Galadriel's Ban

[Galin]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

(...) As for Galadriel's temptation scene: 'going into the West' was the common fate of all Elves in the Third Age; that was rather trivial, even Ted Sandyman knew about it (cf the conversation at the Green Dragon, The Shadow of the Past). OK, Galadriel, being enamoured of Middle Earth, tried to resist it; and surely the Ring offered her the ultimate chance of doing so, giving her the unique chance to order M-E according to her own liking. Rejecting the temptation, she simply accepted the fact that her own fate would be just like that of the rest of her people: "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel", instead of becoming a Dark Queen. None of this seems to call for a special Ban on her being lifted or not to explain her words and actions.

Hmm, but isn't this at least a bit problematic within the context of RGEO?

In reconciliation I once thought (my own idea not JRRT's idea) that maybe Galadriel had somehow received a special and immediate 'inner message' from the Valar -- that is, her rejection of the One Ring ended her ban and she is 'realizing' it with these words -- but in any case the chronology is still off here, as Galadriel sings her songs after this moment, and the meaning behind the songs cannot be doubted once RGEO is considered.

If I see it as a hopeful idea within this statement, then it almost works