General LOTR question. Someone please exaplin to me the power of the Ring (No ROTK Spoilers in 1st Post)

[venk]

I am the LOTR anti-Geek; I?ve seen each movie one time and have never read the books. With that said, I am missing a major point of the movie. What makes the ring so valuable and powerful to Saromoun (sp?) ?

It's been a good two years since I?ve seen the original movie, but I don't recall ever fully understanding what makes this ring so powerful even then. I don't quite get how a ring that renders it's user invisible could be THAT powerful. Does Saruomon have a different use for it? If the ring is powerful, how the did the Human/Elf army defeat Sauromon in that battle at the start of the first movie? Does the ring give him an endless supply of orcs? Am I missing something key here?

This is what I got for sure:

-The Ring was made for Saruomon and wants to go back to him
-Anyone who posses the rings becomes possessed by it and becomes addicted to it.
-It makes Frodo (and im assuming any that uses it) invisible
-Thats about it

I also seem to recall reading about a piece of literature that came out long before Tolken dealing with an underling in the kings court who discovers a ring of power that makes him invisible. He uses this ring to usurp the throne and, i believe, marry the queen (could be wrong on that one). This story stuck out to me because it sounded a lot like the LOTR story (especially FOTR), anyone know what i'm talking about?

 

[HappyPuppy]

Read "The Hobbit". It's an easy read and gives the background of the ring, or rings.

 

[Martin]

Its not that Sauron has a different use for it, but that he knows how to use it, while others don't. The ring is sort of like part of Sauron, not a neutral peice of metal. The main thing about the ring is that it lets you subjugate the will of others, hence why Sauron has these huge armies of orcs and savage men.

 

[venk]

I assume he could only subjugate the 'wicked' then since none of the 'good guys' in the opening of the FOTR turned on Souron. (i gotta learn how to spell his name )

 

[Martin]

Originally posted by: venk
I assume he could only subjugate the 'wicked' then since none of the 'good guys' in the opening of the FOTR turned on Souron. (i gotta learn how to spell his name )

Well, AFAIK it's the weak ones, not the wicked ones. The 9 wraiths were powerful men, but Men's wills are easily corrupted (as they say many times). Dwarves also got rings from Sauron, but they are much more resistant to these things. Elves of course are almost immune from 'evil'. In the entire silmarillion there is only a handful of bad elves (and most of them simply misguided rather than evil).

Orcs, trolls and other animals are the easiest to subjugate.

 

[sillymofo]

Saurumon can't use the ring, only person that can weild it's power is Sauron; Saurumon wanted to serve Sauron because he knows how powerful the ring can be. It was made specifically for Sauron, and only in his hand, that the full power of the ring can be realized. Human defeated Sauron by a freak accident, by cutting his ring finger away from his body, which rendered him powerless.

 

[venk]

Souron was the one I meant, sorry, I got his name mixed up with the 'evil Gandalf'.

 

[SackOfAllTrades]

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak

Originally posted by: venk
I assume he could only subjugate the 'wicked' then since none of the 'good guys' in the opening of the FOTR turned on Souron. (i gotta learn how to spell his name )

Well, AFAIK it's the weak ones, not the wicked ones. The 9 wraiths were powerful men, but Men's wills are easily corrupted (as they say many times). Dwarves also got rings from Sauron, but they are much more resistant to these things. Elves of course are almost immune from 'evil'. In the entire silmarillion there is only a handful of bad elves (and most of them simply misguided rather than evil).

Orcs, trolls and other animals are the easiest to subjugate.

From what I've read, the three elven rings were made more powerful than the human and dwarf rings and Sauron didn't know. So when Sauron got his one ring made and put it on, the three elves with the rings sensed "the one" and immediately took off their rings.

 

[Legendary]

Originally posted by: SackOfAllTrades

Originally posted by: MartyTheManiak

Originally posted by: venk
I assume he could only subjugate the 'wicked' then since none of the 'good guys' in the opening of the FOTR turned on Souron. (i gotta learn how to spell his name )

Well, AFAIK it's the weak ones, not the wicked ones. The 9 wraiths were powerful men, but Men's wills are easily corrupted (as they say many times). Dwarves also got rings from Sauron, but they are much more resistant to these things. Elves of course are almost immune from 'evil'. In the entire silmarillion there is only a handful of bad elves (and most of them simply misguided rather than evil).

Orcs, trolls and other animals are the easiest to subjugate.

From what I've read, the three elven rings were made more powerful than the human and dwarf rings and Sauron didn't know. So when Sauron got his one ring made and put it on, the three elves with the rings sensed "the one" and immediately took off their rings.

Not necessarily more powerful (I don't know if any of the Three elves could take on the Witch-King single-handedly, no matter WHAT PJ makes you think.) The thing with the Elven rings is that, with all of the other rings, Sauron had a part in their making (Sauron used to not look like a big Eye, he used to look like a good guy, and as such lured some Elves into his favor and taught them how to craft rings.) With the Elven rings, Sauron had no part in their making, and had no ability to influence those who wore them. When Sauron put on the ring, like posted above, the Elves sensed this and immediately took their rings off.

 

[SackOfAllTrades]

Originally posted by: Legendary

Not necessarily more powerful (I don't know if any of the Three elves could take on the Witch-King single-handedly, no matter WHAT PJ makes you think.) The thing with the Elven rings is that, with all of the other rings, Sauron had a part in their making (Sauron used to not look like a big Eye, he used to look like a good guy, and as such lured some Elves into his favor and taught them how to craft rings.) With the Elven rings, Sauron had no part in their making, and had no ability to influence those who wore them. When Sauron put on the ring, like posted above, the Elves sensed this and immediately took their rings off.

I didn't mean powerful like "empowering" but ya, I shoulda clarified more that elven rings were made without Sauron's knowledge.