# Could the One Ring ever have been destroyed on purpose? (LOTR spoilers, if you care) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154 "2013-08-25T20:58:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![emarkp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@emarkp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emarkp)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/21 "2013-08-26T17:53:01Z")
In one of the letters (to Miss J. Bum 26 July 1956) Tolkien wrote: > [@](#): > > If you re-read all the passages dealing with Frodo and the Ring, I think you will see that not only was it quite impossible for him to surrender the Ring, in act or will, especially at its point of maximum power, but that this failure was adumbrated from far back. He was honoured because he had accepted the burden voluntarily, and had then done all that was within his utmost physical and mental strength to do. He (and the Cause) were saved – by Mercy : by the supreme value and efficacy of Pity and forgiveness of injury. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/22 "2013-08-26T18:43:48Z")
They need to take a caravan to the ring, with multiple ring-bearers that doesn’t hold the ring for more than a day. Or why have a ring bearer at all? Put it in a box, seal that up in a larger box, and put the box on a wagon so nobody would have to touch it or see it. The ring didn’t do much to anyone within its vicinity except for Boromir, so out of sight, out of mind. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/23 "2013-08-26T19:02:08Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > They need to take a caravan to the ring, with multiple ring-bearers that doesn’t hold the ring for more than a day. I volunteer for the first shift. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/24 "2013-08-26T19:05:51Z")
I think the idea is that without a ringbearer to actively fight against Sauron’s power, the ring would quickly contrive to find itself lost or stolen. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/25 "2013-08-26T19:05:55Z")
I think a caravan of people all tasting the ring for a day at a time would lead to mutiny and murder. Interesting question, what would happen if no one ever physically carried it. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/26 "2013-08-26T19:27:43Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Sam could have pushed Frodo in … Sam might have tackled Frodo and taken them both over the edge, if he had the quickness of wit to see that that was the only way to destroy the ring and save the Shire, but I really don’t think he would have been able under any circumstances to sacrifice Frodo without also sacrificing himself. It just wasn’t in him. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/27 "2013-08-26T21:15:26Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I think the idea is that without a ringbearer to actively fight against Sauron’s power, the ring would quickly contrive to find itself lost or stolen. Yes, as it tended to fall off a fellow’s finger, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/28 "2013-08-26T21:59:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **oft wears hats** : > > I just saw that as foreshadowing, though. I sincerely doubt that the One Ring would willingly destroy itself just to spite Gollum. You misunderstand the nature of the Ring. It was malicious and evil, but it was _not_ sentient. It wasn’t thinking “I’ll totally destroy him and myself with him”, because it wasn’t thinking _anything_. When Frodo (at the time, the bearer of the Ring’s power) told Gollum that, he was using the ring for domination and malice, and that was the ring’s purpose, and so it worked. This self-defeating nature of evil was a pretty big theme for Tolkien. And there’s no inherent incompatibility between Gollum’s fall being due to the Ring, and being due to Illuvatar. He works in mysterious ways, after all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/29 "2013-08-26T22:17:35Z")
It is a question of what can give us salvation from the twisted, cruel desire to dominate and subjugate others. Can this be achieved by being good and selfless and strong? Or through the grace of God or some combination? The Protestant answer is only by grace of God. I’ll leave the Catholic answer to one of our Catholic specialists. Was the author trying to make a metaphor of the grace/good works issue? Maybe. I’m going to come down on the side that Frodo, Sam and Smeagol all did the best with the character God gave them, but it was not enough by themselves, that they combined to fulfill the quest with their conflicting motives. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/30 "2013-08-26T22:50:27Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I’m going to come down on the side that Frodo, Sam and Smeagol all did the best with the character God gave them, but it was not enough by themselves, that they combined to fulfill the quest with their conflicting motives. There were three of them. That is very Freudian and perhaps Christian. Oye. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/31 "2013-08-26T23:28:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And there’s no inherent incompatibility between Gollum’s fall being due to the Ring, and being due to Illuvatar. He works in mysterious ways, after all. The Music did allow a little discord here and there, but the Theme was long established. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/32 "2013-08-26T23:45:26Z")
Dragon fire. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/33 "2013-08-27T00:23:42Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Dragon fire. I’m pretty sure that Gandalf explicitly rejects that even if Smaug had still been around and his fires hot enough. I don’t even think that dragonfire got rid of the Dwarven rings, despite its efficacy on most of the dwarves that had been wearing them. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/34 "2013-08-27T01:14:02Z")
[Movie Galadriel] The task was appointed to you, Frodo of the Shire, and if you do not find a way no one will [/Movie Galadriel] Who would have had the strength of will? Faramir turned it down, Gandalf and Galadriel refused it, Bilbo passed it on to Frodo (somewhat grudgingly), Aragorn or anyone else in the Fellowship could have taken it at any time. But this is not the same as having the willpower to destroy it, which I think is much more difficult. I think the whole scenario was kind of a “test” set up by Illuvantar, there were so many things that had to go right for the light to triumph and the age of Men to pass. But only a few things (maybe even one) to go wrong for all the world to be brought to ruin. No, I do not think the One Ring could have been willingly destroyed. And I think Gandalf knew this, and he knew that if the ring was destroyed that Gollum would have to play a part in its destruction. Hence his “the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many” comment, which if I’m not mistaken was said to Frodo back in the Shire (in the book). I’m not saying he knew exactly what would happen - he didn’t - but he was receiving divine guidance and his task was to set up the pieces and let the test play out as it would. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/35 "2013-08-27T01:43:00Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > They need to take a caravan to the ring, with multiple ring-bearers that doesn’t hold the ring for more than a day. It’s like the cliche says, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If you have multiple ring bearers, you’re increasing the chance that one of them will be too weak to resist the ring. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/36 "2013-08-27T02:07:05Z")
Tom Bombadil seems to be a good answer, but could he have gone to Mordor? [_Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil_](http://km-515.livejournal.com/1042.html) provides a very interesting alternate take on Bombadil. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/37 "2013-08-27T03:21:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > In one sense it was Gollum not Sam who sustained Frodo during the journey through Mordor. Frodo’s willingness to believe in Gollum’s redemption was a strong shield against the Ring’s power. This is a subtle point (much like the workings of wizards), but it is key to the story. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/38 "2013-08-27T06:25:26Z")
> [@lightray](#): > > i’m pretty sure that gandalf explicitly rejects that even if smaug had still been around and his fires hot enough. Ancalagon, actually. > [@gandalf](#): > > it has been said that dragon-fire could melt and consume the rings of power, but there is not now any dragon left on earth in which the old fire is hot enough; nor was there ever any dragon, not even ancalagon the black, who could have harmed the one ring, the ruling ring, for that was made by sauron himself. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/39 "2013-08-27T13:07:10Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I think a caravan of people all tasting the ring for a day at a time would lead to mutiny and murder. Interesting question, what would happen if no one ever physically carried it. Nothing. Bill the Pony carried it (via Frodo) for a long time and he didn’t turn eeevil. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154/40 "2013-08-27T13:09:38Z")
Gandalf could have scooped the Ring up with a little paper envelope, then tossed it into the Fires of Doom. If he could have somehow gotten there when Frodo was there, and Frodo dropped it or something… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-one-ring-ever-have-been-destroyed-on-purpose-lotr-spoilers-if-you-care/667154.md?page=3)