Powerful Ring Throughout Tolkien's Created Middle Earth example essay topic

J.R.R. Tolkien's concept of too much power is summed up by Lord Acton when he once said, 'Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. ' In Tolkien's first book of his fantasy based trilogy, Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Rings tells a story of a quest to destroy a powerful ring throughout Tolkien's created 'Middle Earth'. This quest was headed by a 'Hobbit' named Frodo Baggins who, in the end, becomes corrupted by power himself. This corruption begins when Frodo uses his ring to become invisible over and over again to escape certain situations.

The quest to destroy the powerful 'Ruling Ring' forms the basis for this story. The book begins with Bilbo Baggins celebrating his one hundred and eleventh birthday. Many 'Hobbits's how up at his party including his third cousin, Frodo, which is the main character of the novel and a powerful wizard named Gandalf. Biblo passed a powerful ring known as the 'Ruling Ring' which gives 'Supreme Power' to whoever has possession of it. At the end of the party, Bilbo uses his magical ring to turn invisible and stun his guests. Gandalf, the powerful wizard, then meets up with Biblo at his house and takes the ring from Bilbo, which is corrupting him.

Gandalf examines it, realizing that the ring Bilbo has is the powerful 'Ruling Ring'. Knowing that the forces of evil are in search of the ring, Gandalf sends Frodo, a relative of Biblo, to destroy the ring in the only place it can be destroyed, 'Mt. Doom'. Overhearing the talk between Gandalf and Frodo, Sam, a 'Hobbit', that is good friends with Frodo is forced on the quest to aid Frodo.

The two Hobbits set off on a journey in which they meet up with others that join them on their journey such as Gimli the 'Dwarf', Legolas the 'Elven' archer, Boromir a 'Human' tracker, Aragorn the heir to the 'Human' throne, two more 'Hobbits' Merry, Pippin and the powerful 'Wizard' Gandalf. They travel across 'Middle Earth' fighting off many 'Orcs' and 'Black Riders' which are in search of the ring by the orders of the powerful evil 'Wizard's auron. During their quest, they encounter many ambushes by the 'Orcs' which they overcome and usually slay. In some of the ambushes, Frodo uses his ring to become invisible to escape from the 'Orcs' and 'Black Riders'. Boromir asks to see Frodo's ring because he has a yearning for power and authority and then tries to take it from him.

Frodo, at the same time has become obsessed with the ring due to his overuse. Frodo decides to leave the Fellowship to go on his own to destroy the ring at Mt. Doom. The party is attacked by an army of 'Orcs' and Frodo decides to escape on boat, but Sam follows, and they decide to go together to destroy the ring.

At the end of the book, the quest goes on with Sam and Frodo, together on a quest to destroy the ring in Mt. Doom. At the same time, the rest of their party decides to chase the army of 'Orcs' and kill every last one of them. This story continues in the next book of the trilogy, The Two Towers The theme of power corrupts is shown throughout the book.

Starting with the beginning of the book when Gandalf is warning Frodo of the possible dangers about the ring and states, 'I should not make use of it if I were you' (Tolkien 59). The powerful wizard knows that the ring is full of power and that too much power can be dangerous. This is shown more clearly when Gandalf says, 'It is far more powerful than I ever dared to think at first, so powerful that in the end it would utterly overcome anyone of mortal race who possessed it. It would possess him' (Tolkien 70).

After having said that, he tells Frodo how the ring originated. Later in the book when Frodo and his party are encountered by the wizard Galadriel, Frodo offers her the ring knowing that she deserves the ring the most and should be able to control the power. Galadriel is strongly tempted to take the ring when she says, 'For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my hands, and behold!' (Tolkien 431). This shows how Galadriel is taken in by the thought of power at the moment. She is wise as Gandalf is and tells Frodo, 'We will not speak more of it' (Tolkien 431). She knows by even speaking about its power can bring about destruction.

Boromir does not know how evil the ring can be. He thinks that he could do great things for his people if he were to use the ring. He thinks, that if he were king or lord and had enough power to maintain his position, all the problems in Middle Earth would go away. Boromir thinks out loud to himself and says, 'But if you wished to destroy the armed might of the Dark Lord, then it is folly to go without force into his domain; and folly to throw away' (Tolkien 435). Boromir is referring to the ring when he states 'and folly to throw away' (Tolkien 435). Actually, Boromir did not intend to say that out loud but made a mistake and Frodo heard what he said.

Frodo is now able to see a clear picture of Boromir and what he might be capable of in his quest to gain power. Frodo said, 'caught something new and strange in Boromir's glance' (Tolkien 435). What Boromir does not understand is that the ring can make him evil, as Gandalf clearly knows and as Frodo is beginning to understand himself. Michael Levitin clearly states, 'One of the prime facts of the Middle Earth is power. Power is not neutral, but is always evil. It gives wicked the chance to dominate.

The good is corrupting and inescapable' (Levitin 575). This is shown throughout the novel, from when Bilbo gives up the ring, to when Boromir tries to take the ring, and finally, to seeing the control that the ring has over Frodo. Catharine R. Stimpson stated, 'Of course, evil is corroding, then corrupting, and finally canceling' (Stimpson 48). The critic went on saying that Tolkien's novel The Fellowship of the Rings is, 'condemning selfishness and greed, it praises sacrifice and generosity.

Ridiculing complacency, it magnifies sensitivity. Fearing evil, it exalts good. Most obviously, Tolkien, eloquently, rightly, lambasts power' (Stimpson 48). Finally, Deborah C. Rogers said, 'The first thing to be said of the human race, in Tolkien's portrait, is that it is capable of any being to be corrupted by power no matter how strong their will is' (Rogers 72). This critic was referring to how Frodo was becoming corrupt from the power he possessed and abused. J.R.R. Tolkien does an excellent job in showing that power corrupts in this novel. He does this by constantly reminding what power can do to beings.

For instance, it showed how Bilbo was becoming obsessed and almost becoming a monster. Also, Tolkien showed how Boromir was becoming corrupt by the thought of having such a power. Finally, Tolkien showed that no matter how many times Frodo was warned, he could not resist the power of the ring and that the ring was beginning to corrupt him. The writer of this essay's opinion is that Tolkien is an excellent writer and that The Fellowship of the Rings is really well written. Tolkien uses excellent imagery to tell his story of Frodo Baggins and his quest to destroy the ring. Also, Tolkien shows how power can corrupt someone to become evil.

The theme of this novel is an excellent warning to those who have a lot of power. The writer thinks that this theme was inspired by all of the dictators and tyrants he saw grow powerful, and use their power for evil in his life time. The idea of power corrupting one to only become evil, never good, is seen throughout The Fellowship of the Rings time and time again. No matter whether the characters, in general, are good or evil, the thought of having the supreme power always makes one appear evil through the eyes of others. J.R.R. Tolkien showed this corruption of power throughout The Fellowship of the Rings and the two other books in the trilogy The Two Towers and The Return of the King. J.R.R. Tolkien's concept of too much power is summed up by Lord Acton when he once said, 'Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely.