The choices of the fellowship

[Raynor]

From the Mirror of Galadriel, FotR:

All of them, it seemed, had fared alike: each had felt that he was offered a choice between a shadow full of fear that lay ahead, and something that he greatly desired: clear before his mind it lay, and to get it he had only to turn aside from the road and leave the Quest and the war against Sauron to others.
- And it seemed to me, too, said Gimli, that my choice would remain secret and known only to myself.
- To me it seemed exceedingly strange, said Boromir. Maybe it was only a test, and she thought to read our thoughts for her own good purpose; but almost I should have said that she was tempting us, and offering what she pretended to have the power to give. It need not be said that I refused to listen. The Men of Minas Tirith are true to their word.
But what he thought that the Lady had offered him Boromir did not tell.

What do you think were the temptations for each of the members (and for Boromir in particular - do you think she caused/accelerated his downfall)?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Oh good question, Raynor! I don't think I've ever seen that one discussed before.

My first instinct would be that all the hobbits were offered the chance to go home, but that might be too easy an answer. With Boromir it must have been the Ring. But the others I'd have to think about before I could even venture a guess.

I can hardly wait to see what other people have to say.

 

[Sibeling]

I think that Boromir was a rather ambitious person, so the temptation most probably was connected with becoming a hero in the war and defeating the enemies of Gondor.
The book says: 'None save Legolas and Aragorn could long endure her glance'. so probably the temptations were not strong enough for them and they had a duty to do.
I agree with Kelpie about the hobbits, and it was also written in the book that Galadriel offered his own house (a hole ) with a garden to Sam, and probably similar things were offered to other hobbits.
I'm not sure about Gimli - it could be wealth or may be that Moria will be returned to his people. I think it was something that was offered to the Dwarves by Sauron's messenger - if they help to get his ring back, he will return Moria to them.

 

[Marky Lazer]

My idea:

Boromir: a save Gondor.
Hobbits: a save Shire.
Aragron: the throne of Gondor.
Gimli: Moria back to the dwarves.

Legolas is hard. I can't think of anything, anyway.

Boromir's downfall may have been because of the vision in combination with his strong feeling of responsibilty for Gondor. I think he truly believed that Frodo was too weak to get the job done (and as we all know at the edge of Mount Doom, he was too weak). He feared Frodo would bring the Ring to Sauron, or Sauron's servants would take it from him, and then 'his' Gondor would be doomed. The visions in the mirror might have made this idea stronger, and so could be partly blamed for his downfall.

 

[HieroGlyph]

Interesting.
My idea is to explore the 'how' of Galadriel's ability to even enter or commune with the minds of other sentient peoples. As far as I can remember it wasnt a simple 'silent dialogue' within the 'test'. The Lady is ancient and wise. She knows many things. How does she form a question or temptation for any of the Fellowship? Are feelings involved? How is she to interpret the 'true' hearts of those involved?

Its far from a simple "I offer you this, how do you reply?"... "...clear before his mind it lay..." But how do you get the truthfull reply or trust to that reply?
I'll think upon it some more Or re-read that part, before I reply.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

The reason I believe it had to be the Ring that she was offering Boromir -- rather than just any old way of being a war hero (which he already was) and saving Gondor -- was his line about the men of Minas Tirith being true to their word. I can't think of any other option she might have offered him for saving his people that would involve going back on a promise.

With Aragorn, the temptation might have involved Arwen (as Arwen's grandmother and because of her own almost unique stature in Middle Earth, it's conceivable that Galadriel's consent to an early marriage might override Elrond's prior conditions), but even overnight I couldn't think of anything she might have offered Legolas.

We don't really know that much about Legolas, do we?

Sibeling's idea about Gimli (and the offers made by Sauron's messenger) makes a lot of sense.

