Bilbo´s treachery

[Pitchwife]

Let me return the compliments:

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

First of all, regardless of what motivated Bilbo to take the Arkenstone in the first place, I always had the feeling that after that moment of weakness he never really meant to keep it, he just didn't know how to come forwards about it

This! Haven't we all been in situations like that? I have, at least. You do something you know isn't the best of ideas and mean to put it right after a while, but the situation is never quite right for doing something about it and it gets worse the more you procrastinate. Giving the stone to Bard must have been a relief.

Originally Posted by the same

in Bilbo's case the Ring is quite safe and happy. None of his plans appear to involve any harm (direct or indirect) being done to the Ring. If Bilbo had to give his ring to Bard and Thranduil rather than the Arkenstone - oh how the story might have gone differently. But he wasn't, so there isn't much reason for a burst of activity from the Ring.

This, I think, is also a good point. Of course the Ring would be working on Bilbo to corrupt him, but that would have been a slow and subtle process, slowed further by Bilbo's nature - which surely wasn't sterling but basically decent - and the mercy he had shown Gollum, so it wouldn't necessarily show any noticeable results in the short time span covered by The Hobbit.