XPost: alt.books.cs-lewis, rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: joseph@nospam.com   
      
   Steve Hayes   
   > Gandalf also says, when he reappears to the hobbits after his encounter   
   > with   
   > the balrog, that Sauron cannot know their plans. He fears a champion wuill   
   > use   
   > the ring to overpower him, but cannot conceive that they might try to   
   > destroy   
   > the ring itself.   
      
   And that was Sauron's flaw. We have a tendency to judge others according to   
   our own philosophies. To Sauron, so immersed in his own lust for power, it   
   was inconceivable that anyone would ever attempt to destroy the ring. So all   
   of his schemes were predicated on his ability to control anyone who   
   attempted to use the ring. So the strategy of destroying the ring hit at   
   Suron's blind-spot and defeated him.   
      
   Also, Suaron always assumed that a 'champion' would be sent out to defeat   
   him. Ultimately, he was defeated by a humble halfling - a classic 'David vs.   
   Goliath' scenario.   
      
   - Joseph   
      
   "Steve Hayes"  wrote in message   
   news:5rjik1l1c3gcoutuqva9420gn2aglu5b5k@4ax.com...   
   > On Sun, 09 Oct 2005 19:15:18 +0300, Morgil  wrote:   
   >   
   >>Joseph wrote:   
   >>>>It seems equally plausible to me that Elrond and Cirdan did not   
   >>>>compel Isildur because they valued the autonomy of the person.   
   >>>   
   >>>   
   >>> I agree. The crux of the issue, was Man's inherent weakness. This could   
   >>> not   
   >>> be corrected by outsiders. This would have to be corrected internally,   
   >>> by   
   >>> men themselves, one day.   
   >>   
   >>Movie-ism. Gandalf makes it quite clear in the book that   
   >>the Ring was even more dangerous for those who held great   
   >>power themselves. He himself would not take it even for   
   >>safekeeping. The whole "Men are weak"-nonsense is purely   
   >>a fabrication of the filmmakers.   
   >   
   > Gandalf also says, when he reappears to the hobbits after his encounter   
   > with   
   > the balrog, that Sauron cannot know their plans. He fears a champion wuill   
   > use   
   > the ring to overpower him, but cannot conceive that they might try to   
   > destroy   
   > the ring itself.   
   > --   
   > Steve Hayes   
   > Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/stevesig.htm   
   >     http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Methodius   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)