[Elladan and Elrohir]

It is clear from Book V, Chapter IX that Sauron felt that not only Gandalf, but also Aragorn, Imrahil, Eomer, and Faramir were capable of taking the Ring and using it effectively against Sauron. It is also clear that he FEARED them because of that.

What does that tell you? That Sauron, who knows more about the One Ring than anyone else in Middle-Earth, knows that any one of those present at the Last Debate could take his Ring and, quite possibly, use it to overthrow Sauron.

So then, the question is, could the One Ring have been seized and used in the battle against Sauron, eventually winning over him?

The answer, according to not only this information but also the Foreword to the Second Edition of LOTR, is a resounding yes. Tolkien is responding to those who claim he based the book on WWII when he says (if the book WAS based on WWII): "Then the Ring would certainly have been seized and used against Sauron. . . . Sauron would not have been enslaved not annihilated, and the Dark Tower would not have been destroyed but occupied."

So, by Tolkien's own admission, the Ring could easily have been taken and used to beat Sauron, with that person becoming the new Ringlord. This means that not only Gandalf, Elrond, Saruman, and Galadriel could have done so, but also Aragorn, Eomer, Boromir, Faramir, Imrahil, Denethor, etc.

One might say that Saruman could be more expected to use the Ring effectively than Gandalf, for while Gandalf was known as the Grey Wanderer, Saruman already had hosts of Orcs and Men at his disposal in Isengard.

[ September 21, 2003: Message edited by: Elladan and Elrohir ]