04-17-2005, 04:15 PM | #1 |
Fëanorophobic
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Divine Intervention or Weak Plot?
Hi, everybody; I got a new question for you.
The sequence of events that led up to the destruction of the Ring seems to be tailor-made to serve that purpose: -Boromir's lust for the Ring that led to Frodo's motivation to go to Mordor -The meeting with Gollum in the Emyn Muil -Pippin's spotting the Palantir -And of course the all-time famous: Gollum's dropping the Ring by accident It seems that the Ring couldn't have been destroyed if any of these single events didn't take place or happened in another way. So my question is, do you think that this is part of Tolkien's belief, that God guides the way of Good and ensures its triumph? Or is this just too many close shaves for one story? |
04-17-2005, 04:37 PM | #2 | ||
Ring-smith
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-On Gollum at Emyn Muil:Perfect place to stop nasty hobbitses!!! -On Pippin:How could he miss it?!? -On Droping rings:The ring manted to escape!!!
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04-17-2005, 04:49 PM | #3 | ||
Elf Lord
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04-17-2005, 05:16 PM | #4 |
Lady of the Ulairi
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An interesting question, Beren3000!
I am not sure that "the Ring couldn't have been destroyed if any of these single events didn't take place or happened in another way", save the last famous one. -Boromir's lust for the Ring that led to Frodo's motivation to go to Mordor Frodo knew that he had to go to Mordor, only he was afraid to decide. He said so himself. Without Boromir's attack, he would have gone just the same, IMHO, only he would have taken some others with him, the three other hobbits, probably. Boromir was going to Minas Tirit anyway, perhaps Aragorn would have gone with him, as well as Legolas and Gimli. I believe that the splitting of the fellowship in hobbit-part and Big-Folk part was Gandalf's plan from the start. The events would have been basically the same, IMHO, even the Rohan part. Gandalf could have persuaded Ents to attack Isengard instead of Merry and Pippin, and it was he who healed Theoden anyway. -The meeting with Gollum in the Emyn Muil That was not a chance meeting and hardly a divine intervention. Gollum followed the company from Moria. -Pippin's spotting the Palantir That was pure accidant, and not too important, IMHO. Gandalf&Aragorn would have soon fugured out what the strange fiery ball was. The important part was Aragorn's decision to look in it and make Sauron believe he has the Ring. -And of course the all-time famous: Gollum's dropping the Ring by accident That is the only case when one can suppose a decisive divine intervention. Or not divine. May be the moment Gollum swore on the Ring to be loyal to Frodo, his fate was decided. The Ruling ring's power punished him for breaking his promise as inevitably as the day followes night. |
04-17-2005, 08:12 PM | #5 | |
Elven Warrior
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It is this overbearing presence of god that detracts from the whole Tolkien's work for me. In particular the subtext from the events at Mount Doom are so Calvinist; they are hard to swallow. |
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04-17-2005, 09:51 PM | #6 | ||
Ring-smith
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04-18-2005, 12:32 AM | #7 | |
Cyber Elf Lord
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I think that if one was to look at other stories you can analyze them to a similar degree and find similar occurances of chance or divine intervention. Sometimes what we consider to be an extraordinary event may only be an ordinary event that is memorable to us for some reason.
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Sincerely, Anthony 'Many are my names in many countries,' he said. 'Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkûn to the Drarves; Olórin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incánus, in the North Gandalf; to the East I go not.' Faramir What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation? Cicero (106BC-43BC) |
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04-18-2005, 01:22 AM | #8 | ||||
Elf Lord
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It called destiny. The final result would be just the same, no matter which way you choose, but what important is HOW you will reach this outcome.Consider this:
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In any way, he fails the Quest, as he did on the Mount Doom. Quote:
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04-18-2005, 03:43 AM | #9 | |||
Lady of the Ulairi
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04-18-2005, 10:51 AM | #10 | |||||||
Fëanorophobic
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04-18-2005, 02:03 PM | #11 | |||||
Lady of the Ulairi
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The Ring was not exactly sentient or "clever". It betrayed Isildur dropping into the river and caused its master Sauron an age of trouble. A "clever" Ring would have gone to some orc. The same applies to Bilbo's finding it. Do you really think that Frodo's "prophetic" words to Gollum were just a coincidence" Quote:
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04-18-2005, 09:13 PM | #12 | |
Cyber Elf Lord
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Rewording what you said above: You could think of Eru knowing all of the choices that everyone would make so he would be able to adjust his plan to make use of their choices for the triumph of Good. (I think that there is already a thread on Free-will, so if people wish to discuss this further, I think IMO it would be better to discuss it there.)
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Sincerely, Anthony 'Many are my names in many countries,' he said. 'Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkûn to the Drarves; Olórin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incánus, in the North Gandalf; to the East I go not.' Faramir What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man who instructs the rising generation? Cicero (106BC-43BC) |
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04-20-2005, 10:02 AM | #13 | |
The Lovely Hobbit-Lass
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It's New Years Day, just like the day before; Same old skies of grey, same empty bottles on the floor. Another year's gone by, and I was thinking once again, How can I take this losing hand and somehow win? Just give me One Good Year To get my feet back on the ground. I've been chasing grace; Grace ain't so easily found One bad hand can devil a man, chase him and carry him down. I've got to get out of here, just give me One Good Year! |
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04-20-2005, 10:25 AM | #14 |
An enigma in a conundrum
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I always viewed it as "things work out", whether for good or evil, one triumphs. I'm tempted to say "the universe" but in LOTR it's really the Ring trying to get back to Mordor. It does what it can to influence events (gollum losing it, Bilbo finding it, etc.) but overall things happen that change the direction The Ring wants to go.
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04-20-2005, 10:38 AM | #15 |
Elf Lord
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Plot devices are under the control of the author. The characters may not be. Many authors have remarked on the "will" of the character in not proceeding in a previously charted course. So as the subCreator, Tolkien had to encounter and deal with the capabilities and developing characteristics of each character. The Ring wanted to get back to Mordor because as limited as Sauron, it could not imagine anyone wishing to destroy it. The single-minded self-consciousness of Sauron was naturally inherent in the One Ring. If the entire creation is supposed to revolve about one's self, how could the Ring or Sauron have known the "fool's hope" that was underway to fruition. In this sense, the Ring co-operated in achieving Mordor, but did not anticipate its destruction anymore than Sauron.
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Inked "Aslan is not a tame lion." CSL/LWW "The new school [acts] as if it required...courage to say a blasphemy. There is only one thing that requires real courage to say, and that is a truism." GK Chesterton "And there is always the danger of allowing people to suppose that our modern times are so wholly unlike any other times that the fundamental facts about man's nature have wholly changed with changing circumstances." Dorothy L. Sayers, 1 Sept. 1941 |
04-20-2005, 11:29 AM | #16 | ||
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Then Huor spoke and said: "Yet if it stands but a little while, then out of your house shall come the hope of Elves and Men. This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and me a new star shall arise. Farewell!" The Silmarillion, Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Page 230 |
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04-20-2005, 11:50 AM | #17 | |
Lady of the Ulairi
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04-20-2005, 11:59 AM | #18 |
Warrior of the House of Hador
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It's here.
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Then Huor spoke and said: "Yet if it stands but a little while, then out of your house shall come the hope of Elves and Men. This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and me a new star shall arise. Farewell!" The Silmarillion, Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Page 230 |
04-20-2005, 04:48 PM | #20 | |
Fëanorophobic
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