Did Frodo REALLY volunteer to Bear the Ring?

[Pitchwife]

Hey, Ivriniel, didn't you say you'd grown more lenient to Frodo over the years? What new devilry is this?

I'll give you that Frodo already was unable to let go of the Ring in Rivendell, and probably knew it, and that was part of his motivation for volunteering to bear it - if he couldn't bear to give it up anyway, he might as well volunteer to be the Bearer; and the Ring, which was trying to return to its Maker, sort of happily went along with it, as it already had a hold on him. But I think that at this time Frodo's will and the will of the Ring were still separate and striving with each other, and it would be a long time until they were fused to the extent we see at Sammath Naur.

He still wanted it destroyed, I think, although he can't have been under any illusions about his own ability to destroy it; but he trusted Gandalf's counsel and had estel that, if he only took it to the mountain some way of destroying it would present itself - at whatever cost to himself.

(Gandalf and Elrond were quite aware of all this, I think, and part of the reason Elrond agreed so readily that this task was appointed for Frodo was he realized they couldn't take the Ring from Frodo except by force, which would break him.)

It's also pretty obvious that his incipient 'fading' hadn't been completely undone by Elrond's healing powers - not undone, but transformed, which may have been the only way to heal him, by diverting its tendency from wraithishness to, shall we say, faerishness? These are Gandalf's words when he observes it:

Originally Posted by LotR Book II, Many Meetings

'He is not half through yet, and to what he will come in the end not even Elrond can foretell. Not to evil, I think. He may become like a glass filled with a clear light for eyes to see that can.'

A figure of light 'on the other side', like Frodo himself had seen Glorfindel at the ford, only less bright because he was, after all, mortal - that's what Frodo was becoming in my eyes. Not of dark. I'll trust Gandalf's wisdom on this.

The strongest argument against him being corrupted IMO is that he was still capable of pity and mercy, as shown in his treatment of Gollum; and I think the scene in Rivendell when he makes as if to strike Bilbo has something to do with it. For the Ring didn't totally deceive him here, I think, What he saw is the part of Bilbo which still coveted the Precious - the little Gollum in Bilbo, or Bilbo-as-Gollum; and at the same time he became aware how far he himself had already come that way, of his own ability to become Gollum. And that, IMO, is where "He deserves death" began to turn into 'Spare as I hope to be spared'.

But then there's that scene near Mount Doom where Frodo dominates Gollum and threatens him with the fire. For here Sam, made receptive even by the short time he bore the Ring himself, sees Frodo as he is 'on the other side':

Originally Posted by LotR Book VI, Mount Doom

a figure robed in white, but at its breast it held a wheel of fire. Out of the fire, there spoke a commanding voice

OK, there seems to be something creepy going on here, something very creepy. For here are Frodo, "robed in white" (which I can't help associating with the "clear light" Gandalf spoke of), and the Ring, the wheel of fire, but it's the Ring that speaks for both of them.

But Frodo's robes are still white, not dark or grey as the Nazgûl's were; and I just remembered that the martyrs are clad in white robes in Revelation 6:11, as Tolkien undoubtedly knew. We know Frodo didn't expect to survive if the One went into the Fire, he told Sam as much, and I read the white robe as a sign that part of him was still prepared to sacrifice himself at that point. True, he buckled soon after, but to succumb to an overwhelming force is not corruption. We're not judged by success or failure, only by the purity of our service - who said that again?

[Pervinca Took]

I always felt that Frodo could still have let the Ring go in Rivendell, (although I'm not saying it would have been easy). Remember:

'Then the Ring belongs to you, and not to me at all!'

I know there is that scene with Bilbo ... but he does get as far as showing him the Ring - and he doesn't strike him, even if he does feel a wish to at one point.

I think he'd have been able to do it at that point, with Gandalf's help. Much is said of Bilbo being able to give up the Ring, and how remarkable that was, but he'd never have managed it without all Gandalf's help, as Gandalf himself says.

Also not sure I'd agree that Gandalf and Elrond think it will break Frodo to take the Ring from him. Gandalf said in Bag End that he could not make Frodo *destroy* the Ring, except by force, which would break his mind. I do not believe that it would have been impossible to persuade him to give up the Ring at that point. I think that point comes much later: 'I'm almost in its power now. I couldn't give it up, and if you tried to take it I should go mad.'

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

We're not judged by success or failure, only by the purity of our service - who said that again?

Greenie did.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Greenie did.

hahahaha

[Pervinca Took]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

We're not judged by success or failure, only by the purity of our service - who said that again?

Was Pitchwife quoting Greenie, then? And by Greenie do you mean A Little Green?