Galadriel's intentions.

[Boromir88]

Something that's been puzzling me is what were Galadriel's intentions when she offered each member of the Fellowship something. She tested each member of the Fellowship, some we can pretty much tell what she offered, some we know, and others we have no clue. But what were her intentions in doing this?

"I never thought of no such thing," answered Sam, in no mood for jest. "If you want to know, I felt as if I hadn't got nothing on, and I didn't like it. She seemed to be looking inside me and asking me what I would do if she gave me the chance of flying back home to the Shire to a nice little hole with- with a bit of garden of my own."
"That's funny," said Merry. "Almost exactly what I felt myself; only, only well, I don't think I'll say any more," he ended lamely.
All of them, it seemed, had fared alike: each had felt that he was offered a choice between a shadow full of fear that lady ahead, and something that he greatly desired: clear before his mind it lay, and to get it he had only to turn aside from the road and leave the Quest and the war against Sauron to others.
"And it seemed to me, too," said Gimli, "that my choice would remain secret and known only to myself."
"To me it seemed exceedingly strange," said Boromir. "Maybe it was only a test, and she thought to read our thoughts for her own good purpose; but almost I should have said that she was tempting us, and offering what she pretended to have the power to give. It need not be said that I refused to listen. The Men of Minas Tirith are true to their word." But what he thought that the Lady had offered him Boromir did not tell. And as for Frodo, he would not speak, but Boromir pressed him with questions.

Well, I think she was testing each member of the Fellowship, and each one she offered the "easy" way out. But what were her intentions? Since it seemed that she awoke in Boromir a sleeping giant, the confrontation of The Ring. She was well aware of Boromir's thoughts towards the ring, as Gandalf says in Fangorn.."Se told me he was in peril."

Was she trying to help them, by getting them to confront their problems and hopefully would make the right decision? Or a more sinical look, was she purposefully trying to break up the Fellowship? Realizing that it would destroy each and every one of them, and the sooner Frodo leaves the better. I also just think it would be neat to sort of speculate what she offered each one of the Fellowship, what vision she gave them as an "easy way out."

[littlemanpoet]

Being a ringbearer, Galadriel's intentions would be bound up with that possession, seems to me. Not only that, her intentions also would have to do with her rulership over Lorien and her care for all Elves and beneficence toward all free peoples. Only Boromir, who brought his own darkness with him into Lorien, saw her as a temptress. The others felt themselves tested rather than tempted. So it seems to me.

Thus, her intentions, I would say, are for the furtherance of the cause of the destruction of the Ring. I think she felt that the Fellowship still had a role to play in helping Frodo get to Mordor, even though she may have had the foresight that it would break. Her intentions therefore seem to me to be to determine how trustworthy to the cause each member of the Fellowship was.

Frodo: hand the Ring to another and give up.
Sam: go back to the Shire.
Pippin: same
Merry: same
Gimli: riches untold
Legolas: to go into the West?
Aragorn: Arwen without the need to prove himself by earning kingship?
Boromir: the Ring, obviously

I'm sure someone could do better than that for speculation.

[the phantom]

Here's some guesses on what Galadriel offered and how the members of the Fellowhip responded. I'll start with the serious ones.

