Frodo at Sammath Naur - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Essex · 01-27-2004, 01:06 PM

We’re going round in circles here.

The Quest was for the Ring to be destroyed. The Quest was not for Frodo to destroy the Ring. The Ring was destroyed, through Frodo’s Mercy.

Yes, you could say that Frodo ‘sinned’, and he can be forgiven for this, but he did not fail. If he had killed Gollum, and claimed the Ring (and Sauron no doubt would then have won it back, but that’s probably another Topic) then he, and the rest of the Fellowship, would have failed.

Does Frodo HIMSELF think he failed? Possibly, but I read by his thoughts and feelings one of LOSS not Failure. The Ring was wrenched from his body and mind, and then destroyed. He did not give it up willingly. He still craves for the ring. On a similar line, Gandalf says that if he had taken the ring by force from Bilbo it would have driven him mad (or something like this).

Yes, it might have been silly to see Frodo get to the cracks and throw the Ring in. I can see that this would have been pure Hollywood. But HE DID NOT. Frodo’s mercy is what won the day, and why the Quest succeeded.

The Quest succeeded. Frodo did not fail.

01-27-2004, 01:06 PM	#21
Essex Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Essex, England Posts: 886	We’re going round in circles here. The Quest was for the Ring to be destroyed. The Quest was not for Frodo to destroy the Ring. The Ring was destroyed, through Frodo’s Mercy. Yes, you could say that Frodo ‘sinned’, and he can be forgiven for this, but he did not fail. If he had killed Gollum, and claimed the Ring (and Sauron no doubt would then have won it back, but that’s probably another Topic) then he, and the rest of the Fellowship, would have failed. Does Frodo HIMSELF think he failed? Possibly, but I read by his thoughts and feelings one of LOSS not Failure. The Ring was wrenched from his body and mind, and then destroyed. He did not give it up willingly. He still craves for the ring. On a similar line, Gandalf says that if he had taken the ring by force from Bilbo it would have driven him mad (or something like this). Yes, it might have been silly to see Frodo get to the cracks and throw the Ring in. I can see that this would have been pure Hollywood. But HE DID NOT. Frodo’s mercy is what won the day, and why the Quest succeeded. The Quest succeeded. Frodo did not fail.