Frodo's Temptation, Frodo's Hope
during the First Age and had seen the pervasive evil of Morgoth and Sauron prevail through most of the Second and Third Ages of the world. Her desire for revenge, her wish to set things right can be understood as the root cause of her desire. Her triumph of will in refusing Frodo's offer of the Ring and remaining Galadriel attests to her greatness.
Her valorous act must have given further hope to Frodo that he, too, might be able to resist its evil. Hope, to be sure, is a fragile thing that needs constant nurturing to thrive. The bleak landscapes through which he carried his burden and the loathsome company of Gollum would dampen anyone's spirits and smother hope within the lightest of hearts. The death of Gandalf at the hand of Morgoth's Balrog, the violent madness of Boromir at Amon Hen, the decision to break the Fellowship, the ever-aching wound which would never heal and the escalating torment of the Ring weighed heavily upon the spirit of Frodo of the Shire. It was most fortunate that Gandalf chose Samwise Gamgee as Frodo's companion, for hope springs eternal in the heart of a gardener.
Ed. Note: This examination of the Power of the Ring and the nature of Frodo's struggle will continue next month when the resistance of Aragorn, Faramir and Samwise to the Ring's virulence is discussed.
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