Small hands do them because they must...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

I am not convinced by your arguments, they just don't fit with the view I have of the different characters. Why would Elrond try to convince him self that another choise could be made if that was not indeed the case?
Is it not more plausible that Elrond is saying these things to give Frodo a chance to take this task, he seems to be ensuring Frodo that he is just as able to take this task as anybody else. If not directly encouraging Frodo to take the task. . . . For me it seems likely that a hobbit amongst great Dwarven, Elven and Human worriors would feel small and insignificant and thus be discouraged from taking the ring.

I'm not sure you understood me correctly (or if yes, then I misunderstood you ). I was referring to the time before Frodo said that he's going to take the Ring. I mean that if Elrond had some foreknowledge that Frodo is going to take the Ring, he deliberately tried to behave as if he didn't know that, and asked the question as if anyone could have said "I'll go". What I said was supposed to aim to the opposition of what LG suggested, that maybe Elrond pushed Frodo to take the Ring by his remarks about small hands. I say otherwise: Elrond knew that Frodo is going to take the Ring, so he (unintentionally?) let out the remark about small hands, but he tried the choice to look free, even though he knew how it's going to end.