a hobbit gives Merry immunity. Smeagol fell to the Ring's call at a glance. It's only AFTER the Ring has taken hold that being a hobbit adds any advantage.

However, based on the question that the POLL was asking, I still feel that Gandalf was the right answer. Even more than Boromir. If the Fellowship was all given Rings, somehow made to take them, and someone yelled "Ready, Set, GO!", I think Gandalf would have gone first. Boromir second. Aragorn third.