Failure and Punishment

[Holbytlass]

Originally Posted by Raynor

I don't think that his free will had the tinniest bit to do with his claiming of the ring; I also believe that we can safely attribute his regret of the ring to the power of evil. Were it not for the ring's ability to affect minds, I think he would have cast it away and lived happy with it.

That's where I respectfully disagree. IMOP, there was a definite line and Frodo crossed it, from having to have it and claiming it. Bilbo had to have it, Gollum had to have it and even though Gollum toyed with the idea of claiming it (Gollum the great and making fat hobbits crawl) he knew there was a difference and did not; perhaps that could be argued since Gollum was shouting "it's mine" while falling off the cliff, but I stand by he was excited to have it in his possesion and not actually claiming it .
I agree with you that the ring affected minds but if free will really wasn't involved at all then Frodo would have lived happily after it was destroyed. I can see where Frodo would have been reluctant because of the ring to destroy it and still needed Gollum's intevntion for the deed to be done but since Frodo claimed it whether by punishment or consequence he suffered moreso.