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The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Reading Room:
Did Aragorn make the correct decion in abandoning Frodo and Sam?

emre43
Rohan

Jan 14 2015, 2:46pm

Post #1 of 15 (1958 views)
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Did Aragorn make the correct decion in abandoning Frodo and Sam? Can't Post

If I was him, I would have asked Gimli to follow them, whilst he and Legolas chased the Uruk-Hai. Gimli may have slowed them down if anything and would have been able to protect Frodo and Sam from various dangers.


Edit: Whoops, meant to post this in Reading Room, although I suppose it is also relevant to this section as well.


(This post was edited by emre43 on Jan 14 2015, 2:46pm)


Eruvandi
Tol Eressea


Jan 14 2015, 3:24pm

Post #2 of 15 (1651 views)
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A big part of the reason for his decision... [In reply to] Can't Post

At least in my opinion, a big part of the reason for Aragorn's decision to let Frodo and Sam go on alone was that he knew the Ring would have eventually corrupted each member of the Fellowship. I can't remember exactly who said what in the book, but in the FOTR movie at least, Galadriel warned Frodo that it would happen which is why he tried to sneak off all alone in the first place.

Her exact words:
"The Fellowship is breaking, it has already begun. He will try to take the Ring, you know of whom I speak. One by one, it will destroy them."

The Ring corrupted Boromir to the point that he pretty much lost his mind and tried to forcefully take the Ring from Frodo. It would have done the same thing to the others had they continued on the journey with Frodo and Sam. IMO, the reason why Sam was the exception to the rule is because he was also a Hobbit and Hobbits seemed to have an unusual level of resistance to that sort of thing.

"Your love is like radiant diamonds
Bursting inside us we cannot contain
Your love will surely come find us
Like blazing wild fires singing Your name.

God of mercy sweet love of mine
I have surrendered to Your design
May this offering stretch across the skies
And these Halleluiahs be multiplied"

-"Multiplied" by Needtobreathe


emre43
Rohan

Jan 14 2015, 3:49pm

Post #3 of 15 (1586 views)
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Good point [In reply to] Can't Post

Another reason for Sam being an exception, I think, was that he was loyal to Frodo, and perhaps his loyalty and friendship with Frodo was stronger than the pull of the Ring to him.


Gwytha
Rohan


Jan 14 2015, 5:19pm

Post #4 of 15 (1599 views)
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In the book [In reply to] Can't Post

Frodo and Sam got a considerable head start (several hours)before Aragorn realized they had gone. He still chose not to follow.

Concern that the Ring was corrupting the Company played a part in book Frodo's decision to leave without telling anyone, but that was played up quite a bit by PJ in the film; in the book Frodo was guided at least as much, if not more, but an unwillingness to take friends into danger. Frodo's reluctance to expose his friends to danger was a persistent motivator for him throughout FOTR(the book) that went by the wayside in the film, which saddens me.

I'm not sure how much concern over the corrupting power of the Ring influenced Aragorn's decision in the book. To the extent his thought is shared with the reader(and this is one of the rare places where we do get a glimpse into his mind) he was moved by 1) a belief it would be wrong to compel Frodo's choices,2) a strong sense that Frodo's going off with Sam was fated--"other powers" were at work, and 3)his feeling of responsibility to rescue Merry and Pippin from the orcs.

I don't think Galadriel offers any specific warning to Frodo in the book as far as needing to leave the company due to the corrupting influence of the Ring. The film's depiction of her advice to him seems quite un elf-like to me. In the book she refuses to give specific advice in the great Elvish tradition of saying both yes and no. But PJ put much of Frodo's inner thinking into the form of advice from other character such as Galadriel. He did this with Bilbo, too, in TH at least once when Gandalf gives Bilbo advice about true courage meaning sometimes you spare a life rather than taking it, which I felt robbed Bilbo of the character it took him to make this decision on his own. I think this sort of switching clearly diminished Frodo's character and I have never been able to accept those choices of PJ's as fated, however carefully he justifies those decisions of his in the commentaries.

We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!


Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Jan 14 2015, 8:27pm

Post #5 of 15 (1564 views)
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So moved. ;) [In reply to] Can't Post

There's still a pointer left on the Movie: LOTR board for people to click through to here, if they're interested.

Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.


Ataahua's stories


emre43
Rohan

Jan 14 2015, 8:46pm

Post #6 of 15 (1534 views)
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Hehe [In reply to] Can't Post

Sam's friendship and loyalty to Frodo is kind of the epitome of his character really. It seems a decent reason to me :)


Eruonen
Half-elven


Jan 14 2015, 9:38pm

Post #7 of 15 (1559 views)
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There is also a certain "trust to providence" in the LOTR. [In reply to] Can't Post

Though not specifically detailed, there are comments throughout that suggest things happen toward an end that cannot be foreseen but must rely upon hope.


Riven Delve
Tol Eressea


Jan 14 2015, 9:48pm

Post #8 of 15 (1525 views)
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I would agree [In reply to] Can't Post

with the idea of trusting in providence, and would also add, as perhaps a subset of that idea, that too many people going along with Frodo into Mordor itself--even to "protect" him--would only increase the likelihood of drawing attention to him.


“Tollers,” Lewis said to Tolkien, “there is too little of what we really like in stories. I am afraid we shall have to try and write some ourselves.”



Eruonen
Half-elven


Jan 14 2015, 9:55pm

Post #9 of 15 (1536 views)
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Yes, and the very compassionate choice to go after the captured [In reply to] Can't Post

Merry and Pippin who were in mortal danger...unlike
Frodo and Sam at that point.


swordwhale
Tol Eressea


Jan 16 2015, 7:17pm

Post #10 of 15 (1473 views)
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sounds like [In reply to] Can't Post

you all nailed it pretty well...

"Judge me by my size, would you?" Max the Hobbit Husky.





PhantomS
Rohan


Jan 18 2015, 3:10am

Post #11 of 15 (1453 views)
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flip a coin [In reply to] Can't Post

sending Gimli alone across the river into unknown territory (for Gimli) is a bit dangerous, one might think. If anything Aragorn himself would need to follow Frodo and Sam, which would leave Merry and Pippin helpless as the Fellowship have no one who can track them and no one who knows Rohan. Were Boromir still alive and in his right mind he might have led the Three Hunters and let Aragorn find Frodo, but as circumstances go Aragorn would have been better off to go with Merry and Pippin. Remember that this was the point where Gimli and Legolas were meant to make for home, or Minas Tirith and leave Aragorn on the Quest.

He is comforted when he is told that Frodo wasn't alone and that Sam went with him, but pained at what might happen to the Hobbits. Being the supreme tracker that he is, perhaps Aragorn felt that he would be able to catch Sam and Frodo if he wanted, but would lose Merry and Pippin if he didn't follow them immediately. He had no idea Sam and Frodo would meet Gollum and take shortcuts even he probably didn't try, or that Saruman would launch an all out war against Rohan.


geordie
Tol Eressea

Jan 18 2015, 1:38pm

Post #12 of 15 (1429 views)
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that's right - [In reply to] Can't Post

- Frodo and Sam were free and uncaptured at the time, whereas M&P were prisoners on their way to tortures. Aragorn says he cannot abandom them.

Some ask the same queston about Gandalf's decision to rescue Faramir - 'Why abandon Theoden?' they ask. Well, Faramir was unconcious and about to be burned to death, whereas Theoden was awake; active, and at the head of 6,000 spears! I imagine he'd have been very annoyed to hear that Gandalf had abandoned his duties to someone who was helpless in order to go and help him.

.


RosieLass
Valinor


Jan 19 2015, 9:10pm

Post #13 of 15 (1446 views)
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A fair amount of what Galadriel said in the movie... [In reply to] Can't Post

...was hooey anyway.

A line that always stuck in my craw was "To be a ringbearer is to be alone."

Except that she's not alone. Elrond is not alone. Gandalf is not alone. So who are all these "lone" ringbearers?

"BOTH [political] extremes are dangerous. But more dangerous are team fanboys who think all the extremists are on the OTHER side." (CNN reader comment)

It is always those with the fewest sensible things to say who make the loudest noise in saying them. --Precious Ramotswe (Alexander McCall Smith)


Gwytha
Rohan


Jan 19 2015, 11:32pm

Post #14 of 15 (1518 views)
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I cringed the first time I heard her say that [In reply to] Can't Post

line. It's interesting that at the Dol Goldur confrontation in BOTFA she says "But I'm not alone" and is immediately joined by ring bearer Elrond.

Growth after all is not so much a matter of change as of ripening, and what alters most is the degree of clarity with which we see one another. -Edith Pargeter


Beleg Strongbow Cuthalion
Bree


Apr 8 2015, 8:00pm

Post #15 of 15 (1026 views)
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Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes // [In reply to] Can't Post

 

~"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― Gandalf the Grey~


 
 

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