Would he have done it?

[Eonwe]

Originally Posted by fea

He also knew, I think, that there are some things worse than death.

well said!

well, i don't know how much of a situation we can conjure up about gandalf needing to take the ring. he never met up with frodo and sam (ie. had the opertunity to take the ring) after he fell at kazad-dum. and he certainly didn't need to use the ring to destroy sauron up till that time...

but, supposing we make a hypothetical situation where he must take the ring to save middle-earth, then no i don't think he would have. that would be a hard choise for anyone. in the end though, i don't see what he would gain. evil gandlaf is as bad as evil sauron, so you might as well keep you honor, if middle-earth is going to the pits either way. that is the pragmatist's answer. like feanor said, the idealists answer is emphatically "no of course not!"