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Old 12-08-2015, 02:39 PM   #128
Zigūr
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
 
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Yes, to agree with Inzil and Leaf, it seems thematically appropriate to me in The Hobbit that Bilbo's taking of the Arkenstone is consistent with the book's own discussion of the allure of precious things. This theme, I would argue, doesn't require the Ring to be malignant in any further capacity to function in the text.

What is perhaps effective about this in The Hobbit is that the Arkenstone needs no particular "magic" to operate in this way. Its "enchantment" seems to be its own lustre and desirability.
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Originally Posted by Leaf View Post
I don't know of any case in which the Master Ring creates or amplifies greed for worldly things.
I suppose you could consider the effect the Seven had on the Dwarves ("The only power over them that the Rings wielded was to inflame their hearts with a greed of gold and precious things, so that if they lacked them all other good things seemed profitless, and they were filled with wrath and desire for vengeance on all who deprived them."), but on the other hand that seems to be a peculiar effect the Great Rings had on Dwarves specifically, such that it couldn't be stated definitively that the One Ring would necessarily have the same effect on Hobbits.

On the other hand, it's probably a good thing that the Ring of Thrór was lost before Thorin could inherit it - imagine how much more unreasonable he might have been had he possessed it!
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