Quote:
Originally Posted by Nerwen
I don't where to start with this one.
Yes, Gandalf deliberately frightened Gollum, making him think he was going to burn him.
Saying Gandalf "nearly burned Gollum alive in a flash of anger" is not a statement about Gollum's subjective impressions. It is a statement about Gandalf's actions and intentions which is simply not supported by the text.
As for the other thing... still a non sequitur, sorry.
And you still haven't answered my number one question. Where is the joke in
Now, I know that to explain a joke is to ruin it... but you're using this one as a key part of your argument. Where is the humour in that comment?
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There is no doubt that Gandalf wanted Gollum to think that he would burn him for real if he did not speak. I say no more on the matter. I just brought it up as support for the fact that Gandalf threatening to harm helpless hobbits in a severe situation was not as unthinkable as some would think.
As for the humour to the quote above, it is something which I saw as a chink of humour within a grim and dark context. You may not have seen it, but I don't think people need to be convinced one way or the other. I never saw the comment as funny or a joke, but slightly lighthearted by Gandalf's grim standards.