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a weblog where the students of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville contemplate all things "Lord of the Rings," both modern and medieval
Blog Archive
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2008
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January
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- Origin of Orcs
- Out of the Shire?
- The Silmarillion
- Who Controls the Ring?
- Giving up the Ring
- Tom Bombadil
- Trust
- LOTR & Industry
- Lord of the Rings song and video
- A Lord of the Rings Family
- The Power of the Ring
- "Conspiracy"
- Off topic, but fun...
- Question
- Freud-o Baggins?
- "Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring" Music Video
- Tolkien's Military Career
- Reaping the Benefits of Roleplaying
- Feudalism and Society in Middle Earth
- Hobbit Feet
- Lord of the Rhymes and Ballad of Bilbo Baggins
- Names
- Maps for the trilogy
- Elbereth
- Tolkien and Culture
- Race, Ecology, and Middle Earth
- Day 1 Welcome
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January
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Most Recent Comments
7 comments:
I think, like many others before and after tolkien, he believe that power, in general, corrupts. I don't believe that Tolkien was trying to say that the ring specifically corrupts but rather that power in general will corrupt anyone. Thus the name "Ring of Power."
The hobbit seems to be the answer for this ambition because the hobbit has to ambition to speak of besides eat, drink, and be merry. It seems the hobbit's innocence is the shield which allows him to be less affected by the ring. But even in Biblo's own heart, he grows attached to the ring as anyone who has power grows attached tot eh feeling of power. once he rids himself of the power though, he says he feels that a weight has been lifted from his shoulders and he feels lighter. THe same thing has been said by many a politician, ceo, or general, when the yoke of responsability that comes with power (think Uncle Ben in Spiderman) they feel relieved and lightened.
That is my thoughts on the subject at least> Anyone else?
I agree. However, I do think that the Ring itself is a means by which someone could gain total power in an oppressive sense. This makes the Ring an object that tempts individuals and exploits their selfish desires. As far as the actual history of the rings which Tolkien created: The Elves, the most magical and divine characters in middle earth, forged the great magic rings in Eregion to give to each race for the purpose of maintaining stability. However, the Dark Lord Sauron deceived the Elves to make a ring that would control all the other races. This is why the One Ring is so powerful according to the mythology. The Ring was a product of Sauron's plan to rule middle earth. Hence the writing on the Ring: Three rings for the Elven Kings under the sky, seven for the dwarf lords in their halls of stone, nine for mortal men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, one Ring to find them, one ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them. In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
Later in the story you will find out more of the Ring's enslaving power when the true nature of the Black Riders is revealed.
I encourage those who are not familiar with Tolkien's mythology to read the Appendices at the very back of the Return of the King.
Gandalf does say before that if Sauron gets the ring he can take control of the elves that possess the other three rings.
Am I wrong or did the Dwarves destroy the rings they had?
I don't think that the Dwarves destroyed all of thier rings. I don't have the book handy, but I believe it says that some of the Dwarven rings are in the possession of Sauron.
The thing i don't understand most is, if the ring is so powerful, then why did the prince who possessed the ring was so easily defeated and assassinated when he was ambushed because of the possession of the ring. The analogy that power corrupts is understandable, but the strength of the ring is really never said or understood so far in the book besides having the power of invisibility and why can't the ring hold control over the ringwraiths and is the other way around?
Well David, Isildur, the last King of Gondor kept the ring for himself, but the ring is only bound to Sauron. The ring will betray its keeper if its keeper is not its master. It deceives those into thinking that they will have power once it is in their keeping; eventually it will betray the person who has it. Such was the case with Isildur. He was ambused in the Gladden Fields and was killed by orcs once the ring slipped from his finger while trying to flee in the Anduin. The one ring does have total control over the Ringwraiths; they were the Nine kings of men who were given their own rings at one time, but they longed for greater power and later became evil because of their desire for the One ring, which tempted them to serve its master. Their primary mission is to find the Ring of Power.
I know that this is going to sound silly to all of you "Lord of the Ring" experts but I just can not get past the fact that the ring makes you invisible and keeps you from aging. It just all seems so silly to me and almost fairytale like. I never realized that the actual concept of the ring is actually simple; its everything else in the story that is confusing.
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