Galadriel: Boromir, Captain of the armies of Gondor, why have you not taken your chance?
Boromir: What chance?
Galadriel: You have the opportunity to garauntee Gondor's victory over Sauron. It's been in front of you since the Council.
Boromir: The Ring.
Galadriel: Yes, the Ring. It is powerful. You are already a great leader of men. Imagine yourself with the Ring lending you strength. None could stand before you, not even Sauron.
Boromir: But Elrond, and Gandalf... they said that it was unwise to use this thing- Isildur's Bane. It has already slain Is...
Galadriel: It slipped from Isildur's finger. That's what caused his death. The lack of it. Had it remained with him, it never would've been called his "bane".
Boromir: But still, the wise ones at the Council said that it was perilous to use.
Galadriel: How would they know? Who has actually used the Ring? Isildur? He was slain not long after the Ring came to him. Gollum? The Ring did not twist him, he was already capable of great evil; the Ring merely unlocked his potential. What about Frodo? He is certainly not corrupt. He is a kind, polite hobbit, with an elvish air about him, and he has possessed this thing for quite a long while. It has not corrupted him. And if not him, how could it possibly corrupt you- a strong-willed, true-hearted man of Gondor?
Boromir: I... I can't just take it. Frodo... he... it's his now.
Galadriel: It only came to him by chance. It could've come to you instead. Don't you think that it should have?
Boromir: I...I... don't know. Maybe I... but, I can't take it from him.
Galadriel: If you don't, then the Ring will be taken right into Sauron's hands. How can anyone hope to enter Mordor unmarked and march past thousands of orcs to the Cracks of Doom? It is folly.
Boromir: It is. But... I can't do anything about that... not now.

Galadriel: Aragorn, you can run away with Arwen into the wilderness and live out your days together in happiness.
Aragorn: And forsake the people of Middle-Earth?
Galadriel: What do you owe them? You've already spent many years laboring for them.
Aragorn: And all in vain if this quest fails. Should not the heir to the throne of men be the first to resist Sauron and the last to abandon the fight? I will do my part in defeating Sauron, or die trying.
Galadriel: Your story and Arwen's- it is so similar to that of Beren and Luthien. Your situation is the same as his. You are faced with a task that is entirely impossible, and yet you rush on, like Beren, towards the impossible instead of allowing yourself rest and peace.
Aragorn: But Beren completed his "impossible" mission.
Galadriel: I only hope you will be as fortunate.
Aragorn: Even if I am not, it is still the right choice.

Galadriel: Frodo, you never should've been placed in this position. This matter is beyond one so small. Go back to your beloved Shire.
Frodo: I'd love to, but... I'd be letting Gandalf, and everyone, down. I just think this is what I'm supposed to do.

Galadriel: Sam, you've been away for too long. You should go back and feast on fried fish and chips. You couldn't say no to that.
Sam: Yes, yes we could. Keep nasssty chips.

Galadriel: Pippin, why are you here? Elrond wasn't too comfortable with letting you tag along. You're probably going to look into a magic seeing stone or something and doom the entire Fellowship. Why don't you head back to the Shire, kick back at the Green Dragon, and order a pint of beer.
Pippin: It comes in pints?

Galadriel: Merry, this quest is very dangerous. You might be mistaken for Frodo and get carried off by orcs, or get called "small rag-tag" by a mean old wizard. Go back to the Shire where it's safe.
Merry: Oh, I suppose you think Witch Kings just kill themselves? I've gotta job to do.

Galadriel: Gimli, if you leave the Fellowship, I'll give you three of my beautiful hairs.
Gimli: What happens if I don't leave?
Galadriel: Um, probably the same thing.
Gimli: Then I'm staying. I'll probably run into more orcs this way. And you did mean h-a-i-r-s, right- not h-a-r-e-s?

Galadriel: Legolas, you don't have to stay with the rest of the group. You can go back to Mirkwood and run around and climb trees and sing instead. Doesn't that sound like fun?
Legolas: Nice offer- till the singing part. I've had it with the Tra-la-la song- we sing it all the time! Worst tune ever to come out of Rivendell. I'd rather stay here with the dwarf than go back to that.

[ninlaith]

That is an extremely good question. I only wish I had the best answer suitable. but i suppose I only have a mock up. I think Galadriel's intentions were of the best kind. However, i believe her motive was to try to 'break" the will of each of them; such as she did to Boromir. She awoke in Boromir, as you say, "a sleeping giant" so perhaps she was testing to see if this giant was withi each of them. If they each had this sleeping giant the quest would inevitably fail. I believe she wanted to test each of them before they went any further in their quest.All the bribing was just to sweeten the deal. She made the temptation even worse with her promises which, evidently, shook the faiths of each of the members of the fellowship. So, all in all, her planned worked and proved to be successful in some cases.

