Would Gandalf ever discipline Hobbits?

[Rumil]

Weeellll,

I'm tempted to say yes (more or less)...

It's shown that Gandalf did 'discipline' hobbits as he made Pippin sit the first watch in Moria as a punishment for foolishness. This does not mean physical chastisement however.

Would Gandalf beat a hobbit black and blue with a stout stick (staff) out of anger? Of course not, he's not that sort of a Maia.

Is there a possible (but unlikely) situation where Gandalf would physically discipline a hobbit? Naturally speculation but...

-A slap on the hand to a hobbit child or 'tween filching fireworks or trying to pick up Glamdring could be possible, more for the child's safety than anything else. Before the days of PC-ness such a thing would likely pass without comment. If I remember in the film G twists Merry and Pippins' ears a bit when he catches them at the fireworks and this seems unremarkable, but technically counts!

I guess that hobbits would use some mild corporal punishment on their children, but if such 'formal' punishment was deserved, then it would be the parents' responsibility, not Gandalf's.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Rumil

Weeellll,

I'm tempted to say yes (more or less)...

It's shown that Gandalf did 'discipline' hobbits as he made Pippin sit the first watch in Moria as a punishment for foolishness. This does not mean physical chastisement however.

Would Gandalf beat a hobbit black and blue with a stout stick (staff) out of anger? Of course not, he's not that sort of a Maia.

But that is the actual question asked in the first post– very specific: "So would Gandalf ever beat a hobbit in the event of sheer anger and frustration?" (my italics).

An act motivated purely by anger is not "discipline" by definition, unless you're using the word as a euphemism. So the thread title and the explanation in the first post are in contradiction.