 

[cornelius]

Boromir: Saving Gondor , and maybe the throne as king of all humans
Aragorn: Arwen, and maybe to be set free, whatever that may mean. he has quite some pressure. Maybe the guaranty he shouldn't have to make a choice between the throne and his love, as the defeat of Sauron doesn't guarantee peace between elves and men. a chance given to his love , without having to worry about age nor race.
the hobbits: saving the shire.
Gimli: wealth and Moria back to the dwarves. maybe a full restoration of the former dwarven wealth and cities, and a chance for them to grow in numbers again
Legolas is hard indeed. Didn't he suffer under evil threaths near the forrest he came from? Maybe he wanted peace as well. knowledge could be in there somewhere too, isn't that the pursuit of all elves? He probably has many wishes, but as we are all humans ( I think , sorry if you aren't) it is hard for us to see through the elven mind ( or is that excuse a bit weak?)

 

[Raynor]

I think it was something that was offered to the Dwarves by Sauron's messenger - if they help to get his ring back, he will return Moria to them.

That offer was made to Saruman, as Gandalf recounts at the council of Elrond.

My idea is to explore the 'how' of Galadriel's ability to even enter or commune with the minds of other sentient peoples. As far as I can remember it wasnt a simple 'silent dialogue' within the 'test'. The Lady is ancient and wise. She knows many things. How does she form a question or temptation for any of the Fellowship? Are feelings involved? How is she to interpret the 'true' hearts of those involved?

According to Osanwe kenta, a mind directly perceives the presence of another mind; moreover, transmission of thought is possible if the transmitting mind is in a state of 'openness' - which is the natural state in Arda Unmarred.

For the souls with bodies, the transmission of thought is very hard - but it is facilitated by: affinity (love, compassion); urgency (great need in the part of the sender); authority (on behalf of a leader).

However, _any_ mind can close itself to _any_ other mind, save that of Eru. What I find interesting is that Galadriel communed with all the members of the fellowship.

Maybe the guaranty he shouldn't have to make a choice between the throne and his love

Well, it is a bit the other way around: if he doesn't get the throne, he doesn't get the girl .

Concerning Legolas, I would bet on the ridding of the evil he mentioned at the council of Elrond, as falling on Mirkwood, around his father's realm - after all, his name (and position among the silvan elves) suggests a strong affinity with the forest.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Yes, that's a good point, Cornelius. Removing the Shadow from Mirkwood should have a strong appeal for Legolas, while at the same time being just self-serving enough that he would reject it. I think it's fair to assume that he wasn't the type to say, "Sorry that everyone else's home is still going to be threatened by Sauron and the minions of darkness, but mine has been cleansed of an ancient evil, so I'm out of here."

And considering that Galadriel did go to Mirkwood, immediately after the destruction of the Ring, and demolish Sauron's fortress there, cleansing Mirkwood is evidently something she had the power to do -- and Legolas probably knew it.

There is a scene late in ROTK, when everyone is on their way home from Minas Tirith after the war, where Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf seem to be speaking mind to mind -- and this was after their Elven Rings have been, in effect, deactivated. So it appears that mind-speech was an ability the more powerful Elves did possess -- and Gandalf the White, of course, had been given back some of the original powers he had put aside to become Gandalf the Grey.

But the whole question of what Galadriel could or couldn't do is actually an interesting one in itself. Quite aside from whatever powers she gained by wearing Nenya, she was born in the Blessed Realm, where she spent some several thousands of years being instructed by the Valar, and was a student of Melian the Maia after she arrived in Middle Earth.

I think whatever she offered each member of the Fellowship, she could have given it to him. (Whether she would have done so is another matter.)

 

[Raynor]

Yes, that's a good point, Cornelius.

Errr... you owe me a lamb

I think whatever she offered each member of the Fellowship, she could have given it to him.

I wouldn't agree - thinking first in terms of her power. And I don't think she tempted them with what she had or could do, but with what they (more or less) secretly desired - much in the fashion of her mirror. In my view, these are all hypothetical offerings, a "purity test" of will, to try to purge the fellowship of the weak ones - too bad Boromir got through .