Could Aragorn have taken the Ring to 🌋Mordor?

[Idril Celebrindal]

Aragorn could have claimed the Ring, had he wanted to, as he was Isildur's heir. If he had been made Ringbearer, do you think he would have been able to take the Ring to Mordor like Frodo (or better) or would he succumb to it like Boromir? Aragorn was certainly mightier than Frodo, but Gandalf was mightier than both and he was afraid to even touch the Ring, while Bilbo, a lowly Hobbit, had it for over 50 years and was still able to give it up willingly, so maybe might is a hinderance when it comes to the Ring... What do you think? And how do you think the changing of the Fellowship (Frodo would have probably gone home if the burden of the Ring was taken from him, and the rest of the hobbits would have followed him) would have affected the events of Middle Earth?

 

[Idril Celebrindal]

Hmm... I have not been aqainted with the early drafts for the book, as I prefer to stick to the original story. However, if I remember correctly Tolkien's publisher wanted him to write another book about hobbits, so it seems that you are correct. Still, you would think that a guy who invented 14 languages could have planned all the connections I mentioned above. Although now that I think of it maybe Tolkien, assuming that the Silmarillion would never be published, transferred some of the characteristics of it's characters onto the LOTR characters to preserve them and hence the similarities. 🤷‍♀️ But now I'm just wildly speculating.
Also... prosthetic hobbit feet???

 

[Radaghast]

Hmm... I have not been aqainted with the early drafts for the book, as I prefer to stick to the original story. However, if I remember correctly Tolkien's publisher wanted him to write another book about hobbits, so it seems that you are correct. Still, you would think that a guy who invented 14 languages could have planned all the connections I mentioned above. Although now that I think of it maybe Tolkien, assuming that the Silmarillion would never be published, transferred some of the characteristics of it's characters onto the LOTR characters to preserve them and hence the similarities. 🤷‍♀️ But now I'm just wildly speculating.
Also... prosthetic hobbit feet???

I believe he had the Númenórean stuff mostly worked out from an unfinished sci-fi novel he was working on that was going to be about Atlantis. And, yes, he did absolutely want to give LoR a more "Silmarillion" type feel. He actually wanted to publish TS along with LoR and once said he considered the latter more a sequel to the former than to The Hobbit.

Also... prosthetic hobbit feet???

Yes, the character's name was Trotter, who was a hobbit ranger who had been captured in Mordor, and all that that implies. https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Trotter

 

[Eljorahir]

There is also a similarity between Beren and Frodo in that they both lost body parts while achieving their quests,

And, they both get their lost appendages incorporated as cool-sounding add-ons to their names:
Beren One-hand (or Beren Camlost, if you prefer)
Frodo of the Nine Fingers (so named by the minstrel at the Field of Cormallen)

do you think he would have been able to take the Ring to Mordor like Frodo (or better) or would he succumb to it like Boromir?

I think you almost have to break the question into two parts, and the second part is the more interesting question IMO:
1. Could Aragorn make the journey to the Cracks of Doom?
2. Once at the Cracks of Doom, at the moment of truth, would Aragorn have the willpower to destroy the ring?

Comparing Aragorn to Isildur...
Isildur stood at the Cracks of Doom and decided to keep the ring at a point in time when Sauron was "defeated". So, there was very little incentive for him to choose to destroy it.
Hypothetical Aragorn however, standing at the same place centuries later with a powerful Sauron in his tower, orcs everywhere, and the Ring in his hand and just letting go is the easy path to certain victory. He has many strategic incentives to cast it in and he has the force of his formidable good-guy hero-man nature fighting against the evil pull of what the ring wants. I think he would let it go.

 

[Radaghast]

Also, to bring up the parallel with Beren again, Aragorn must help see to the vanquishing of Sauron in order to become King, which he has to become to be worthy of Arwen. Being the Ringbearer and Ring-destroyer would be the epitome of that.

