Who would have fallen?

[Son of Númenor]

Most of your argument for Gandalf being the first to crack could be used, with minor tweaking, for Aragorn.

Each and every time someone is tempted to seize the Ring it is with the express purpose of using it to confront Sauron and to raise him or herself above the Enemy: Boromir wishes to become a great captain and lead an army against Mordor; Galadriel will become the Dark Queen; Sam dreams of throwing down the Dark Tower; even Gollum dreams of being Gollum the Great and eating fish every day.

Why would Aragorn be less likely than Gandalf to be tempted to seize it for the purpose of defeating Sauron? If anything he probably felt a greater pressure than Gandalf to save Gondor and the people of Middle-earth, given his bloodline.

The lure of the Ring (“Take me, and you can destroy Sauron”) would find its readiest ear in the Wizard…don’t forget, it’s already corrupted one White Wizard…

It also caused Boromir to assail Frodo, and Isildur was unable to give it up of his own accord.

Gandalf would succumb to the Ring eventually, perhaps before most other members of the Fellowship - but not before Aragorn. The two have similar objectives, but there are major differences. Aragorn is a Man, a Man of noble breeding but of a fallen race all the same. His desire to reclaim the throne of Gondor and usher in an era of peace would magnify the Ring's effect on him. While Gandalf's mission - and great desire - is likewise to defeat Sauron and make way for a peaceful Fourth Age, he is not bound to this quest in the same way as Aragorn is. He can return to immortal lands if Middle-earth falls to Sauron.

Edit: Cross-posted with Glirdan

[HerenIstarion]

I wish there were an entry for 'no one'

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Originally Posted by HerenIstarion

I wish there were an entry for 'no one'

Again, I will point out that one of the choices is Frodo who, as I recall, did finally succumb to the Ring...

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Sorry Sono, but I don’t buy your rebuttal. Aragorn’s primary goal was not to defeat Sauron but to become worthy of Arwen by saving Gondor, and to thus reunite the bloodlines of the Half-Elven. His historical/mythic purpose – his Duty – is to procreate, not to destroy.

Not so Gandalf: he is entirely sexless and wholly devoted to the combative overthrow of Sauron. In this regard he is like Boromir – can you imagine Boro ever settling down with a nice girl from Rohan in the greenwoods of Ithilien? Nuh-uh. The same is true for Gandalf – he’s not going to be doing anything after the War. One way or another, his purpose is fulfilled; his job is finished with its conclusion.

So while I agree that the Ring would have corrupted Aragorn in time (terrible thought) I still don’t think he would have succumbed before Gandalf. The Wizard was thinking at every point, “How can I defeat Sauron?” and to that the Ring gives a ready answer; Aragorn was thinking at every point, “How can I save Gondor and thus marry Arwen?” – the Ring would have found a way to deceive him into thinking he could have that, but it would take much longer insofar as it’s hard to see how Aragorn could be fooled into thinking that seizing the Ring would give him Arwen until he was completely corrupted. Gandalf, on the other hand, was already pretty desperate to defeat Sauron: so desperate that he conceived of the hare-brained idea of sending the Ring into Mordor in the care of a Halfing!

[alatar]

I cannot stand by and watch the good name of Gandalf besmirched. With all of the talk about Gandalf taking or succumbing to the Ring, you are dragging this character through the mud. I just can't believe what I'm reading...why don't you just break his staff and lay him prone before some lesser being...like the Witch-King or something...wait...didn't someone already do that?!?

Anyway, I would argue that Gandalf would have resisted the Ring longer than any. This noble soul was offered this very Ring, yet turned it down freely - he passed the test. So why would he stretch out his hand to take something that he'd already once refused?

I would assume that you might say that if it came down to either he or Sauron getting the Ring, that Gandalf would take it. Okay, maybe in this extreme case; maybe not. I think that he wouldn't. Gandalf believed that it would all work out, and surely his ring encouraged him in this feeling. He believed that something guided him into meeting with Thorin, and something helped Bilbo take possession of the Ring. Gandalf knew that he was not alone in his fight. His other self, the White part, saw things that were previously unknown to him, and I think that he foresaw that his plan had a good chance of working.

If he thought that the Ring would allow him to succeed in his task, then even though he didn't have it, then why not ally with Saruman? This was the next best thing to having the Ring. Maybe he and Saruman could put their heads together and counter Sauron, recover the Ring or even make a new ring that would help.

So why take the Ring? Surely not to help in the Siege of Gondor or to fight the armies of the Dark Lord - these were defeated without the Ring. I might be a bit confused but didn't he believe that even if Gondor were overrun that there were other places from which to fight? What other event would make him so desperate to reject all of his own wisdom, the wisdom of others, honor, duty, love, etc? The other four Istari fell, yet not Gandalf. He had many many year when he could have made other choices - set himself up as a 'Power,' quit the fight, travel out East, die - but this Steward was faithful and resolute to the end. In desperation and despair one might do many of stupid and foolish things.

But Gandalf wasn't desperate. Nor did he despair.

