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Originally Posted by Sardy
Where can one read this unpublished Epilogue? I one of the HoME volumes? I don't recall it, but would LOVE to read it!  |
Yup, in Sauron Defeated, if I remember correctly.
Back to the Ring.
It's evident that the Ring had a much greater effect on Smeagol, because he was mean spirited to begin with, and began his ownership of it with murder. In fact, I'd make so bold as to say that he would have been at the same stage of enslavement by it as soon as he saw it (i.e. he wanted it, and wasn't prepared to let anyone else have it) as Frodo was when he got to the Crack ("the Ring is mine!") Bilbo on the other hand was freely able to give it up even after 60 years.
As a result of that, it's effect in delaying the ageing of Bilbo and (to a lesser extent) Frodo would have been considerably less, and it's highly unlikely that a 500 year lifespan was going to be their lot.
Nonetheless, it
did have an effect on them. So much so that they were unable to live out the rest of their lives in spiritual peace. Moreso on Frodo, on account of weakening by his other wounds (the most critical of which appears to have been the Morgul knife). In Sam's case, he had difficulty handing it back even after so short an ownership. I've no idea how long more he could have gone before he would flat-out have been incapable of doing so, but I'd speculate "not very".
Going West was an opportunity to attempt to shrug off the effects in "Arda Unmarred" (and this is where reading the Silm and HoME comes in useful), where no illness can come. The obvious long term effect would have been to return F & B to the "unfallen" state of Man, where they would voluntarily give up their live. It's difficult to say how long this may have taken, and even more difficult to say how long before they would have surrendered their lives after that.
If Sam had gone (and I believe JRRT left that one deliberately open) no doubt the same fate was in store for him, and part of the healing would have been a release from his "dependency" on his Master.
Phew!