Aragorn's Intentions at the Outset

[Rosie Gamgee]

I don't know if we've touched on this before, or even if it's worth discussion, but I noticed something the other day I never really thought about before:

When Aragorn sets out with the Nine Walkers from Rivendell, it is with the intention of going to Minas Tirith with Boromir. It was always their plan to part at Amon Hen for the White City. And so his distress is even greater at the Breaking of the Fellowship, because he must forsake his original plan to follow after and rescue the hobbits.

Thoughts??

[Gordis]

I think your observations about Aragorn are quite correct.


I believe that Gandalf's and Elrond's plan was to send four Hobbits to Mordor, hoping that Gollum would show up and lead them, and the five Big People to Minas Tirith. This plan was kept top-secret: not to give the Hobbits unnecessary nightmares all the way from Rivendell.

[Noble Elf Lord]

How I envy Gordis's wit and wisdom... (no sarcasm here, I'm serious I greatly respect you.)

If I could have chosen one member of the Fellowship into Mordor with Frodo, and Gandalf was still fighting the balrog, I woulda chosen Legolas. Not Sam, not Aragorn, but the Elf. Somehow I feel his nature was similar enough with the hobbits' not to give in to the Ring.

If I'm rambling about stuff that belongs to another thread, then delete this post, o mighty admins/mods (I still don't know their respective jobs ).

But I think that Ara's "distress" was caused by the fact that the two hobbits went alone. (...Was that a paradox...?) Without, say, Gandalf/Legolas/the other hobbits... Surely it was more important to destroy the Ring than to Aragorn to gain kingship? I mean, if they had had to choose between those two options. And he cared about the hobbits... Sorry, random rambling.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Noble Elf Lord

How I envy Gordis's wit and wisdom... (no sarcasm here, I'm serious I greatly respect you.)

Why, thank you! You are too kind, really.

Originally Posted by Noble Elf Lord

If I could have chosen one member of the Fellowship into Mordor with Frodo, and Gandalf was still fighting the balrog, I woulda chosen Legolas. Not Sam, not Aragorn, but the Elf. Somehow I feel his nature was similar enough with the hobbits' not to give in to the Ring.

I am not sure the young son of Thranduil would be immune to the Ring. The Mirkwood kingdom needed the Ring's Power maybe no less than Gondor. Legolas would have been sorely tempted to take it and could easily have overpowered even four small hobbits.
Moreover, Gimli wouldn't allow Legolas to go East unsupervised: Dwarves were wary of Elves's wiles.

Originally Posted by Noble Elf Lord

But I think that Ara's "distress" was caused by the fact that the two hobbits went alone. (...Was that a paradox...?) Without, say, Gandalf/Legolas/the other hobbits... Surely it was more important to destroy the Ring than to Aragorn to gain kingship? I mean, if they had had to choose between those two options. And he cared about the hobbits... Sorry, random rambling.

From Parth Galen Aragorn would have gone after Sam and Frodo but for the necessity to save Merry and Pippin.
I have a nagging suspicion that Aragorn was left in the dark by Gandalf about his plans for the quest. I think Aragorn believed that Gandaf was preparing to go with the hobbits to Mordor, and thus felt obliged to replace him. Yet, Gandalf wasn't planning to go to Mordor: his presence there would be as noticeable for the Nazgul and Sauron as that of Glorfindel he so strongly objected to. And alone with only the hobbits, Gandalf could fall to temptation to use the Ring.

[GrayMouser]

I'm not sure Gandalf or anyone at the council had specific plans as to who would do what. They just knew that the Ring had to be taken to Mordor.

Their "plan" would probably best be described as

a) Get Frodo and the Ring as close to Mordor as possible.

b) Something happens

c) VICTORY

[Alcuin]

My memory is not always clear on exactly what was said – that’s why I normally quote passages – but I believe Aragorn did not know what Gandalf had planned, although he knew or suspected that Gandalf planned to go into Mordor with Frodo in any event. I don’t think there was any clear plan for Merry or Pippin – or even for Sam, whose passage to the east of Anduin with Frodo pleased and surprised Aragorn.

