Frodo's Q&A

[Phillip Menzies]

I know I am a few episodes behind but I wanted to raise a point about the questioning of Frodo by the council. It is true that no link has been made at this point between Isildur and the ring that Bilbo found but I find this section very revealing. One important point is that neither Aragorn or Glorfindel were asked for contributions despite being heavily involved in the latter part of Frodo's tale. I wonder what Corey has to say about that.
The main point for me is that questioners paid close attention to details of the Black Riders. My feeling is that The council would have been able to confirm that they were in fact The Nine. Frodo would have recounted the attack on Weathertop where he was specifically targeted and their words at the Ford "to Mordor we will take you". I have always taken this as showing that even though the full story has not been told and we have a gap in the history, evidence is there to show that Mordor desires this ring and they sent more than a messenger, they sent the big guns. Not proof I agree, but a mounting case, the smoking gun so to speak, along with Gloin's warning that the Enemy seeks him, that this is no mere ring and that it is "highly" desired particularly if Sauron is willing to give 3 dwarf rings in exchange.
My final comment is on Elrond stopping Bilbo before he recounted the party. Once this was brought to my attention it seemed to be the oliphant in the room so to speak. The desire for the ring is something that those people who have had close contact would have experienced but it is not something you want to talk about because it reveals your own weakness. Maybe this was a failing of the council.

 

[Flammifer]

Hi Philip,

All we know of Frodo's account at the Council is very little. We know that "Frodo told of all his dealings with the Ring from the day that it passed into his keeping." That, "Every step of his journey from Hobbiton to the Ford of Bruinen was questioned and considered, and everything that he could recall concerning the Black Riders was examined.' We also know that Bilbo thought, "You would have made a good story of it, if they hadn't kept interrupting." And that, "it made quite a long tale."

Now, the reader, of course, has already learned this entire tale, so, the reason Frodo's account to the Council is not reported at length is that it has already been covered (both by the reader of the Red Book presumably, and by the reader of TLOTR). I imagine that Aragorn and Glorfindel both chipped in as part of those many interruptions that Bilbo mentions.

Yes, I agree that Frodo's account would have served to pile up the circumstantial evidence that the Halflings ring is the One Ring. Indeed, Gandalf sites 'the pursuit of Frodo' as 'proof enough' that "the halfling's trove is a thing of great worth to the Enemy".

I find Elrond's stopping Bilbo before he recounted the party curious. Let's summarize a possible Bilbo account of the party and leaving the Shire like this:

"At the height of the party, I slipped the ring on my finger and disappeared, thinking to flabbergast all the guests. An effect that was somehow made different, and less flabbergasting, by a flash and a bang released by Gandalf. Anyway, I gathered my things and made to leave with the dwarves. All that remained was to leave the ring for Frodo. I had meant to do this all along, but suddenly felt reluctant to part with it. However, Gandalf appeared and persuaded me to do so. So I did, and set off on the road again, feeling free, and as happy as I've ever been. "

Would Bilbo have gone into much greater detail about his reluctance to give up the Ring, and his confrontation with Gandalf? Probably not.

Really, the only reason I can see for Elrond (and Gandalf) not wanting Bilbo to recount his passing of the Ring would be because they already want to destroy it in Mt. Doom, and don't want the council dwelling on how hard it might be for a bearer to cast the Ring into destruction.

However, Bilbo is highly likely to downplay how difficult it was to give up the Ring, at least to some degree.

Also, if Elrond and Gandalf know how hard it was for Bilbo to give up the Ring, what chance do they think there is of Frodo chucking it into the flames? Of course, Gandalf probably intends to be there to steel Frodo's resolve. Still, one can sympathize with Boromir if he suspects that the whole quest is risky, dangerous, and foolhardy, with little to gain even if success. (Remember, that at the time of the Council, none of the participants (nor the first-time reader) assume that destroying the Ring destroys Sauron, and wins the war. They only assume that it destroys the Ring and denies Sauron the potential use of it. It is not until the Council of Captains, after the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, that Gandalf states that destroying the Ring will destroy Sauron (for all practical purposes)).