Faramir and the Ring

[doug*platypus]

True, Eothain Elfwine! In that case...

In my opinion, Faramir's total refusal of it demonstrated his nobility and purity of heart, not the Ring's lack of power. What do you think?

I think that Faramir's refusal shows both of these things. First and foremost it shows his ability to stick to his word (as Gimli the Wise tells silly old Elrond, "sworn word may strengthen quaking heart"). It also shows that he desires peace over war, and has the wisdom to see that the Ring will bring only evil. But lastly I believe it shows that the Ring can be refused, at least by certain individuals.

Samwise, Gandalf, Galadriel, Faramir, Aragorn and Elrond all refuse the One Ring. Surely this indicates that it does not have an absolute power to corrupt, and that the decision to accept It depends largely upon the individual. That's not to say that Frodo was a weak individual; after all, he carried and used It many times, even into the Sammath Naur (I love that name!!) before the temptation overcame him fully.

I think this is a point made by Tolkien. That we as individuals do have the power to choose right over wrong. I only wish that he had lived long enough to see the New Zealand government completely ban nuclear warships from our waters. I have a feeling the Professor would have liked that.