[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

Frodo -> The Ring

He had to overcome the lust for the Ring. Unfortunately, he was doomed from the beginning because the Ring was bound up in his own desires. He did the best that could be expected of him under the circumstances, and I don't think anybody could say any better of him than that.

What made this the worst thing? ....as compared to losing the Shire, for example? Or do you see that as tied up in the Ring? I notice, Kuru, that a theme running through at least two of your three examples is that the evil the characters faced was far greater than themeselves, more powerful than they could possibly hope to overmatch. Do we ever face that kind of thing? ... at least by analogy? Or is that mythical?

Originally Posted by Farael

I think that the worst thing Frodo faced was not the Ring itself, but rather the 'knowledge' that even if he saved the Middle-Earth he would not be alive to enjoy it.

So was this mental anguish? Something deeper? How did it affect Frodo?

Originally Posted by luthien-elvenprincess

I think that the most difficult thing to overcome, for the characters in Middle Earth, was their own personal preferences, or the love of self. Many of them gave up much of what might have been better for them personally or what they wanted to do in order to put the betterment of Middle Earth before themselves.

This has a sense (to me) built in of being its own reward. Do you see it that way? You see, it suggests that they never lost hope, which means that it wasn't really that bad, because even if they couldn't have it for themselves, they received back to themselves a sense of having done well and becoming part of those who are giving a great gift to those who remain. This doesn't seem bad or sad, yet somehow, in Tolkien this has a sense of being bittersweet and filled with Loss (capital 'l'). Why is that?