The Corruption of Frodo

I don't know if this has been discussed at another time in the forums, but I have a question.

I understand totally what Gandalf was saying when he told Frodo in Moria that he was meant to have the Ring, but in the beginning, when Gandalf was in the Shire, he knew that the Ring had something to do when Bilbo got mad at Gandalf for telling him to leave the Ring behind, thus he knew that the Ring, in Frodo's hands would eventually corrupt Frodo as well. Why did he want to put Frodo through that?

Berserk

[symestreem]

Welcome to the Downs, Berserker.

I think you're thinking of the movie version of things, but your question is still answerable. What choice did Gandalf have? He knew that someone had to destroy the ring, and to get Frodo to give it up at this point would be very hard. Also, since Bilbo found it, it is sort of fitting that Bilbo's heir destroy it.

[Boromir88]

symestreem brings up the partial answer, that what other choice did Gandalf really have? He had to have someone go and destroy it. The other part I think is it would have been proven ill if Gandalf had took the ring. All the ring can do in the hands of a hobbit is make that hobbit turn invisible, prolongue life, and if they knew how to control Sauron's armies. Gandalf with the ring would be the next Sauron, end of story. The more powerful you are the quicker you fall to the ring because you seek power. Also, the ring is as potent as its bearer. It's a bigger threat if Gandalf has the ring then if Frodo does.

[Lyta_Underhill]

he knew that the Ring, in Frodo's hands would eventually corrupt Frodo as well. Why did he want to put Frodo through that?

I think the question here is whether the Ring is better off with Bilbo, as it always has been, or with Frodo, who has no experience with it. There was a discussion some time ago (loooong time ago as I recall) that an understanding existed that eventually, the Ring would be a point of contention and the cause of an ultimate rift between Bilbo and Frodo if Bilbo continued with the Ring at Bag End. And if Bilbo took the Ring with him on his journey, it would put Bilbo in great danger. Thus, the only answer is to part Bilbo and the Ring and for Bilbo to be parted from Frodo. And, at that time, it is either Frodo or Gandalf who would end up with the Ring. Tolkien himself laid out a frightening tableau of what would happen if Gandalf had taken the Ring, so the only one left is our unassuming Mr. Frodo Baggins.

I can't see that Gandalf had no hope at all, or that he purposefully laid suffering upon Frodo by being the go-between in its bequeathing from Bilbo to Frodo. It was the only logical choice. If Gandalf had not been there to mediate, Bilbo might have taken the Ring on the Road and suffered pursuit and danger as Frodo later did (all the while being more firmly under the Ring's power than Frodo was at the outset of his quest). Alternately, Bilbo might have stayed home with Frodo and the Ring, eventually falling completely under the spell and quarrelling irretrievably with Frodo for some imagined attempt to take the Ring. One way or the other, the Ring would come between Bilbo and Frodo, and Gandalf simply tried to minimize the damage, not only to both hobbits, but also to their relationship.

Cheers!
Lyta

[ninlaith]

I think Frodo was the perfect person to take the burden of the ring. He was never really suseptible to the finer things in life anyway. Frodo was the only one who would last with the burden of the ring without it taking hold of him. Why would a simple Hobbit want that kind of power? Especially when he already enjoys the simple life that he has. Yes, he dreamt of adventure and of far-off places but don't we all?

[Nurumaiel]

Why did he want to put Frodo through that?

I highly doubted that Gandalf wanted to put Frodo through anything. This is what I feel:

As Boromir88 said, Gandalf couldn't take the Ring himself. He said as much himself. That leaves, as Lyta pointed out, the choice of Bilbo or Frodo. Bilbo was already having difficulties with the Ring, and I feel that if he hadn't let it go when he did he never would have. Frodo was the only one left.

And then, of course, the main focus then was to take the Ring to Rivendell. The problem of bearing the Ring to Mordor to destroy it did not wholly arise until the Council of Elrond, and it was then that Frodo chose to take the Ring. 'I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way,' he said.

So what we have is this:

1- Gandalf could not have taken the Ring (see Boromir88's post).
2- It would be best if Bilbo did not take the Ring (see Lyta's post)
3- The objective then was to take the Ring to Rivendell, not all the way to Mordor

So considering the first two points, Frodo would be the only logical choice. Considering the third, the danger was not terribly immense. Gandalf had intended to go to Frodo to help him, but he was imprisoned in Isengard and detained. I don't believe he expected such sufferings to befall Frodo. By the time danger was pretty much inevitible, Frodo chose to take the Ring.

Alright, very good answers everyone. That pretty much takes care of it, thanks!




Berserk

[Tuor of Gondolin]

Another point could be added, about Gandalf's thinking and insight (presumably as a maia). PJ's movie actually kept the concept of Eru, either directly or through the valar, being behind Bilbo and Frodo coming into possession of the ring, both in the movie prologue and in Moria, although the citation actually is in Bagend "The Shadow of the Past", in one of the great passages in LOTR:

" 'Behind that there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-Maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought."