# Hobbits, and the Ring of Power



## hpfan55 (Aug 9, 2002)

I'm new to the forum so I apoligize if this topic has already been addressed. The ring is evil and it will corupt anyone who wears it, but it seems it doesn't work as well on hobbits. Frodo broke up the Fellowship because the ring was tempting the others, and even though it got harder for frodo to carry the ring he still managed to get it to Mt. Doom. Sam was with Frodo since the beginning and he was barely affected at all. The only reason I can think of is that Hobbits don't care about power and strength they care about having a good time and eating there many meals and that is why the ring has a harder time corupting them. Is my reasoning right? or are Hobbits just the same as any other race? (I'm also sorry for my many spelling errors)


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## emopansy (Aug 9, 2002)

sominthing like that i mean the ring just wouldnt know how to tempt sam i mean what would it do, sams vision of grandeur is the best garden in the world. sauron was never a big fan of yavanna


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## pohuist (Aug 9, 2002)

Welcome to the forum hpfan.
Hobbits, though seemig soft on the outside are much harder on the inside. The Ring has much less effect on them, than on, say, men.
BTW, i don't see any spelling errors.


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## Lantarion (Aug 9, 2002)

I do!  Just kidding.. 
In the book it is stated that the Ring affects the user according to their power. Sam was the simplest form of 'power' you could imagine, and so the Ring had no affect on him. Frodo had a vague sense of inner power about him, a sort of stunted toughness that was seldom visible, and so in the end the Ring got at him. Gollum had immense power in mischief and curiosity, but with him it was obviously the Ring that was in control, not poor Sméagol. 
Gandalf, on the other hand, would have been as bad if not worse than Sauron with the Ring! His powers were almost legendary: he was the eisest of the Istari, and very wise even among the rest of the Maiar, so that was one assett to his 'power'; also as the White Rider his powers were (supposedly) many times that of which they were before, so the malignancy of the Ring would be amplified in Gandalf even further..
Tom Bombadil's power was of a completely different nature: his 'magic' and aura was from a time long before the Rings, long before Sauron and long before such trinkets were even thought of.


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## hpfan55 (Aug 9, 2002)

(I though I was miss spelled the word corupt) 

So the reason Sam, and Frodo as well as any other Hobbit would less likely to be affected by the ring unless they had if for a long, long, long, time like Gullom. It must be because Hobbits simple don't desire power there peaceful creatures. Well peaceful as long as they aren't needed but when there friends are in trouble they can be quite agressive.


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## pohuist (Aug 9, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Lantarion _
> *In the book it is stated that the Ring affects the user according to their power. *



I don't think it says so. I believe it says that the Ring gives power according to the user's power. Thus, Frodo, even with the RIng, would not have been match for Sauron or even single Nasgul, but probably could command a few Orcs, while Gandalf or, say, Galadriel would have been able to defeat Sauron. But the effect, the Ring is having on someone, is a different story. If your theory was correct, Gandalf would have taken the Ring a long time b/f he was killed in Moria.


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## Lantarion (Aug 9, 2002)

Oh, go ahead, poke holes in my airtight theories!


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## pohuist (Aug 9, 2002)

No guts to admit you're wrong?


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## hpfan55 (Aug 9, 2002)

Where does it state that in the book? The reason im asking is because I'm a little slow right now, and im not quite sure what you two both are saying.


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## pohuist (Aug 9, 2002)

If I remember correctly, Gandalf says it somewhere in the FOTR.


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## hpfan55 (Aug 9, 2002)

is it right before Frodo leaves the Shire?


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## pohuist (Aug 9, 2002)

More likely "Council of Elrond", but it has been a long time and my memory sometimes plays tricks on me. Ask Grond, he knows all the quotes.


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## hpfan55 (Aug 9, 2002)

same here, but with me its worse, because when I read it i read it for school and I kinda rushed through the book and didn't get a chance to enjoy it, but now im re-reading all the books i have of his.

The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings
Simillaion? (not sure about this one, I work at a book store so i can read what ever i want and i think that book is there)


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## Ravenna (Aug 9, 2002)

Perhaps as well as the personal power of the peson holding the ring, there is also to be considered their desire for power, after all Frodo, Bilbo and Sam had little or no desire for power and domination of others, which after all was one of Sauron's main aims in life, and he made the ring to aid that purpose.
Also, the fact that Frodo and Sam do not wear the ring very often may have a bearing on the matter.


> 'A mortal Frodo who keeps one of the great rings, does not die, but he does not grow or obtain more life, he merely continues, until at last every minute is a weariness. And if he often uses the ring to make himself invisible, he fades: he becomes in the end invisible permanently, and walks in the twilight under the eye of the dark power that rules the Rings. Yes, sooner or later - later if he is strong or well meaning to begin with, but neither strength nor good purpose will last - sooner of later the dark power will devour him' Gandalf to Frod 'The Shadow of the Past'.


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## hpfan55 (Aug 9, 2002)

Well, somewhere in the book it talks about the ring power is different with every person/create/race but wouldn't it be its desire rather then person. For Ex. Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum were all masters of the ring and it turned each one invisible and none of them wanted power, I know what your thinking but Gollum didn't want to rule he just wanted to eat and be left alone. if i put the ring on i would prolly disappear like they did because my will for power isn't the high.


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## Lord of Ry'leh (Aug 11, 2002)

The ring's corruption doesn't work as well on hobbits because their culture is so simple. The ring gives visions of glory on a grand scale, of which hobbits are very unfamiliar with. For instance, when Sam held the ring he saw Mordor as a vast garden of trees and flowers with "Samwise the Strong" leading a great army to overthrow Barad-dur. In this case the most important factor that helped him to hold firm was his love of Frodo, combined with his "plain hobbit-sense" that told him what he saw was far too large a burden for him to bear.


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## Ancalagon (Aug 11, 2002)

Why then did the ring have such a profound and immediate effect on Smeagol?


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## Lord of Ry'leh (Aug 11, 2002)

Good question...I really can't think of an answer except that perhaps Smeagol's soul was already dark. After all, he did kill for the ring and then fell into denial about his actions, saying it was his birthday present and after a while, he believed his own lies. But I don't know if the effect really was that immediate...he did have the ring for hundreds of years, didn't he? I believe the ring can sour hobbits but it simply takes longer. In FoTR, Bilbo began to show signs of it and at that point he had the ring for 60-70 years (I don't quite remember how long). So, eventually the ring's power will consume almost any being, given enough time.


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