So go ahead, ruminate on Aragorn, vote for Legolas or Gimli or even consider the hobbits, but leave the Wizard off of the list. Gandalf would never take the Ring.

[Glirdan]

Originally Posted by altar

So go ahead, ruminate on Aragorn, vote for Legolas or Gimli or even consider the hobbits, but leave the Wizard off of the list. Gandalf would never take the Ring.

I agree completly. He, out of the rest of the company, also had MANY (to many to count) chances to take the Ring from Frodo AND Bilbo. But did he? No! So I say leave Gandalf out of the equation completly. Yes he has a greater cause and reasons for taking the Ring, but he didn't. I still say that Aragorn or Pippin (and I say now if they would have, I would have flipped) would probably become succumbed before any of the others. Pippin because of his curiosity and Aragorn simply because of the weakness in men. Boromir fell and if the Ring were brought before Denethor, Théoden or Eomer, they probably would have done the same as Boromir, Denethor more than the others.

[CaptainofDespair]

Originally Posted by alatar

So go ahead, ruminate on Aragorn, vote for Legolas or Gimli or even consider the hobbits, but leave the Wizard off of the list. Gandalf would never take the Ring.

I think he would. It's like the cookie jar, that Ring is. Gandalf openly refused The One Cookie, but the temptation to eat that cookie grows, as he wonders at the possibilities. Gandalf wanted to defeat Sauron, and he wanted to help Frodo. So, why not do both (at least the Cookie would tell him that )?

He could take the Ring, and destroy Sauron with it, and maybe find enough strength in his friends to cast the Ring into the Fire. He would then have saved Frodo from that horrible experience, and not have risked his life any further. These thoughts would be in the back of his mind, and he might act on them.

Besides, the One Cookie is tasty.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by CaptainofDespair

I think he would. It's like the cookie jar, that Ring is. Gandalf openly refused The One Cookie, but the temptation to eat that cookie grows, as he wonders at the possibilities. Gandalf wanted to defeat Sauron, and he wanted to help Frodo. So, why not do both (at least the Cookie would tell him that )?

How would taking the Ring accomplish either? Gandalf might think that with the Ring he could throw down Sauron, but he also knew that he would be taking the Dark Lord's place...I guess he would be the 'Grey Lord?' Frodo would suffer under this dominion, as would many others. Gandalf, a loremaster, knew the price of the stupid/wrong/easy path. I think that he even alludes to past failures...but I can't remember the quote (got to get my brain defragged) and later sees the folly of choosing the wrong path in Saruman. Also, Gandalf is the Prime Motivator. It's not for him to uproot Sauron but to aid others in the task. Think about the Siege of Gondor (the Book version). Just how many times does Gandalf's sword come out of its sheath?

He didn't need the Ring to show people the right path. Theoden was under the spell of a Maia, and Gandalf was still able to set him on the right road. Treebeard acted on his own, not because he was controlled by Gandalf. Aragorn took the Paths as a free man, not as a Ring-controlled robot.

He could take the Ring, and destroy Sauron with it, and maybe find enough strength in his friends to cast the Ring into the Fire. He would then have saved Frodo from that horrible experience, and not have risked his life any further. These thoughts would be in the back of his mind, and he might act on them.

Mayhap, yet I think that the evidence points elsewhere. Aragorn and Gandalf were ready to sacrifice all for the goal, and Frodo was of the same caliber. Surely Gandalf wanted to spare Frodo any pain, yet knew that as Frodo accepted the task freely that he was solely responsible for his own destiny.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Fordim Hedgethistle

Not so Gandalf: he is entirely sexless and wholly devoted to the combative overthrow of Sauron. In this regard he is like Boromir – can you imagine Boro ever settling down with a nice girl from Rohan in the greenwoods of Ithilien? Nuh-uh.

How do you know? How could you even compare Boromir's mission to Gandalf's? A nationalistic mission to a worldly mission? I have no doubts that if Sauron was overthrown in Boromir's time he would readily have taken a wife. Not to mention, it is not far-fetched to think that Boromir had plently of fair maidens in Gondor and Rohan. Just because Tolkien stated that Boromir delighted "chiefly in arms" does not mean Boromir was "sexless".

So while I agree that the Ring would have corrupted Aragorn in time (terrible thought) I still don’t think he would have succumbed before Gandalf. The Wizard was thinking at every point, “How can I defeat Sauron?” and to that the Ring gives a ready answer; Aragorn was thinking at every point, “How can I save Gondor and thus marry Arwen?”

Again, how do you know? Pray tell how you read through the pages and could actually tell what Tolkien's characters were thinking?

[obloquy]

Gandalf is not sexless. He is fully incarnate and has a fully formed and functional hroa.

[Groin Redbeard]

Seeing what Legate has said, I would have to vote Gandalf, the ring would not want to take most of the Fellowship except for maybe Aragorn.

I think Gandalf knew about the situation far too well. He wouldn't be fooled by the Ring so easily. The Ring might go after him, but that dose not mean that it would succeed.