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But it was said that the Tower of Barad-dur trembled from its foundations. Is that supposed to mean that Sauron is literally the tower?
I guess I never thought about the trembling as the beginning of an earthquake.
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the Power in Barad-dur was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown.
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In next paragraph:
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From all his (Sauron's) policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his strategems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his servents quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired.
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No, I don't believe that Sauron was literally the tower. According to the text, you would then have to believe that he was literally his entire realm. Because, a tremor ran throughout his realm in addition to the trembling of the tower.
I interpret the trembling of the tower to be associated with the sudden fear of its master/maker.
Concerning Barad-dur, an interesting sentence in one of my reference books:
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First constructed early in the Second Age (and completed with the power of the Ring, which rendered its foundations impregnable),
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Also, the reference mentions that even though the tower itself was destroyed (the first time) by the Last Alliance Army, its foundations, which were built with the power of the ring survived and could not be unmade.
It is interesting that after Frodo claimed the Ring that the Tower trembled from its foundation.
Again, why all this effect after Frodo claimed it? I think the location had something to do with it. (Unless, of course, Isildur had also put the ring on his finger and claimed it when he was at Sammath Naur. I don't know if he did that while there, or if he just refused to toss it in the fires.) If he did, then my theory is all washed up!
Above all, as Saucepan Man points out; divine guiding of events and circumstances was all-important.
Ok, now for another cup of tea...