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- Frodo Takes the Task of Carrying the Ring
- Why Frodo Was Able to Carry the One Ring
- Could Any of the Hobbits Have Carried the Ring?
The hobbit Frodo Baggins is inarguably one of the most famous heroes in all of fiction, renowned for his bravery in carrying the One Ring of Sauron during events of The Lord of the Rings . There’s no doubt that Frodo’s role as Ringbearer was instrumental to the downfall of Mordor and the eventual destruction of the Ring, but what if one of his hobbit companions had borne the dreadful object instead?
Frodo is chosen to be Ringbearer based on the knowledge that hobbits are far less susceptible to the Ring’s evil influence, but this begs the question: could Samwise, Merry, Pippin, or Bilbo also have been able to carry the burden to the fires of Mount Doom?
Frodo Takes the Task of Carrying the Ring
In The Fellowship of the Ring, the role of Ringbearer initially comes to Frodo somewhat by happenstance. He receives the Ring as an inheritance from his uncle Bilbo, and while he never uses it, Frodo finds himself becoming increasingly fond of it. Seventeen years later, Gandalf returns to the Shire with the grim news that Bilbo’s magic ring is in fact the One Ring of Sauron, and needs to be destroyed.
With this dark discovery, Frodo and Gandalf make plans to travel together and carry the Ring to Rivendell for safekeeping. Unfortunately, Gandalf never shows up, and so Frodo elects to set out on the journey to Rivendell with only his three hobbit friends, Merry, Pippin, and Sam, as companions. The road to Rivendell proves to be quite treacherous, as the hobbits are assailed by Ringwraiths, but with the help of Aragorn, they narrowly deliver the Ring safely to Elrond. There, a council is gathered to discuss the next course of action, and it is decided that Frodo will carry the Ring into the depths of Mordor, alongside a company of eight companions, dubbed the Fellowship of the Ring.
The Fellowship’s quest is quickly met with tribulations, as they come against harsh weather, spies, and packs of wargs. Upon the misguided guidance of Gandalf, the company crosses the Misty Mountains via the Dwarven kingdom of Moria, only to discover its hall abandoned and full of Orcs. Just as the Fellowship is close to escape, they are attacked by a terrifying Balrog, which Gandalf sacrifices his life to defeat. Morale is at an all time low by the time the remaining Fellowship arrives in the safety of Lothlórien, and Frodo begins to fear that the Ring will turn all of his allies against themselves. His doubt is later confirmed when Boromir attempts to take the Ring by force, causing Frodo to leave the Fellowship and make for Mordor with only Samwise as company.
Why Frodo Was Able to Carry the One Ring
From the outset of the story, Gandalf identifies that Frodo might make an ideal bearer for the One Ring, due to a combination of factors. Firstly, the race of hobbits seems to be naturally quite resilient to the corruption of the One Ring. This is largely due to the fact that the Ring’s influence relies on fueling its bearer’s hunger for power, forcing them to become dependent on their new “precious.” Hobbits, however, naturally hold little desire for power and influence, making it difficult for the Ring to ensnare them.
Secondly, there is the fact that Frodo’s individual temperament is far more worldly than most other hobbits. From an early age, he exhibited a great interest in Bilbo’s tales of adventure, and is well-learned in the history of Middle-Earth as well as its customs (He even speaks a little Elvish). Because of his greater world knowledge, Frodo was able to understand the true scope of what was at stake in his quest, and was willing to put his own well-being at risk to see the mission completed. Additionally, Frodo’s heart yearned to leave the Shire far before the Ring ever came to him, a trait unlike most hobbits, so when the time for him to complete his journey miles away from home, he was able to muster the strength and resilience to finish the task.
Could Any of the Hobbits Have Carried the Ring?
While it is true that the entire race of hobbits seems predisposed to having a greater resistance to the evil of the One Ring, it’s somewhat unlikely that any of the hobbits in The Lord of the Rings could have carried it except Frodo. This is because of Frodo’s unique disposition, since his unique upbringing in Bag End gave him a greater sense of worldliness than any of his companions. Frodo understood the weight of his mission, and therefore approached his task with a stronger sense of duty and maturity than Merry, Pippin, or even Sam. For the other hobbits, the journey was always about helping Frodo and getting home to the Shire. For Frodo, he came to accept that his quest may end with him never seeing his home again.
Of the four hobbits, Sam does seem to be the most likely contender. Fans will certainly remember that Sam did in fact carry the Ring for a brief while, after Frodo had been stung by Shelob and Sam had believed him dead. Ultimately, however, it’s unlikely that Sam would have been able to bear the Ring for such an extended period of time as Frodo. In the book of The Return of the King, Sam begins to feel the weight of the Ring after only a few moments.
Once again, it’s important to remember the ways in which the Ring’s seduction works on its wearer: the Ring’s influence manifests in feeding the deepest desires of its bearer. In the case of Frodo, Frodo’s deepest desire during his quest was to see the Ring destroyed, therefore the Ring struggled to dissuade him from his task. For Sam, his deepest desire was to help Frodo, and it’s likely that he would have given into the Ring if it gave him an indication of how to revive or rescue his master. There’s no doubt that hobbits are among the bravest races in Middle-Earth, but there is probably not a single hobbit other than Frodo Baggins who could have stood a chance of bearing the One Ring.
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