Frodo or the Ring?

[Mithadan]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Shade of Carn Dûm
Posts: 439</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: Hmm. . .

Re: your last paragraph, do you mean Frodo or Gandalf? If Frodo, he was good intentioned and faithful to the &quot;cause&quot; of destroying the Ring, at least in theory. I don't think he ever considered how the Ring would affect him as time passed or about how he would let go of it. He was fundamentally good and feared Sauron and the evil he would work with the Ring. His choice to bear the Ring in face of nearly inconceivable adversity was heroic in the extreme. He knew the task would be nearly impossible and trusted Gandalf's advice, and in doing so relied upon faith, perhaps even more than courage.

If you refer to Gandalf, he had no choice. Carrying the Ring to its destruction was the only option even if it was fundamentally hopeless. I have never resolved the questions of how he intended to enter Mordor or how he would get Frodo to relinquish the Ring, however I suspect that he provided companions to assist in the latter, not anticipating the disintigration of the Fellowship above Rauros.

--Mithadan--
"The Silmarils with living light
were kindled clear, and waxing bright
shone like stars that in the North
above the reek of earth leap forth." </p>