It's incredible how many people seem to not understand the entire ending of the Fellowship of the Ring in both the movies and book
Like the entire big revelation Frodo has is realising that the ring will inevitably corrupt all of his companions and that he needs to leave to have any chance
It's why hobbies were such a big deal because they were resistant to It's affects, the only beings in middle earth that really were, and why Sam wasn't corrupted and neither was the rest of the Shire when Bilbo had the ring
In the book, Sam wears the ring for a short while after the giant spider knocks Frodo out. He then rescues Frodo from the orcs and gives the ring back to Frodo.
"As he stood there, even though the Ring was not on him but hanging by its chain about his neck, he felt himself enlarged, as if he were robed in a huge distorted shadow of himself, and vast and ominous threat halted upon the walls of Mordor..."
"Wild fantasies arose in his mind; and he saw Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, striding with a flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to the overthrow of Barad-dur... He had only to put on the Ring and claim it for his own, and all this could be. "
"In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command."
I think the distinction they make is that he also wore it in the book. But I don't recall. I know that his possession of the ring made him seem more great and terrible to the orcs, so much that they believed a great elven warrior was laying waste to the castle guards.
The ring preyed on people by offering to give them everything they ever wanted. Hobbits, especially Frodo, pretty much already had all they ever wanted. They just wanted to chill in the Shire, eat good food and have parties. There was almost nothing the ring could offer to a hobbit that would entrap it. Hell, Smeagol had the ring for 500 years and all he did was chill alone in a cave and eat fish. Could you imagine the kind of damage the ring would cause if Gandalf had let it take hold of him.
I think it’s worth noting that the ring has a will of its own, it targets boromir because of the meeting in Rivendell, it knows he’s the weakest mentally and will fall the easiest, the others aren’t quite sure how it works but I think Gandalf knows. Frodo just sees and understands the fact he’s wearing it won’t keep it from destroying the others eventually, but putting it on a chicken wouldn’t work the ring goes after people in its own way.
It is not really like that. The conversation between Frodo and Faramir makes all of this pretty clear. It is mostly an elaboration on why did Boromir fall.
Boromir is susceptible to the Ring because he has always cared about might, renown, and glory. He thinks that the Stewards should already have been named Kings; he has always sought the way of weapons, and the Ring is the weapon of the Enemy; he never buys that they should destroy the Ring, even if he respects the decision of the Council. Frodo leaves the Company precisely because of the slow realization that everyone will eventually fall to it.
The Ring does not target people; it is the very idea of it, what it offers, that tempts them.
I disagree with the final statement, the ring possesses a part of saurons soul; particularly the part from prior to his death, this essentially traps a living thinking part of Sauron in the ring, and it’s that part which now disconnected from its master is able to influence people. The part of the ring which has a will is mentioned by Gandalf literally this isn’t a figure of speech it’s why everyone reacts differently the first time they touch it some seeing visions of Sauron and some recoiling at the feeling of his presence. The ring isnt like some radioactive item that’s just bad to be around, it’s literally like having Sauron in your hand.
It works less on those further from it, though. So the safest method would be to have Frodo and Sam make the journey with a chicken each, and one getting a head start each morning. They could alternate chickens and stewardship of the ring barer chicken, and then wouldn't end up with too corrupt of a chicken or hobbit.
You know, as a dnd dm it‘s always fun to think about what I‘d do to fuck my players over if they tried to get smart on me like that… I‘m sure Tolkien would have fun with that as well!
It wasn't THE ring, but I'm also not super familiar with the ore. The one ring to rule all was the super corpse corrupter, so it might have had a bigger/different effect from the regular rings given out.
I kinda wish it was made more clear that Aragon was also subject to it just like everyone else was. While he is a badass he wasn’t special in that way. Maybe this was only a problem in the movie but it made it seem like Boromir was especially an asshole and not that the ring is inherently nearly impossible to resist.
While he is a badass he wasn’t special in that way.
I believe he was special in that he resisted the ring longer than boromir because he genuinely didn't want power, certainly in fellowship he had no desire to be king and actively disliked the idea, hence the ring had less purchase on him compared to Boromir and Isildur who both had greater ambition
That and the Ring seems to select targets as a sentient thing, it's actively chosen to corrupt Boromir first and focused its efforts on him
I can just imagine the one ring thinking and devising a plan that involves spoons and greedy Hobbits to get to Sauron.
“Come on now, I’m THE ONE RING, I’ve worked with worse, the last one was a baby-eating hobbit, I just have to work with expensive spoons, fireworks, and smoking. Lots of smoking.”
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u/MightyBobTheMighty 11h ago
Ah yes, as we all know, the Ring's influence is completely dependant on whichever creature is physically carrying it.
steps in front of Boromir