Quote:
Originally Posted by Inziladun
I doubt that Sauron had ever considered the idea that anyone would have been capable of keeping the Ring from him. Tolkien speculated that Gandalf might have been able to do so, but Sauron's pride was swollen enough that he never thought the West would actually want to destroy the Ring either.
Also, in the UT chapter The Hunt for the Ring, it is said if one of the Nazgûl had obtained the Ring, even the Witch-king, he would not have hesitated to return it to Sauron.
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Valid, though I think the UT quote would only apply to the FULL witch king after he fell to the ring (if the WK has somehow gotten the one ring off Sauron in the early days, when his own ring had not yet taken him over and he still did have full free will, that might have been another matter)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Inziladun
Certainly they did retain their own thoughts, but they were incapable of any action that was against Sauron's command, and more importantly, had no sense of being apart from Sauron. Rather like the Mouth, whose only identity was as a part of Sauron, but more so.
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The Mouth actually is a pretty good analogy. While never called so, I suppose you could describe the Nazgul as the Hands of Sauron, or the fingers (Nine fingers Nine Nazgul. Though of course Sauron still had ten fingers when the Nazgul came together) The Mouth's function is to speak for Sauron, the Nazgul's is to do for him. This also may give more significance to Denethor's line "To this city, only the first finger of his power has been extended." At that point in time there probably was only one Nazgul actually outside of Minas Tirith (with most to all of them having fell beasts to ride, I get the feeling the Nazgul were pretty mobile, so it is possible that, at that point Gothmog may not have been there yet Or Denethor miscounted, or I'm on totally the wrong track.