Breaking of the Fellowship

[Harad]

At Parth Galen, Frodo and Sam go to Morrrdorr, Merry & Pippen "decide" to visit Isengard. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli have to decide which direction to go.

The decision in the book, we all know, is that A, L, G follow M&P. There are many reasons pro and con. But since the Quest to destroy the OneRing is the most important TBD in all of ME, this decision always bothered me.

JRRT, of course, brilliantly devised his story to proceed from this decision. But on the grounds of the internal logic of the story do you feel the decision should have been:

1. just as in the book.

2. A,L,G should have followed F&S to give every advantage to the Quest which had over-riding importance.

3. A,L,G should have split, some going one way, some going the other.

(wish I could post a poll!)

[Elf Girl]

I thought it was perfect as it was.

[azalea]

I would not have changed it in the book, but I can see where if I were on the quest I would have wanted to go w/ Frodo. However, since he was the ringbearer, I would have respected his decision to go it alone. I think the point made that it would be more obvious if he arrived with a group of warriors makes sense.
That being said, and repeating that I would not change anything in the book, it would have made some sense, if I were one of them, to have someone go to Gondor. But who would that one have been?

[Twilight]

I think that the best thing that they could have done was to provide as big of a deversion as possible so that Sauron wouldn't be spending all of his time towards protecting Mordor. Maybe going directly to Gondor would have been a better alternative, making it look like the ring was being kept there. A reason supporting rescuing Merry and Pippin is that it would be easyer to keep up the deversion of the ring still being in that general area. Sauruman and the ringwraiths only know that hobbits have been taken. A close inspection would reveal that two hobbits are still out there unacounted for, and that the ring isn't with Merry or Pippen. If they were rescued before such an inspection by ringwraiths or by Sauruman could take place, then it would be believed that the ring is on those hobbits, so all consentration would be kept on getting it from them instead of looking out for Mordor.

[azalea]

Very good point! I had forgotten that aspect of it.

[BeardofPants]

Plus, it was more poignant reading how Frodo and Sam journied to mordor. I don't think it would have been quite the same, if the whole fellowship tagged along, especially with Gimli and Legolas' orc killing competition! Plus, I think the rest of the fellowship were needed elsewhere. (Pippin & Merry to stir up the Ents, Aragorn - paths of the dead, and gondor, etc etc)

[Menelvagor]

The pathes of the followship were preordained by fate. The quest would not have succeeded had any of them done differently from what they did. If Merry and Pip hadn't been captured, Isengaurd would not have fallen and Rohan would not have been able to aid Gondor. If Aragorn had not followed them, he would never have come to the Pathes of the Dead and so to Gondor. The probability that the quest would succeed at all was so slim that any deviation from it, however small, could have brought about it's ruin. IMO.

[Harad]

The fate of the Fellowship and all their story lines was in the mind and pen of JRRT. He could have written anything depending upon the decision at Parth Galen.

Sauron was building an army of ten of thousands of Orcs, Men, Nazgul, etc. Would it really have been THAT more noticeable to have a group of 5 stealthy people than a group of 2? (actually 3 including Gollum).

Further it was taking a lot for granted for Aragorn to allow F&S to negotiate the Emyn Muil and Dead Marshes alone. In fact Frodo says at Ithilien that he never would have made it without Gollum! In effect, although he didnt know it, Aragorn made Gollum indispensable.

Aragorn was the #1 tracker/ranger in ME. He had already been in the Dead Marshes and Morrrdorrr. Therefore he was the one who should have guided F&S, as he said he would after Gandalf fell in Moria. If he had, then instead of 4 weeks, they might have gotten to the Cracks of Doom in 2 weeks (or less) saving countless lives lost in the battles in Gondor.

Don't get me wrong. Aragorn's decision led to a great story. It just didnt quite make sense.

[Elf Girl]

I agree, the diversion was the most important thing. They had to make it look as if one of Merry or Pippin had the Ring. Otherwise, Sauron's Eye would have wandered, looking for the bearers, and almost certainly have seen Frodo and Sam.

[Menelvagor]

I think Aragorn going with them would've been to easy. Also, it says that Aragorn would have advised not going to Cirith Ungol, which, as the Morannon is clearly presented as impassable, could have lead to disaster. At the Council of Elrond Gandalf said that the hope of the quest was in doing the unexpected. Sauron knew who Aragorn was (Gandalf said asmuch on Treebeard's hill) and of the company, he would be the most watched. As elf girl said, diversion was more important.

[cassiopeia]

If Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had followed Sam and Frodo, obviously things would have turned out much differently. I agree with what people have said, but my thoughts were that perhaps A, L or G would have perhaps fallen under the rings influence. On the other hand, hobbits seem to be able to "withstand" the rings influence.

[BeardofPants]

Yes, but even Frodo came under the rings influence.

[cassiopeia]

I guess I was thinking of how Boromir fell under the rings influence. Maybe A, L or G would have fallen under the rings influence and claimed it as thier own and became an evil ruler.

[Lightice]

Not Gimli. He would propably have gone mad, but he wouldn't had been corrupted enough to become Dark Lord. He's a dwarf, after all.
But if they would have sent a group of men instead of hobbits and rest, they could have infiltrated to Sauron's army and slowly get to Orodruin "following orders", and thrown the Ring to the Fire before anyone notices, but then there would have been a bigger chance of corruption...

[Earniel]

Stealth was after all their main advantage. And 2 go far less unnoticed than 5 including an heir to the greatest kingdom at the time. Then there is off course the tempation of the ring. Frodo fell for it in the end but imagine what it would have been like with three more minds to corrupt. They would never have gotten that far.

Now I see that I'm just repeating all the above said.(sooo typical...) Anyway, I agree.

[Harad]

Gandalf, the second most powerful entity on ME (after Sauron) tells Frodo that he will help as long as he has the Ring. But then Gandalf falls in Moria. Who then is to help him except Aragorn.

Frodo and Sam were two ordinary hobbits who never had left the Shire until 6 months ago. Can you seriously say that Aragorn, the best tracker and ranger in ME who had already been to the Dead Marshes and to Mordor, would have hindered their journey rather than helped?

If stealth and meekness were the bywords of the Quest then back in Rivendell:

Frodo: "I will take the Ring, but I do not know the way."

Elrond: "First go south, then go east. Good luck."

[cassiopeia]

I don't think Aragorn would have consciously hindered Sam and Frodo. I was thinking of the power of the ring in corrupting his mind. He was Isildur's heir. I might be being very bad and getting confused with the movie though. If I remember right, Sauron was not expecting the ring to be thrown into Mt. Doom, so I agree that stealth was a major part in the breaking of the fellowship.

[Elf Girl]

The Ring did not corrupt his mind in the book.

[BeardofPants]

Originally posted by Elf Girl
The Ring did not corrupt his mind in the book.

Corrupt who? If you mean frodo, then yes, it did.

[Elf Girl]

I meant Aragorn. I took cassiopeia's post to mean that Aragorn wanted to be closer to the Ring.