LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 02 - The Shadow of the Past

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Rather than overwhelming a person's will, the ring in fact works through a person's temperament. The ring reaches Bilbo through his delight in pranksmanship and so Bilbo is less prone to cruelty, whereas the Ring gains power over Smeagol through inciting his avarice and tendency to violence. Gandalf would in fact be made to use his pity and mercy to dominate others. Perhaps a better way to think of the Ring's influence is not that it dominates the wearer's will but that it perverts the will to achieve Sauron's intent?

Wow. Yes; the twisted, twisting corruption of pure desires (i.e. what should be virtues) toward idolatrous appetites (vices). (A definition of sin, if I'm not mistaken.) So the Ring turns a person's innate tendencies towards evil-- whether those tendencies were evil pre-Ring (Gollum) or not (Gandalf).

Brilliant, Bb.