Frodo's Choice

Vranda

New Member
Sorry to post a question from a past chapter, but I have just caught up. In reading Tolkien, there are so many pivotal points in his stories that I often find myself asking "what if...". So my question is: What do you think the Witch-King/Nazgul would have done on Weathertop if Frodo had not given in and put on the Ring? Could they still have attacked? Could the WK still have stabbed Frodo with the Morgul Blade, or did he need Frodo's crossing into his "wraith world" for him to make physical contact? I realize it will all be speculation but I would love to hear opinions.
 
The way Aragorn responds to discovering the hilt and the wound both imply, to me, either direct experience with or second/third/fourth/etc-hand knowledge of similar stabbings. So if we assume, as I think we ought, that people have been stabbed by similar blades before--and if we further assume they weren't wearing rings at the time--then I think it follows that the Witch King probably could and would have stabbed Frodo regardless.
 
I see what you're saying, Beech, but why then does Gandalf wish he had chosen otherwise, if there was no consequence to the action? If Frodo had not donned the Ring and saw clearly the Nazgul, allowing him to counter, then maybe the WK would have hit his mark more directly. What was the negative to relenting and using the Ring in that situation?
 
One thought - before Frodo put on the Ring, the Witch King may not have known which one of the hobbits was the Ringbearer, so he would have had a one in four chance of stabbing the right hobbit.

Alternatively, and this depends on your interpretation of whether the WK's sword was physical or spiritual or both. If you go with the "both" interpretation it is possible that if Frodo did not have the Ring on he would have gotten a physical wound, but that would have merely killed him, not turned him into a wraith. Pure speculation, of course.

Bruce / Bricktales
 
This is a great question to be asking. I wonder if, like Bruce was mentioning above, both the Ring being worn and the dagger contributed to Frodo's wraithification process. If the Ring makes him visible in the Wraith world, it could concievably magnify the dark magic power of the dagger and make him even more susceptible to it.
 
It is interesting to consider that it seems Frodo was externally compelled to put on the ring; that it would have been better if he'd resisted that call; but that he resisted wraithifying to a remarkable degree despite these compounding factors. Of course we cannot know the precise mechanisms behind all of this; but I think it's also worth noting that the characters themselves probably don't either--at least, not fully. That is: A hobbit has probably never been stabbed by a morgul blade before, and a ring-bearer probably hasn't been either. Can Gandalf be sure how these factors will all co-mingle? It certainly seems true that putting on the ring is a de facto poor choice; and my own personal notion is that, while the morgul blade pushes someone towards the wraith-realm, it has an easier job if they're already there; but I'm not sure we can know exactly, because I'm not sure anyone in the text can either. Gandalf appears certain; and perhaps he is; but perhaps he's just using this as an object lesson to dissuade Frodo from any further ring-usage? As for the Witch King himself--well, we've already established his dubious tactical position. He's up against a lot of things he doesn't and can't understand, so I don't think we should assume he takes an optimal course of action.
 
I see what you're saying, Beech, but why then does Gandalf wish he had chosen otherwise, if there was no consequence to the action? If Frodo had not donned the Ring and saw clearly the Nazgul, allowing him to counter, then maybe the WK would have hit his mark more directly. What was the negative to relenting and using the Ring in that situation?

My thought is that every instance of submission to the will of the enemy makes the next instance more likely. If exposure to the will of the enemy grows with proximity, as it seems it does, then keeping the likelihood of submission as low as possible seems desirable.
 
To add some more evidence that the WK didn't need Frodo to don the Ring to wound him, consider that he was able to wound Eowyn during their climactic battle. We're never told whether the mace he uses has any particular magic though, so it may be a different circumstance, and of course, this occurs after what Professor Olsen calls his upgrade.
 
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