Count, Count, Weigh, Divide - Page 7
© Michael Martinez
By the time Frodo eludes Sauron at Amon Hen, it should be clear to Sauron that some power is working against him. The Wicked Witch of the West would have said, "Curses! Someone always helps that Hobbit!" Someone helped him in the Barrow-downs, someone helped him at Weathertop, someone helped him at Rivendell, and someone helped him at Amon Hen. In fact, in all four cases, Frodo was helped either directly or indirectly by powerful beings who may very well have been acting at Iluvatar's behest.
Tolkien says that Bombadil had taken a moral vow of poverty. He had impoverished himself with respect to control. That is, Bombadil elected not to impose his will on other creatures. Both Sauron and the Elves pursued control, though of a different fashion. Bombadil was a pacifist, in Tolkien's estimation. But pacifism, or a pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, does not eliminate Bombadil from Iluvatar's plans and purposes.
Bombadil's knowledge of the world is incomplete, but he seems to understand what is at stake and why it's important not to let the Ring fall into Sauron's hands. In terms of role-playing game moral alignments, Bombadil would seem to be a lawful good creature, although many people seem to feel he is a neutral or neutral good. Why shoudl Bombadil be lawful good? Because he does what is right, and he does not impose his own will upon evil creatures. That is, he doesn't enslave them, but he does restrict or prevent them from increasing their power.
In support of that thesis, I can point to the fact that Bombadil agreed to help Frodo before he met the Hobbits. Gildor's Elvenfolk had asked Bombadil to watch out for Frodo and his friends, and to help them on their way. Although Bombadil was unwilling to leave his land and take direct action against Sauron -- indeed, was unlikely to understand the need to hide the Ring in Gandalf's estimation -- he understood that there was good reason to help Frodo. That is, in the struggle, he could give non-violent help to the side which had the moral high ground. He just didn't necessarily share all their priorities.
Some people might argue this makes Bombadil more of a chaotic good personality. That is, his choices would seem random to a casual observer, unstructured and intuitive. But Bombadil acts with purpose in everything he does. He restricts the movement of evil creatures which dwell in his country but he does not take away their independence unless they step over some moral boundary he sees more clearly than others. A lawful good being sees the right and wrong more easily than a chaotic good being.
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