Re-imagining the Ringwraiths

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

Was there a single character in the book whom Jackson et. al. didn't distort and diminish? Maybe Bill the Pony, I dunno.

Oi! That animal can nearly talk - or would talk, if Tolkien let Frodo & co stay in Rivendell for just a bit longer.

Originally Posted by Pitch

Which makes it all the more remarkable how Maggot, a simple hobbit farmer, found the courage to stand up to a Black Rider and tell him to get off his land, and quickly, or else!

I think part of it really was that the Nazgul were deliberately "being gentle', as they wanted to get answers but not wreck too much havoc in that part of the world quite yet. Find Baggins quickly, without word reaching said Baggins that something is afoot. They seem to veil their true power, or true terror. It's like you say - their true nature is revealed more and more gradually throughout Book I.

The Gaffer also encounters the Nazgul, but we get that account second hand from Sam, and there is no sense of how the Gaffer fares courage-wise. He doesn't sound as gutsy as Maggot, but not much beyond that. He calls the Nazgul a "strange customer" who gave hi "quite a shudder" - but the extent of that shudder is left to be imagined. Still, seeing as the Gaffer seemed to be pretty calm about the whole affair.

That is in contrast to Fatty Bolger, who is so terrified that he sprints an entire mile and babbles about not having the Ring. However, Fatty was facing the Nazgul who were prepared to finally reveal their strength and attack, not the Nazgul who were on a secret mission. He feels their presence as a growing fear long before he actually sees their shapes, and no wonder he is terrified and flees when his anxiety is "confirmed".

Originally Posted by Pitch

About the Nine and Sauron, I think you're spot-on with bringing up Gollum, Boro. They were probably like him, only far further gone in their addiction to their rings and without a chance of ever regaining them. Maybe their relationship to Sauron was something like between a junkie and their dealer - I mean, deep down they must have known that their rings would never be given back, but they just couldn't help themselves doing his bidding. Also maybe he could use the bond between them and their rings to do things to their spirits. It doesn't bear thinking about too closely.

Speaking of the Devil... Once you sell your soul, he kinda owns it, whether you like it or not. I highly doubt that the Nazgul like serving Sauron, but they are trapped. But I sort of assumed that this "trap" was on such a deep existential level that disobedience would be unthinkable. The UT quote Boro brings up shows that not to be quite the case - though the threatened punishment is not for disobedience, but rather for incompetence. I am not imagining Sauron screaming "You had one job!" at the Nazgul. So perhaps despite a firm bond of loyalty they can still allow themselves to do a job lazily or half-heartedly, if Sauron thinks that threats would entice them to work better. Or maybe Sauron knows they are doing their best and is still punishing their failure because anger management issues, and because he never received training on positive team building or something.