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[-] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 410 points 4 months ago

We've been over this.

The Ring of Power corrupts those around it by promising to fulfill their darkest desires. It channels their urges to get what it wants.

It wanted Gollum to hide away under a mountain until its master could return with his armies.

Hobbits and River Folk don't seek power. They want to be left along, smoke their pipes, and have lots of fat, happy children. As such, they have a natural defense to the ring's influence, but they are not immune to it. It makes them covetous and protective of the precious, even if they don't seek to use it for their own benefit.

We see the Ring of Power turns Gollum and Bilbo and Frodo invisible, but is that what it would have done for Boromir? For Gandalf? For Gimli or Galadriel? Almost certainly not. We saw in a flashback what it could do on Sauron's finger, and the only thing it did for Isildur is quicken his death. Gollum was seduced and wanted to hide away. Bilbo was a burglar wanting to sneak past a dragon. Frodo wanted to sneak into Mount Doom.

So what does Sam want? The only thing Sam wants more than to return to the Shire is to ensure his best friend makes it home with him. Sam cannot carry the Ring, not because he is weak to its influence, but because his best friend wants it. Frodo has been corrupted, and would fight Sam if he tried to take it. They tried taking turns, but Sam learned what it felt like to want the Ring, and knew he couldn't do it again.

But he could carry his friend, burdens and all. The ring could not drive a wedge between them, because Sam didn't seek to separate Frodo from the Ring. Sam's singular focus was getting to the end of their shared quest so that they could get home together.

If you put the Ring on a mouse, then whoever is carrying the mouse would be tempted to take it away, and the mouse would use the power of the Ring to keep it. Sam was resisting the temptation of the Ring, and the Ring was fighting back as hard as it could. It fully corrupted Frodo in the end, and it was only Gollum, who coveted the Ring more, who was able to take it away.

Fate, luck, the will of Eru, call it whatever you want, but Hobbits have the superpower of quiet contentment, and that's the only thing that can beat a lust for domination of the Valar, the Maiar, of Elves and Men and Dwarves. It's why Gollum hid away without conquering the goblins living above him. It's why Bilbo could roll with dwarves and give up the Arkenstone. It's why Frodo could walk into Mordor, right to the edge, knowing the journey was going to kill him. And it's why Sam could carry Frodo the rest of the way.

[-] scrion@lemmy.world 102 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

As someone who often lifts a finger, types out the first two sentences of a comment and then just resigns: thanks for the well-written comment.

[-] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 38 points 4 months ago

Best comment I have read all week for sure, possibly all month.

[-] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 33 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

We see the Ring of Power turns Gollum and Bilbo and Frodo invisible, but is that what it would have done for Boromir? For Gandalf? For Gimli or Galadriel? Almost certainly not.

It would turn the mortals invisible and the immortals it wouldn't.

Hobbits, Dwarves, Men would be rendered invisible. We see Hobbits and Isildur becoming invisible.

Gandalf and the Elves are immortals, they exist partially in the unseen world, just like Sauron. This seems to prevent the ring from shifting the wearer completely to the unseen world.

The ring wraiths have worn their rings so long they passed into the unseen world permanently and can only be seen by their cloaks. But Frodo can see them with the ring on.

My interpretation would be that the ring basically takes your position on the scale of "seen world" to "unseen world" and flips it - those previously fully anchored in the seen world will be sent to the unseen world, and those that exist in both will still exist in both. That includes Maiar like Sauron and Gandalf, and the elves.

We saw in a flashback what it could do on Sauron's finger, and the only thing it did for Isildur is quicken his death.

He became invisible. That wasn't just a film adaptation thing, that's in Tolkien's writings too.

[-] Revonult@lemmy.world 31 points 4 months ago

I had no idea it didn't turn everyone invisible! The intention/desire makes so much sense. I always though Sauron's flesh was invisible but it didn't hid the armor. Thanks for the explanation.

[-] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 14 points 4 months ago

As others have mentioned, it probably would. In the books, it turns Isildur invisible when he jumps into the water. The way the Ring works, it takes you to another dimension. But it also twists people, so anyone with power would probably be amplified with evil energy.

