Rocks, Hard Places, etc....

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

I voted "yes and no". I don't have any real text evidence to support this...and it's mostly influenced by my own worldview.

I think that without some degree of free will, our actions lose their meaning, and that goes for LOTR, too. If everyone in the story was acting *completely* according to destiny or fate, a lot of the amazing moments lose their power. For instance, Frodo's choice to take the Ring. It's a much more amazing thing to consider if you believe that he was acting of his own free will in making that choice: He could have said no and gone home, but instead he took the Ring and endured all kinds of pain and suffering as a result.

However, some things must have been meant to happen. Aragorn fights an inner battle about his heritage and birthright, but in the end, he takes the position as king and leader. This, I think, was fate. He would, one way or another, eventually become King, even if he had made a totally different string of choices.