LotR -- Book 6 - Chapter 3 - Mount Doom

[Essex]

Davem, you've come closest to how I feel about Frodo at the Cracks of Doom.

It is about that, but its mostly about forgiveness of sins, about mercy unearned & undeserved - Frodo forgives Gollum not because he deserves it, or has turned over a new leaf, but simply as an act of mercy. Frodo also receives forgiveness & mercy for the same reason.

The WHOLE of the Lord of the Rings's Reason (for want of a better word) is delivered here at the Cracks of Doom. Frodo could not (or would not) throw the Ring in. If we look closely at clues Tolkien put in the books earlier, we can see this. No one could give up the Ring at the Sammauth Naur.

So why did the Quest succeed? BECAUSE OF FORGIVENESS AND FINALLY REDEMPTION. (which is one of the bases of Christian Faith by the way)

Frodo forgave Gollum on a number of occasions. He let him live. Even at the end Sam let Gollum live too on the slopes of Mount Doom. WITHOUT THIS FORGIVENESS the Quest would have failed. I put it to you that Tolkien knew this and based the whole of Frodo's Quest on this basic point......Frodo found Redemption (via Gollum) becuase of his forgiveness to him. Without this, Sauron would have won.

Frodo and the whole of Middle Earth was Redeemed becuase of Frodo and Sam's Forgiveness of Gollum.

PS Just imagine if Frodo DID throw the Ring in. Now what a let down and anti climax THAT would have been!!!!!!!

To conclude:

Fact - The Quest was to destroy the Ring.
Fact - The Ring was destroyed
Fact - The Quest was a success