What if Gollum had lived?

[Lotrelf]

Originally Posted by Zig�0‹4r

By "somehow survive" do you mean didn't fall into the Fire? Because as soon as the Ring was unmade he would have in all likelihood almost immediately died of extreme old age, regardless of what anyone else might have thought a suitable sentence for him. He had, after all, lived a little over five times a Hobbit's natural lifespan and the Ring was the only thing keeping him alive.

"Let us live, yes, live just a little longer. Lost lost! We're lost. And when Precious goes we'll die, yes, die into the dust."

If Gollum hadn't fallen into the Fire what was the other way to destroy the Ring? Probably Frodo would have jumped himself and that'd have saved the day. And only then Gollum could be saved. I also feel Gollum was too fragile to be sentenced and neither of the good people, especially Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel would have wanted to punish him. They'd probably focus on his healing rather than punishing him.