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Old 08-13-2006, 03:34 PM   #48
davem
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Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
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davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
It is a question of 'will'. Aragorn's will was stronger than Saruman's - who let it be remembered fell to Sauron via the Palantir. Aragorn not only did not fall to him he actually proved that his will was stronger than Sauron's. Will is the essential element in controlling the Ring. Wresting control of the Palantir (or anything else) from Sauron was something no-one else in Middle-earth could have done.

Aragorn may not have claimed he could master the Ring, but Gandalf, in the Last Debate, clearly states that he could.

This argument centres around one comment in one letter, which was never meant for publication & probably reflects Tolkien's speculations at that time. There is no reason to suppose that he continued to hold that view. And if he did it would have caused as many inconsistencies as his later development of Galadriel & 'Dome of Varda', etc, did.

I think that if another commentator had made that statement about only Gandalf being able to master the Ring you would have laughed them out of court, using the same arguments & quotes that the rest of us have been using, because it doesn't fit the facts.
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