The other red star?

[Rachel Port]

If Bilbo had been the Ringbearer, who would have been his Sam? The logical person would have been Frodo, but that would have been impossible because of the Ring. Could Sam have gone with him? I don't know if that would have made sense. Wouldn't Frodo still have needed him? Who, then?

 

[Flammifer]

Thanks Rachel,

In that thread I made a case for Borgil not being Mars. But, I think Asterion made a better case, and Borgil (and the star in Rivendell) probably are Mars.

 

[Flammifer]

If Bilbo had been the Ringbearer, who would have been his Sam? The logical person would have been Frodo, but that would have been impossible because of the Ring. Could Sam have gone with him? I don't know if that would have made sense. Wouldn't Frodo still have needed him? Who, then?

Gandalf and Gimli, I would guess. Gimli might play a role somewhat analogous to that of Wiglaf in 'Beowulf'?

 

[Odola]

Sauron: "And who exactly are you?"

Bilbo: "Mushroom hunter; Ferry rider; I have been under a tree but not inside it; Buried alive and escaped the dead; He who jumped the moon, but came down too soon; wraithified and unwraithified; He who frequently emerges from underground; Known as 'hotfoot' among Trolls; I come from over the water and by water; I am prisoner and escapee; Spider's bane; but, who are you? And don't you seem to be missing something? A whole finger I believe!

Or, maybe Bilbo would have learned something and remembered, "Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!"

Do not think so. There areas where Bilbo is simply uncorrectable. He is a star, after all.

 

[JJ48]

Here's an interesting little thought experiment:

Why did JRRT make Frodo the protagonist of TLOTR instead of Bilbo?

It would seem unsurprising for JRRT to mirror his beloved 'Beowulf'. Beowulf is in two parts: Beowulf's fight against Grendel and Mother as a young man, and Beowulf's fight against the Dragon as an old man.

Why not Bilbo's quest to Erebor as a young Hobbit, and Bilbo's quest of the Ring as an old Hobbit?

Bilbo might be a better choice by Providence as Ring-bearer than Frodo? He is more experienced. He has more Estel. He is more willing. There is really no evidence that he would find it harder to resist the Ring than Frodo, or that he would be less likely to give it up and throw it into the fire?

Compare and contrast Bilbo and Frodo. Why did JRRT not just mirror 'Beowulf' and make Bilbo the protagonist of both quests? What is it about the differences between Bilbo and Frodo which JRRT thought were important? Why create a new protagonist for TLOTR?

I believe in History of Middle-earth, Tolkien considered Bilbo as the protagonist of the sequel initially, but eventually decided on having another hobbit be the focus since he had already told readers that, "[Bilbo] remained very happy to the end of his days, and those were extraordinarily long."