Was Bilbo really needed

Haradrim · 08-21-2004, 07:02 AM

I was just wondering if people thought Bilbo was really needed. I mean yes he found the ring but thats just backsight(or whatever you call it) Was he important to the quest? Ill answer after I hear you guys.

BeardofPants · 08-21-2004, 07:34 AM

Well, hobbit sensibility and practicality can't be under-written. I wonder if, had not Bilbo stumbled across the ring, the ring would have found it's way to an erstwhile young hobbit who, with a little help from his friends (ooh, I get by with a little help from my friends....) had the gumption to march up to the front door of the baddie, and drop his ring down a fiery crack of doom. Interesting.

Bilbo also provided the "heads-up" to Gandalf with regards to it being an ring of power. I wonder if Gandalf would have noticed as soon (!) as he did if the ring had not come to the shire?

Haradrim · 08-21-2004, 07:36 AM

but without knowing about the ring. Put yourself at the very end of the adventure. Is Bilbo necessary. Dont think about the ring thing. THough actually now that I think about ti if not for Bilbo the dwarves would be with the spiders or in the clutches of the Elf king. So I proved myself wrong. Hehehehehe

I guess he was necessary.

Lizra · 08-21-2004, 08:24 AM

Quest or story?

Bilbo makes the story...( very amusing!

) The last bit, without Bilbo is rather dry and boring.

Haradrim · 08-21-2004, 08:28 AM

well he is needed for both quest and story.
The quest wouldnt have suceeded if he hadnt freed them from the Elven kingdom and from the spiders.
Also you are right the story woul dhave been pretty dry without him

Radagast The Brown · 08-21-2004, 12:18 PM

Bilbo was, IMO, the most important in this story, except Gandalf and Thorin. What about the dragon? Without him, I bet the dwarves wouldn't have done anything, scared to wake up the dragon. (with reason, though

)
Plus, you mentioned all the things Bilbo did in Mirkwood.

legolaslover543 · 01-07-2005, 03:59 PM

goodday ,i pesonally think billbo was needed because................................ froddo i belive was not even born yet(am i right, or am i right?

) please someone go look that up 'cause i doing this out of memory

***Earniel*** · 01-08-2005, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by legolaslover543

goodday ,i pesonally think billbo was needed because................................ froddo i belive was not even born yet(am i right, or am i right?

) please someone go look that up 'cause i doing this out of memory

Not much an argument IMO, why would Frodo have had an influence on whether Bilbo was needed on the quest to the Lonely Mountain?

Beregond · 01-07-2005, 04:43 PM

The hobbit was only written to allow the Lord of the rings to written, but I don't think he would have been much use if he had'nt found the ring.

Blackheart · 01-07-2005, 05:01 PM

Actually the hobbit was written before Tolkein had firmly conceptualized the LOTR.

In the original version Bilbo won the ring in a riddle game with gollum. But having already found it, he got gollum to show him the way out.

Tolkein later changed this when he decided that the ring was "the one". He did it pretty neatly, mind you, using the original story as bilbo's lie....

In any event, you can't really say that in the original story Bilbo had to be there to find the one ring, because he didn't find the one ring in the original story. It was a children's story in it's original conception.

The Hobbit was likely there sheerly for appeal. No not sex appeal...

Appeal as someone, who though not a child, still had a childlike viewpoint, and a sense of wonder. The fact that the story doesn't just appeal to children is evidence of how well Tolkein crafted...

me9996 · 01-29-2005, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haradrim

I was just wondering if people thought Bilbo was really needed. I mean yes he found the ring but thats just backsight(or whatever you call it) Was he important to the quest? Ill answer after I hear you guys.

He freed the dwarfs from the spiders and later the elves.
He found smags weakness.
He found the one ring (but this is not importent in the hobbit).

So I think he was needed.

P.S.
Start a tread like this and you'll get an icredable number of posts saying the same thing!

ItalianLegolas · 01-29-2005, 06:20 PM

he was needed, because he just was, and without him gollum keeps ring, ring doesn't get destroyed, Sauron takes over world. Nah, he wasn't important at all

me9996 · 02-02-2005, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ItalianLegolas

he was needed, because he just was, and without him gollum keeps ring, ring doesn't get destroyed, Sauron takes over world. Nah, he wasn't important at all

You're right, he wasn't needed

08-21-2004, 07:02 AM	#1
Haradrim The Official Court Jester of the Entmoot Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Far Harad Posts: 1,006	Was Bilbo really needed I was just wondering if people thought Bilbo was really needed. I mean yes he found the ring but thats just backsight(or whatever you call it) Was he important to the quest? Ill answer after I hear you guys. __________________ A Bit More Grown Up This Time...

08-21-2004, 07:34 AM	#2
BeardofPants the Shrike Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Francisco, CA <3 Posts: 10,647	Well, hobbit sensibility and practicality can't be under-written. I wonder if, had not Bilbo stumbled across the ring, the ring would have found it's way to an erstwhile young hobbit who, with a little help from his friends (ooh, I get by with a little help from my friends....) had the gumption to march up to the front door of the baddie, and drop his ring down a fiery crack of doom. Interesting. Bilbo also provided the "heads-up" to Gandalf with regards to it being an ring of power. I wonder if Gandalf would have noticed as soon (!) as he did if the ring had not come to the shire? __________________ "Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords

08-21-2004, 07:36 AM	#3
Haradrim The Official Court Jester of the Entmoot Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Far Harad Posts: 1,006	but without knowing about the ring. Put yourself at the very end of the adventure. Is Bilbo necessary. Dont think about the ring thing. THough actually now that I think about ti if not for Bilbo the dwarves would be with the spiders or in the clutches of the Elf king. So I proved myself wrong. Hehehehehe I guess he was necessary. __________________ A Bit More Grown Up This Time...

08-21-2004, 08:24 AM	#4
Lizra Domesticated Swing Babe Join Date: May 2002 Location: Reality Posts: 5,340	Quest or story? Bilbo makes the story...( very amusing! ) The last bit, without Bilbo is rather dry and boring. __________________ Happy Atheist Go Democrats!

08-21-2004, 08:28 AM	#5
Haradrim The Official Court Jester of the Entmoot Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Far Harad Posts: 1,006	well he is needed for both quest and story. The quest wouldnt have suceeded if he hadnt freed them from the Elven kingdom and from the spiders. Also you are right the story woul dhave been pretty dry without him __________________ A Bit More Grown Up This Time...

08-21-2004, 12:18 PM	#6
Radagast The Brown Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Israel Posts: 6,975	Bilbo was, IMO, the most important in this story, except Gandalf and Thorin. What about the dragon? Without him, I bet the dwarves wouldn't have done anything, scared to wake up the dragon. (with reason, though ) Plus, you mentioned all the things Bilbo did in Mirkwood. __________________ Lalala... poof! AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide

01-07-2005, 03:59 PM	#7
legolaslover543 Hobbit Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 23	goodday ,i pesonally think billbo was needed because................................ froddo i belive was not even born yet(am i right, or am i right? ) please someone go look that up 'cause i doing this out of memory Last edited by legolaslover543 : 01-07-2005 at 05:17 PM.

01-07-2005, 04:43 PM	#9
Beregond Hobbit Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: England Posts: 28	The hobbit was only written to allow the Lord of the rings to written, but I don't think he would have been much use if he had'nt found the ring.

01-07-2005, 05:01 PM	#10
Blackheart Elf Lord Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Darkness Posts: 1,211	Actually the hobbit was written before Tolkein had firmly conceptualized the LOTR. In the original version Bilbo won the ring in a riddle game with gollum. But having already found it, he got gollum to show him the way out. Tolkein later changed this when he decided that the ring was "the one". He did it pretty neatly, mind you, using the original story as bilbo's lie.... In any event, you can't really say that in the original story Bilbo had to be there to find the one ring, because he didn't find the one ring in the original story. It was a children's story in it's original conception. The Hobbit was likely there sheerly for appeal. No not sex appeal... Appeal as someone, who though not a child, still had a childlike viewpoint, and a sense of wonder. The fact that the story doesn't just appeal to children is evidence of how well Tolkein crafted... __________________ I have harnessed the shadows that stride from world to world to sow death and madness... Queer haow a cravin' gits a holt on ye -- As ye love the Almighty, young man, don't tell nobody, but I swar ter Gawd thet picter begun ta make me hungry fer victuals I couldn't raise nor buy -- here, set still, what's ailin' ye? ...

01-29-2005, 06:20 PM	#12
ItalianLegolas Tolkien-aholic Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: somewhere in the solar system... more specifically NJ... Posts: 712	he was needed, because he just was, and without him gollum keeps ring, ring doesn't get destroyed, Sauron takes over world. Nah, he wasn't important at all __________________ What was lost is now found.

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