Frodo at Sammath Naur

[Essex]

Seeing as Letters has been mentioned a few times, I took a look at HOME to see what was said regarding Frodo at Sammath Naur.

Not that I totally agree with them, but it is interesting to see Christopher Tolkien’s observations regarding the changes his father made to the Mount Doom section in his Histories of Middle Earth series. Who am I to disagree with him? Anyway, CT has a very certain view on Frodo’s inability to complete his Quest:

From the first draft of Mount Doom:

'I have come,' he said. 'But I cannot do what I have come to
do. I will not do it. The Ring is mine.' And suddenly he vanished
from Sam's sight.

Christopher’s note on this (my italics)

Frodo's words 'But I cannot do what I have come to do' were
changed subsequently on the B-text to 'But I do not choose now to do
what I have come to do.' I do not think that the difference is very
significant, since it was already a central element in the outlines that
Frodo would choose to keep the Ring himself; the change in his words
does no more than emphasize that he fully willed his act.

CT seems to think it is pretty cut and dried, fully concious decision by Frodo, where as I do not.