The Ring at Mt. Doom

[Mad Baggins]

Well, I wasn't sure if this topic belonged in the Movies section or N & N, but since the Movies is down I'll put it here.

In RotK, when Gollum fell into Mount Doom's crevice, he was gobbled up instantly by the lava. However, the Ring stayed on the surface for a time. Was this a symbolisation of the temptation of the Ring for Frodo? Was it a last resort from Sauron to avoid destruction? Or was it just nothing at all?

What do you guys think?

[Goldberry]

Good thought. I think it was probably sort of a mix of the first two things you said. Probably it was meant to show that even on the brink of destruction, The Ring still had a will of its own; it was resisting its inevitable destruction. Obviously, it wouldn't have been as effective if The Ring had just plopped into the lava and immediately been destroyed. It sitting there for a bit really made that moment seem like a definite climax to the movie. Personally, I really liked the way The Ring slowly sunk into the lava - it showed the evil struggling to preside but the good overcoming in the end.

[Legolas]

I think this is a movies topic, but until that forum is ready to go, this topic will stay here. The Ring stayed afloat longer because it has a much higher melting point

[Lyta_Underhill]

The Ring stayed afloat longer because it has a much higher melting point

Or, maybe the lava had a high enough surface tension to support the Ring for a given time, until it started to melt...etc. etc. Perhaps, as the outer surface of the Ring began to reach its melting point, it expanded, forming a sort of temporary platform on which the rest of the Ring then rested.

Cheers!
Lyta

[Gorwingel]

Higher melting point most definitely. But there most likely was some good/evil symbolism tied up in there also.

The entire book basically revolves around good/evil, and how good always triumphs over it.

But you know that

[Lyta_Underhill]

Perhaps it was dramatic tension, so the Ring would have long enough to utter its dying words..."what a world, what a world!" and something about "spoiling all its beautiful wickedness!" I swear, when the Movies forum DOES open, someone needs to start a topic on "Wizard of Oz" imagery in the theatrical ROTK! Many people have noticed how Frodo's waking scene in Minas Tirith (!) after Mount Doom bore a great resemblance to Dorothy's awakening scene back in Kansas. I'm sure there are more "homages" if we just look for them!

But seriously, the delay of the Ring's demise would seem to speak to resistance, the Ring resisting to the last its ordained fate. That would suggest some level of mythic "awareness" on the Ring's part, but it could also be just a material resistance, albeit a supernaturally charged "material."

Cheers!
Lyta (there's no place like home...there's no place like home...clicks mouse three times and takes her leave, or makes her entrance, whichever you please!)

I think it was for drama the Ring didn't melt when it hit the fire - that - and I seem to remember Galadriel saying that the Ring does have a will of its own so maybe the Ring was holding on for dear life...

These are all very good points. I say that the Ring was a bit of dramtic tention and that the Ring could only be destroyed in Mount Doom; the Ring was indestructible except in the mountain so it's strength would hold up until the lava just ingulfed it.

[rutslegolas]

ya i think that it was a bit of dramatic climax thats all ,

maybe the ring had a will of its own waiting for its rightful master to maybe save it from its last doom

[Isowen]

I think they wanted to make the last time frodo ever saw the ring a dramatic scene. Maybe Peter Jackson just wanted to make it look really cool just to show the language of Mordor show up on the ring one last time.

[Morsul the Dark]

I thought it was
A) to show the letters again
and more importantly B) shhow just how hot the fire would have to be to melt the ring if lava took that long.