What would they do?

[Kuruharan]

Originally Posted by Findegil

We have to consider that the keepers did not use their Rings until Sauron was cast down. Therefore they would not have any fear about works done with the Three - there simply were no such works at that time.

That is an excellent point that I had forgotten.

I share the doubts about Galadriel, but I think that anybody should be doubted in that situation. It is easy to advice Isildur to destrory the One Ring. But it is much harder to do it yourself. I think Tolkien made clear in his letters that no body could have willingly destroyed the Ring out of his free will.

It is an interesting situation to ponder. Say Elrond was the one to defeat Sauron at the final battle and he came into possession of the Ring. I think he might have been able to destroy it. Círdan too, perhaps, although we know less about his personality. Galadriel, I agree would have been dicey.

As I think she would have been dicey if Isildur had survived the Gladden Fields and surrendered the Ring to Elrond afterwards. I see her as being the most likely to want to try to keep the Ring. I think Elrond would have attempted to send the Ring back to Mount Doom as he indeed did later on.

But this brings us back to the conundrum of the Bearer of the Ring being in long possession of the Ring going back to Mount Doom. I don't think anybody who had the Ring in their possession for an extended period would have been able to destroy it.

It is a paradox that one who has just acquired the Ring might be the most likely to be able to destroy it, but the only time that happened with a possibility of immediate destruction the power of Sauron was still quite strong and instantly corrupted Isildur's mind.

It is also an interesting question of if Isildur survived and went to Rivendell if he could have surrendered the Ring as was his intention.

Only Bilbo was ever able to do that.