I cannot stand by and watch the good name of Gandalf besmirched. With all of the talk about Gandalf taking or succumbing to the Ring, you are dragging this character through the mud. I just can't believe what I'm reading...why don't you just break his staff and lay him prone before some lesser being...like the Witch-King or something...wait...didn't someone already do that?!?
Anyway, I would argue that Gandalf would have resisted the Ring longer than any. This noble soul was offered this very Ring, yet turned it down freely - he passed the test. So why would he stretch out his hand to take something that he'd already once refused?
I would assume that you might say that if it came down to either he or Sauron getting the Ring, that Gandalf would take it. Okay, maybe in this extreme case; maybe not. I think that he wouldn't. Gandalf believed that it would all work out, and surely his ring encouraged him in this feeling. He believed that
something guided him into meeting with Thorin, and
something helped Bilbo take possession of the Ring. Gandalf knew that he was not alone in his fight. His other self, the White part, saw things that were previously unknown to him, and I think that he foresaw that his plan had a good chance of working.
If he thought that the Ring would allow him to succeed in his task, then even though he didn't have it, then why not ally with Saruman? This was the next best thing to having the Ring. Maybe he and Saruman could put their heads together and counter Sauron, recover the Ring or even make a new ring that would help.
So why take the Ring? Surely not to help in the Siege of Gondor or to fight the armies of the Dark Lord - these were defeated without the Ring. I might be a bit confused but didn't he believe that even if Gondor were overrun that there were other places from which to fight? What other event would make him so desperate to reject all of his own wisdom, the wisdom of others, honor, duty, love, etc? The other four Istari fell, yet not Gandalf. He had many many year when he could have made other choices - set himself up as a 'Power,' quit the fight, travel out East, die - but this Steward was faithful and resolute to the end. In desperation and despair one might do many of stupid and foolish things.
But Gandalf wasn't desperate. Nor did he despair.
So go ahead, ruminate on Aragorn, vote for Legolas or Gimli or even consider the hobbits, but leave the Wizard off of the list. Gandalf would never take the Ring.
