Why Sauron wants the Ring?

[Drognan]

Is it explained why Sauron wants the Ring so much?
The Ring doesn't guarantee victory because he was defeated when he wore Ring for the last time.
He already has great army and power big enough to conquer men and elves of ME.
Is it personal power? He is allready immortal, has the power to torment earth itself.
Is it only that there is never enough power or is it something else? Fear that new Lord of the rings would be stronger than he is? What do You think?

[blantyr]

Originally Posted by Drognan

Is it explained why Sauron wants the Ring so much?
The Ring doesn't guarantee victory because he was defeated when he wore Ring for the last time.
He already has great army and power big enough to conquer men and elves of ME.
Is it personal power? He is allready immortal, has the power to torment earth itself.
Is it only that there is never enough power or is it something else? Fear that new Lord of the rings would be stronger than he is? What do You think?

In part it's because he'll never be secure as long as someone else might get it. Once he figured out that Gollum had it, and it's now in the hands of a (shudder) Hobbit, he knew he had a problem.

Besides, the One Ring ought to be on any Dark Lord's list of want to haves.

[Galadriel55]

Sauron put a lot of his power into the Ring. He still has great power besides - but the Ring is a significant "investment". With this additional power he would be able to dominate even the Three Elven Rings and reach from within into the Elven strongholds.

When the Ring was lost but not destroyed, the power within it was like a reserve that you can't use. But it was still there, and you could not defeat Sauron without destroying the Ring - there was too much of him in it. But this is the more "neutral" position.

If Sauron's enemies (ie Elves, Gandalf, Gondorians, etc) found the Ring and discovered its potential, he feared that they would use it to overthrow him. The Ring would betray the lesser beings to their end, like it did Isildur, but if someone great weilded it there would have been a possibility that they would defeat Sauron and become the new Dark Lord - since the Ring corrupts. To make an analogy: imagine Gandalf finds a wallet full of Sauron's credit cards.

However, what Sauron hadn't anticipated or feared (by Gandalf's words) is that his enemies would seek to destroy the Ring - not destroy him and/or replace him, but destroy his reserve and leave him "bankrupt" of power forever.


Edit: xed with blantyr who makes good points

[Elmo]

The reason he thought the elves would keep the ring would be his observation of the Elven smiths and the elves of the First Age back in the day I guess? Did he not realise that Elrond and Galadriel were a different kettle of fish? Surely, he would have got a hint with them denying him in the Second Age.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Elmo

The reason he thought the elves would keep the ring would be his observation of the Elven smiths and the elves of the First Age back in the day I guess? Did he not realise that Elrond and Galadriel were a different kettle of fish? Surely, he would have got a hint with them denying him in the Second Age.

It could be that. Or he could have thought that anyone would want the Ring, to use its power. And if not, the Ring would still corrutp them eventually.

Either way, one wouldn't throw it away, or even give it away (Bilbo is a remarkable exception, and even Sam).

[Puddleglum]

Gandalf answers that.

Originally Posted by Gandalf

Despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.
It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope.

Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of his malice. But the only measure he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts.

Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning.

Sauron is so enamored of power that he is unable to conceive of anyone else acting for any other motive. Thus, his reasoning might run...

Refuse the Ring ?!? NO WAY !!!! They *MUST* have some sneaky plan working that involves trying to fool me (and others) by *pretending* they don't want the ring. Well, it won't work - I'm too smart to fall for that. I *KNOW* they really want it. I just have to figure out what their subterfuge is all about so I can counter it.

[Drognan]

Do we know what powers Ring provides? It's allready known that turns person invisible and greedy, it can control other rings, what else?

[Belegorn]

Originally Posted by Drognan

Is it explained why Sauron wants the Ring so much?
The Ring doesn't guarantee victory because he was defeated when he wore Ring for the last time.

I think it was because the Ring would lay bare all things that the Elves had done with the Three. On recovering the One Sauron, "will command them all again, wherever they be, even the Three and all that has been wrought with them will be laid bare, and he will be stronger than ever." [FotR, p. 76] Remember the Rings are connected, but Sauron only had any control over the other if he had the One Ring, or wore those other Rings themselves. So when he recovers the One the hideouts and works of all his enemies would be known. Everything that was done with the Rings apparently left a sort of imprint. So the work of Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel he would know of. The reason he made the Rings was to control the peoples of Middle-Earth. Gandalf says that the Ring he lacks is the "one thing to give him strength and knowledge to beat down all resistance, break the last defenses, and cover all the lands in a second darkness." [FotR, p. 76] Remember, "One Ring to rule them all..." Also as Elrond mentions as long as the Rng is around it would be a danger to the Wise because they could take it and take Sauron's place and Sauron would not want that, "It's strength, Boromir, is too great for anyone to wield at will, save only those who have already a great power of their own. But for them it holds an even deadlier peril. The very desire of it corrupts the heart. Consider Saruman. If any of the Wise should with this Ring overthrow the Lord of Mordor, using his own arts, he would then set himself on Sauron's throne, and yet another Dark Lord would appear. And that is another reason why the Ring should be destroyed: as long as it is in the world it will be a danger even to the Wise." [FotR, p. 320-321]