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12-26-2007, 01:08 PM | #1 |
Wight
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 104
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Backup-bearer
Who do you think would have become ring-bearer if Frodo had died in Moria? Do you think a backup bearer was assigned by the Council of Elrond to carry the Ring if Frodo dies? I think Sam would have been made backup-bearer for his loyalty to Frodo and resilience to the Ring. Though if there was not one assigned, I think Boromir would have tried to take the Ring if Frodo died.
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12-26-2007, 01:13 PM | #2 | |
Mighty Quill
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Walking off to look for America
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12-27-2007, 11:35 PM | #3 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: midway upon... in a forest dark
Posts: 975
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Yup, most probably it will be Sam, because Aragorn, Gandalf and the others will deem it best, except Boromir, who will use his argument in the Council to use the Ring over again. Maybe the madness of Boromir would manifest itself here. If it does, then the Fellowship will be broken, plus all the dangers of Moria in the background. Even if all seven of the Fellowship are against Boromir alone. Chaos.
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12-28-2007, 03:25 PM | #4 |
Wight
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 101
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I think the logical choice would have been for Sam to be the bearer. Boromir would have wanted it, but I do not think he would have tried to take it yet by force.
Merry
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12-28-2007, 03:40 PM | #5 | |
Flame of the Ainulindalë
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Boromir I think is out of consideration. Aragorn and Gandalf might have been suggested by some of the council members but they would have declined the offer. Gimli would have been strongly against Legolas taking it at that time but all the elves would have voted no for Gimli... I don't see a scenario for a back-up bearer. If someone would have been chosen to that part I'd say it would have been Legolas... a millenia old elf with experience and a cool head.
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12-28-2007, 08:23 PM | #6 |
Mighty Quill
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Walking off to look for America
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Hmmm... I don't really see a backup bearer but of course nobody would have given the ring to Sam, but probably to someone they thought would be of more importance!
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01-20-2008, 02:03 AM | #7 |
Shade of Carn Dûm
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 347
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I think Sam would have been the best backup ring-bearer, but he might not have gotten the job. Gandalf might have the sense to give it to him, Merry and Pippin too, but everybody else? They would have probably wanted some Elven hero in Lothlorien to do it, everbody except Gimli....
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01-20-2008, 01:12 PM | #8 | |
Laconic Loreman
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I think a back-up bearer would have been fruitless and ended in failure. As Elrond in his infinite wisdom says:
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If a back-up bearer had to be chosen, the best I guess would have been Sam...afterall he did prove to be a trusty temporary "bearer." But in the end, Frodo's death would mean the death of the quest.
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01-20-2008, 11:54 PM | #9 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: In hospitals, call rooms and (rarely) my apartment.
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I'm goign to go against general consensus and say that Merry would've been chosen as a back-up bearer. We know that Sam was a good choice, but at the time, THEY had no way of knowing it. And given Sam's personality, and the fact that he seemed unable to make his own choices, would've precluded him.
Furthermore, even as a Ring Bearer, Sam fails on his quest. True, he gets lucky and ends up saving Frodo... but when he's returning, he's not doing it because he wants to save Frodo but rather because he cannot get himself to leave him behind. If Frodo had been truly dead, Sam would've probably failed. Now, Aragorn, Gandalf and Legolas are rather unlikely to accept that burden. Legolas might've if all the others had asked him to, but Gimli at that time was not ready to befriend the elf, much less let him bear the ring. Conversely, Legolas would've opposed Gimli as a choice. Boromir would not go to Mordor, he said so himself. That leaves Merry and Pippin. Pippin was barely a teenager by Hobbit standards, but Merry was a bit older and somewhat more settled down. Now, he was far from being as mature as Frodo, but closer than Pip. He could (reasonably) be expected to have the same innate resiliance that Frodo had, the question is whether he would have volunteered for the task. Because i believe that, if no-one else had taken it upon themselves, Aragorn would've taken the Ring to Mordor as he was both strong in mind and body and he understood the reason why not using the Ring was important. Of course, even then, he would've been too strong a match for Gollum in the end, so I'd say that the ideal Ring Bearer would've been Merry, but odds are that Aragorn would've been the one to take it upon himself as Merry would have not volunteered. Either way, the quest would've been likely doomed without Frodo, as Boromir shows with his quote by Elrond.
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01-23-2008, 08:45 PM | #10 |
A Northern Soul
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Valinor
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I don't think Sam would've been able to handle someone else taking it on. Out of pure loyalty to Frodo, he would've wanted to carry on in Frodo's absence, and it seems the other two hobbits would've gone along with that idea.
As for myself, I would've felt Merry to be the best of the three hobbits. I don't know if Gandalf would've condoned any of the others to take it. Legolas and Gimli are not really presented in enough depth to make valid statements concerning their abilities to carry the burden, but from a different angle, the lack of trouble they cause (Legolas more so) may be an indication that would've been suitable.
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