[-] GnomeKat@lemmy.blahaj.zone 30 points 4 months ago

They tried taking turns, but Sam learned what it felt like to want the Ring, and knew he couldn’t do it again.

I just listened to the books again. They didn't really try to take turns. Sam thought frodo was dead so he took it to keep it from the orcs. And even after he gave it back he offered a few times to carry it again because frodo was so weak, but frodo wouldn't let him and definitely was freaked out a when sam asked. The book describes frodo suddenly thinking sam was an orc or a thief trying to take the ring from him.

[-] cmbabul@lemmy.world 18 points 4 months ago

It’s been a long time since I read the books but I’m positive in the extended editions of the movies it turns Isildur invisible during the prologue. Is that a departure from source?

[-] PrinceWith999Enemies@lemmy.world 26 points 4 months ago

In the books, Isildur turned invisible by putting on the ring, and dove into a river to escape a band of orcs. The ring, under its own will, slipped from his finger and he was spotted by orcish archers, who killed him.

I’ve always thought that the “invisibility” aspect of the ring was that it shifted the wearer into the shadow realm. The Nine were invisible without their cloaks, but were visible when the ring was worn. It also made the wearer more visible to Sauron, iirc.

If that’s the case, then the power granted by the ring might mean that magic users (such as Gandalf or Galadriel) would more easily draw on power from the other realm into this one.

[-] RecluseRamble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 4 months ago

Isildur turned invisible by putting on the ring, and dove into a river to escape a band of orcs

Happened in the movies too, AFAIR.

And in the books it was a big thing that Tom Bombadil did not become invisible when he put on the ring. Invisibility seems to be a core feature.

[-] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 11 points 4 months ago

I’ve always thought that the “invisibility” aspect of the ring was that it shifted the wearer into the shadow realm. The Nine were invisible without their cloaks, but were visible when the ring was worn. It also made the wearer more visible to Sauron, iirc.

Yup, this is how I think about it: the ring takes your existing point on the scale from the seen/unseen world and inverts it.

So it works out as so:

  • Mortal beings without the ring: 100% seen, 0% unseen

  • Mortal beings with the ring: 0% seen, 100% unseen

  • Immortal beings without the ring: 50% seen, 50% unseen

  • Immortal beings with the ring: 50% seen, 50% unseen

For immortals, it doesn't render them invisible because if you "flip" their position, it still basically stays the same.

[-] AEsheron@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago

It's one power the ring posses. I think Galadriel implied that, with training, Frodo would be able to turn that automatic function off, and access more powers. But the process of learning to use it would inherently corrupt whoever attempted it. I always took it to mean that the ring gathered power from the Unseen world, and so someone with no presence there and without the ability to manipulate it would be inherently dragged in, but it's not a core aspect or intended design, and nullifying that would not be a hindrance to using it. It's just a bug turned feature for folks that want to remain unseen.

[-] orbitz@lemmy.ca 9 points 4 months ago

I thought the pulling the wearer into the other realm was part of the lore, that's why it wouldn't work the same on elves or a wizard, they are already part of that realm. So I'm agreeing I just thought I saw on tolkienfans it was the intended reading of the situation but I can't remember if it was just theory from letters or something he wrote about.

Also why Frodo saw such a bright light when rescued at the Ford, he saw the elf, Glorifindal? As he was in the other realm. Also showed why that elf couldn't go on the quest with them, he'd be like a beacon.

[-] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 12 points 4 months ago

Yes and just to add to that: Where are they going to find tape?

[-] marlowe221@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago

Indeed, that is the real question.

[-] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 8 points 4 months ago

Put the mouse with the ring in a box?

[-] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 8 points 4 months ago

It's a mouse, you put it in the ring!

[-] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 8 points 4 months ago

The wraiths find Sam trimming his ultimate hedge maze in Ithillian.

[-] daltotron@lemmy.world 7 points 4 months ago

yeah, but why didn't tom bombadil just teleport them to mount doom, or whatever? or the eagles fly them? huh? checkmate, libtard.

[-] JustZ@lemmy.world 4 points 4 months ago

The eagles had important bird things to do. They were too busy.

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Damn dude, if there was Lemmy gold, I'd definitely give you some.

this post was submitted on 05 May 2024
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