[The Saucepan Man]

Here's a question, did Frodo come up with the idea to give the ring to Galadriel, or did the ring influence him to do this? Frodo might have done it to rid himself of the burden or to give it to someone wiser thinking it would be better off in their hands (or on her finger). And the ring might have done this to have someone powerful take it (the ring) so it could corrupt her and make it easier for Sauron to pinpoint where the ring was, and easier for Sauron to get it back, and to prevent it from being destroyed. Or was it both?

Excellent question, Willie. I think that it is a bit of both. Maybe Frodo was (on a conscious level at least) looking for someone else to take this burden from him. So, perhaps the Ring used that initial thought to persuade him to offer it to Galadriel. But, given the (for want of a better word) addictive quality of the Ring, would he really have been able to surrender it to her, when it came down to it? Perhaps he was not far gone enough at that stage. And here's another thought. I have speculated on the Ring's ability to reach out to others to tempt them to take it. Perhaps it had this effect on Galadriel, but she was able to resist the temptation. Would the Ring have considered Galadriel a good candidate as Ringbearer? I suppose this comes down to my earlier question: would she, under the Ring's influence, have become a Dark Power in her own right, or would she have been subordinated to Sauron's will?

When you no longer reach that high, or get bored, you move on. You search for other drugs, bigger and harder. It doesn't matter what fills your hole as long as it gives you tht feeling, and satisfies your need for it.

I don't necessarily agree that one drug leads to another. My drugs of choice (alcohol and nicotine) have not (to date at least) led me on to seek anything heavier. But that's by the by. It is not a question of moving onto a bigger and better Ring. The increasing addiction to the Ring manifests itself (as has been pointed out) in an increasing desire to touch it, feel it and wear it. But then, it has also been pointed out (by Bill, I think) that contact with the Ring became too much for Gollum after a (long) while.

Gollum had more than just remorse, he had a will to change taken away by Sam.

I still think that Gollum would have led them to Shelob (or tried some other ploy to gain back the Ring) irrespective of Sam's actions. Yes, maybe Frodo's kindness relieved the craving for a while. But it was always there under the surface. In a way, Gollum was looking for an excuse to be denied his "recovery".

I also thought that the ring could not physically move, but it actually can. The only way it can move is by incresing/decreasing size.

Good point. That ring's a bell (no pun intended). Does anyone know if there is an actual reference to the Ring changing its width. This would certainly be a useful ability for the Ring, since it would be able to slip off its bearer's Ring to reveal him at just the wrong moment, or perhaps constrict itself so that it could not be removed.

Depression goes hand in hand with the hopeless state of mind Boromir might have been in, but what about the others?

I'll buy a pitcher of Entdraught for the first person that nails down a concrete theory on this Ring!

Now you're talking Tar-Palantir. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Well, there's always Denethor, but his depression was brought on more by hopelessness and despair in the face of what seemed to him to be an overhelming force ... and perhaps a lack of the Ring? In a way, he craved it, even though he had never set eyes on it.