Remember, only upon Frodo was under any bond: he was to find Orodruin and dispose of the Ring. The rest of the Fellowship were to travel along as far as they could until other tasks took them aside; and their only requirement was that they might not handle the Ring except in direst emergency, as in fact came to pass with Sam.

Aragorn’s grim task began at Rivendell: Elrond’s permission to wed Arwen depended upon his recognition as High King of both Arnor and Gondor, a position previously held only by Elendil and Isildur, which only Elendil held without contention: Meneldil may well have coveted independence from his uncle Isildur from the very beginning. Before the Fellowship left, Aragorn sat apart from the others, and only Elrond understood what the Quest meant to him. (That’s a paraphrase of a quote I didn’t look up.) Moreover, Elrond was Aragorn’s foster-father: Aragorn was psychologically and emotionally driven to fulfill the Quest, besides his duty as a Númenórean sovereign, of which he was the last – another burden upon him.

Gandalf would probably not have stood out like a sore thumb passing into Mordor. Galadriel said that he was surrounded by a grey mist that prevented her seeing him or his movements. Since Gandalf was able to penetrate Dol Guldur, Sauron was unable to detect him, too. What something like the Watchers at the Gate of the Tower of Cirith Ungol would have done is questionable: I think Gandalf would have passed the Watchers, but like Sam, sounded the alarm. Shagrat said that the orcs saw Gollum passing into and out of Torech Ungol, and I think they were also aware of Frodo and Sam once they reached the top of the stairs on the west side. Whether they’d have also been aware of Gandalf I don’t know: he could not be scried upon using the Mirror of Galadriel or the palantÃ*ri, but he was not invisible. (Frodo’s vision of Gandalf in the Mirror of Galadriel seems to me a grace to strengthen his courage.)

But without Gandalf, Aragorn was torn: hence his intense gratitude to Celeborn for the boats. And he admitted to Celeborn and Galadriel that he did not clearly know Gandalf’s intentions beyond Lórien: it may well have been that Gandalf planned simply to get to Lórien and then, in consultation with Galadriel, Celeborn, and Aragorn, plan out their next moves. The whole burden fell on Aragorn, and Celeborn commented on the physical and mental strain he saw.

So you’re right, Rosie. Aragorn was uncertain and second-guessed himself from Lórien to Parth Galen. Boromir, sensing this, sharpened and multiplied his challenges to Aragorn’s leadership, with the result that he attacked Frodo to try to seize the Ring and was finally killed. (Boromir did acknowledge Aragorn’s sovereignty at the end: twice. The first time was when he obeyed Aragorn and protected Merry and Pippin at the cost of his own life. The second was his final confession and open acknowledgement of Aragorn’s sovereignty just before his death.) When Aragorn was at last given a clear choice, he chose aright, and trusted Providence to watch over Frodo and Sam.

…Just passing through… can’t stay… orcs with whips right behind… no fresh water in Nurn…

[Beor]

Originally Posted by GrayMouser

I'm not sure Gandalf or anyone at the council had specific plans as to who would do what. They just knew that the Ring had to be taken to Mordor.

Their "plan" would probably best be described as

a) Get Frodo and the Ring as close to Mordor as possible.

b) Something happens

c) VICTORY

Simplicity! The sign of a great plan! I like it.

I think Aragorn kept second-guessing himself because Gandalf was the Leader, and he just had to follow, and suddenly, (through no fault of his own) he was thrust violently into a leadership position. That can be rough, let me tell you. Leadership aint easy, especially when the decisions you make could get someone killed. Fair to say, though, that I have never been the future King of Gondor, nor have I ever had a Hobbit with THE Ring in my charge, but leadership is leadership, I suppose...