Posted: March 10, 2000 at 18:10:01: by Aelmer
: Can this possibly fit with the way the plot of the trilogy develops? I don't see how it could. First of all, it seems surprising that Sauron would not know that he would cease to exist if his ring were destroyed. Second, if Gandalf believes that Sauron could still exist even when the ring was destroyed, he gives no sign of it in later chapters. Third -- how does Gandalf know what Sauron believed at any given time? What is he basing this guess on?: I can think of some ways to explain all this, but I'd like to hear other people's suggestions. I think at the very least, Gandalf is making guesses about Sauron on no real evidence. It is conceivable that Sauron would not fear destruction of the ring. The simplest explaination is that he did not realize how much of himself he had put into the ring. Intent on crafting the one ruling ring, he put more and more of himself into it without knowing. Following the loss of the ring, he was weakened but continued to exist. If he believed that the ring had been destroyed, this would reinforce his belief that the ring was not a threat to his existence. I don't believe that Gandalf, or any of the wise, realized that destroying the ring would also destroy Sauron. Their intent from the onset was to destroy the ring in order to prevent Sauron from regaining and using it. Gandalf does not know what Sauron believed. It is conjecture on Gandalf's part, based on the belief that if Sauron had known of the rings existence, he would have sought to recover it earlier.
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