[Thinlómien]

Maybe she tested them and their will, could it be broken through? Could the enemy break thorugh their mind? Do they have strong enough will to be in the fellowship? Are they dangerous to the others? That was maybe what she wanted to find out...?

[littlemanpoet]

I think she showed each one his own heart, and each one was tempted by what had been laid bare.

[Melkor]

I think she was testing them to see if they were true to their word and their quest

[Melkor]

i think that you are in a part right she was not actively with them but with the power of the ring which she had i believe that no matter where they were she could guide them as she wished.how else would she know that they were coming. Galadreiel is a deep well af knowledge it would be hard to wade through what went through her mind she had the power to keep all from knowing she had a ring of power and even the men of Gondor and Rohan all thought that she was a witch ands that shows that even the people closest to her could not understand what she was doing or what she ment to do. But as for my part she tempted them before she had been tested she could have been trying to break up the company or testing their guts there is no way to know.

Sorry if i sound like an elf saying no and yes but that is the long and short of it

[Lhunardawen]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

But would you say that if it wasn't for Boromir trying to take the Ring from Frodo, and causing Frodo wanting to get away, Aragorn still would have wanted to go to Minas Tirith? Do you think the breaking of the Fellowship, and the events, is what led Aragorn knowing what his path now was? Or was it just fate, that even if the Fellowship didn't break apart, something down the road would lead Aragorn to his path of becoming King?

If Boromir hadn't died, I'm sure Aragorn would still feel torn between his plans of going to Minas Tirith with Boromir and wanting to help Frodo with his Burden. If Boromir hadn't "scared" Frodo and got him thinking that evil has entered the Fellowship, there would still be endless debates about their next destination until they are finally surrounded by the Orcs (morbid thought). Aragorn still had the chance to renounce his original plan of going to Minas Tirith, but eventually he has promised Boromir on his deathbed (wait, that's no bed!) that "'Minas Tirith shall not fall." How else would that happen if he would not get his hands off the Quest? Boromir's death and Aragorn's words preceding it sealed his fate and cleared his path.

[drigel]

good points. Dont forget about Helms Deep. Gandalf had planned to go to Edoras granted, but the three hunters pursuing after Merry and Pippin eventually led Aragorn to participate in the success of Helms Deep. Without that success, Pellanor would have had a much different result.

Galadriels intentions for me was to demonstrate to the fellowship the power of the ring, and the dire nature of what they were carrying. Before Lorien, there were only words for the fellowship in demonstrating the nature of the ring. The white lady offered them something deeper than words.

[Boromir88]

I may have said this before, but I'm going to say it again, I've really enjoyed reading this thread, some excellent posts have been made.

To sort of further the debate for those interested about would Aragorn go to Minas Tirith if Boromir had not forced Frodo to leave...I go back to an orignal point, that there would have been no urgency for Frodo to leave if he hadn't noticed the Fellowship being corrupted by the Ring (mainly Boromir). If Boromir by some chance was able to supress his desires further, I could really see the whole company heading to Minas Tirith. We know Boromir wants to go there, when Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli discussed, Legolas and Gimli both said their vote is to Minas Tirith...

Legolas: "Let us call him back and then vote! I should vote for Minas Tirith."
Gimli: "And so should I."

At this point Aragorn isn't so sure about heading away with Boromir...

If you would let me choose, then I should appoint three companions: Sam, who could not bear it otherwise; and Gimli; and myself. Boromir will return to his own city, where his father and his people need him..."

So right before Boromir returns Aragorn is committed to Frodo. It isn't until Aragorn figures out that Frodo wanted to go alone (or only with Sam) when he decides his clear path is Minas Tirith.

However, if Boromir doesn't go with Frodo, Frodo would not have been able to bring himself to leave the company. He already found it hard AFTER Boromir tried to take the ring. And with Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Merry, Pippin, and Aragorn leaving the choice to Frodo, I think he would choose Minas Tirith. Sam would follow Frodo, Aragorn would be the lone one, and clearly makes it (at this point) that he will stay with Frodo.