King Elessar's Folly?

[Elianna]

Originally Posted by Gwydion

The dunadain would most likely still travel to the Shire by leave of the king and the folk of Bree would probably still enter the Shire.

I doubt it, Gwydion. Aragorn didn't even give himself leave to travel the Shire. If he was going to be that lax about the Ban, there really was no use in making it.

As far as the ban goes on Elves and Dwarves, that's a question of how much hemogony Aragorn has over their races. Doubtless, he has little power over the Dwarves (does anyone?), but Arwen is his Queen, and isn't she called "Queen of Elves and Men" somewhere? I think the Elves would have respected Elessar's rule.

I see the ban as a last bit of "Strider" peaking through, hoping to finally end the Dunedain's long watch over the Shire, though it is in direct conflict with the wise counsil of Gildor: "The wide world is all about you: You can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out."