Wielding the Ring

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Vranda

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My question for Corey is: The fact that Bilbo held possession of the One Ring for 50+ years, if he had claimed the Ring full on when he and Gandalf were having their "spat" at Bag End (before he finally relented and gave the Ring away), could he have "bested" Gandalf, or is the power of the Ring dependent on the original power of the wearer? Was Gandalf ever worried? Thanks. LOVE your lectures!
 
I don't have the exact quote in front of me, but I'd call back to Gandalf's words about Gollum. Gandalf said that the ring gave Gollum power "according to his stature" or something along those lines. While I'm sure Gandalf would be concerned about Bilbo claiming the ring, I think it would be more in terms of Bilbo revealing it to the Enemy by doing so, than in besting Gandalf. Gandalf isn't afraid to lose a battle in order to win the war (see: balrog), but would have grave concerns about losing a battle AND the war.
 
Corey did talk about this in class, pointing out that in contrast with the idea shown in the movies, the ring could be used by people other than Sauron.

SteveR said:
Gandalf said that the ring gave Gollum power "according to his stature" or something along those lines.
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Yes. To wit:

‘No one ever found out what had become of Déagol; he was murdered far from home, and his body was cunningly hidden. But Sméagol returned alone; and he found that none of his family could see him, when he was wearing the ring. He was very pleased with his discovery and he concealed it; and he used it to find out secrets, and he put his knowledge to crooked and malicious uses. He became sharp-eyed and keen-eared for all that was hurtful. The ring had given him power according to his stature. It is not to be wondered at that he became very unpopular and was shunned (when visible) by all his relations. They kicked him, and he bit their feet. He took to thieving, and going about muttering to himself, and gurgling in his throat. So they called him Gollum, and cursed him, and told him to go far away; and his grandmother, desiring peace, expelled him from the family and turned him out of her hole.​

Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings (pp. 53-54). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition. ​
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So Tolkien makes I clear that the ring did lend power to the ringbearer. B'b'but... what does "according to his stature" mean?

All that said, my gut feeling is that an encounter between any human or hobbit ringbearer and Gandalf would be a remake of Bambi Meets Godzilla. Hobbit Ringbearer vs. Orc, OK. Hobbit vs. Human, probably. Hobbit vs. Maia... <splat!>
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Don't forget that Gandalf the Gray is an entirely different class of being than Gandalf the White. The former is a spirit has been crammed permanently into a physical body, with many of the limitations that entails. The latter is back to just wearing a body like an outfit, Maia style.
 
Harnuth said:
So Tolkien makes I clear that the ring did lend power to the ringbearer. B'b'but... what does "according to his stature" mean?
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Pretty much that since he was a small, mean person the Ring gave him power to accomplish small, mean things.

To a person of "great stature" it would give the power to do great things—as Garrick Ollivander would say "terrible, yes, but great".
 
It would be an interesting excercise to come up with two lists of characters, divided into those who would be consumed by the ring and return it to Sauron, and those who would crush Sauron and take his place.

The former would include any Hobbit, and most Men.

The latter would include Gandalf, Galadriel, probably Isildur, probably Elrond. Probably Denthor.

The borderline characters are the most interesting. Saruman and Boromir chief among them.

Also I wonder about Joe Six-pack Elves. Like, say, the drunk butler Bilbo exploits in the woodland realm.
 
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