 

[Olorgando]

Comparing Aragorn to Isildur...
Isildur stood at the Cracks of Doom and decided to keep the ring at a point in time when Sauron was "defeated". So, there was very little incentive for him to choose to destroy it.
Hypothetical Aragorn however, standing at the same place centuries later with a powerful Sauron in his tower, orcs everywhere, and the Ring in his hand and just letting go is the easy path to certain victory. He has many strategic incentives to cast it in and he has the force of his formidable good-guy hero-man nature fighting against the evil pull of what the ring wants. I think he would let it go.

OK, so if Aragorn makes it to the Cracks of Doom, he wouldn't repeat Isildur's mistake. I could accept that.

But if I read the OP right, Aragorn would be chosen Ring-bearer at the Council of Elrond. No Hobbits in the Fellowship.
So you now have to re-write every thing from the conclusion of the Council of Elrond (Chapter II of Book 2) ending on page 271.
RotK ends on page 1,043. That's 772 pages of rewrite - though I'm guessing the rewrite would be seriously shorter.
How do you get Aragorn from Rivendell to the Cracks of Doom? The geography is the same ...

 

[Eljorahir]

How do you get Aragorn from Rivendell to the Cracks of Doom?

I found that aspect of the OP less interesting for the very reason you cited: it requires a huge rewrite and too many possible routes for my brain to contemplate.

However, if you assume a story would be written somehow which gets him to the Cracks of Doom (alone, to simplify the question), then the part of the OP question which is about Aragorn's ability to avoid succumbing to the ring is still difficult but doesn't require the whole rewrite.

 

[Starbrow]

I think Aragorn would succumb to the ring. I think one of Tolkien's main points in the story is that no one is strong enough to overcome the temptation of the ring. At some point on the journey, Aragorn would come up with a rationalization to justify keeping the ring.

 

[TrackerOrc]

I think it's striking that the more powerful characters know almost viscerally that they couldn't resist the temptation of the ring. Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel (even though she is tempted) know what would happen to them if they took the ring.
The simpler characters (i.e. the Hobbits, who have common sense but are not exactly Einsteins) are the ones who are affected less; I think Frodo succumbs because he's being carrying it for so long and through some extremely stressful situations.
Maybe as Aragorn grew in stature during the book his will to resist would actually decrease?

And if Gollum takes the ring from Aragorn not Frodo, wouldn't that make him even more of a hero than he already is!

 

[Radaghast]

It's worth noting that Aragorn rejects the Ring when Frodo offers it to him, and I think he is able to do this because of his devotion to Arwen. However, it's also worth noting that he doesn't volunteer to take the Ring. It's likely he knows his limitations and like Gandalf would succumb to the desire to do good with the Ring. If even Gandalf fears to take it why wouldn't the same hold true for Aragorn?

 

[d4rk3lf]

It's worth noting that Aragorn rejects the Ring when Frodo offers it to him, and I think he is able to do this because of his devotion to Arwen.

I always thought he rejected, because of his long friendship with the Gandalf.
And if I am not wrong, in the books, Gandalf admitted that he shared the secret only to Aragorn, where the ring actually was.
This is where Aragorn proposes to Gandalf that they should search for Gollum.

It's somewhere very similar to Faramir relationship with Gandalf, and Tolkien showing us how Gandalf really bad ass is.
(unlike movie Gandalf)

 

[Radaghast]

I always thought he rejected, because of his long friendship with the Gandalf.
And if I am not wrong, in the books, Gandalf admitted that he shared the secret only to Aragorn, where the ring actually was.
This is where Aragorn proposes to Gandalf that they should search for Gollum.

It's somewhere very similar to Faramir relationship with Gandalf, and Tolkien showing us how Gandalf really bad ass is.
(unlike movie Gandalf)

"The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" in the Appendix sheds a bit more light on this. Elrond sets the condition that Aragon must become King before he can wed Arwen and to become King Sauron must be defeated. But he cannot use his Ring to do it. You don't defeat the Dark Lord by becoming one yourself.

 

[d4rk3lf]

Well, that's a good point.. but still...
I don't believe that his love for Arwen, or his speech with Elrond determined more away from ring, then his friendship (and wisdom he gathers) from Gandalf.
So, with all respect, I'll remain at my initial theory.

 

[Radaghast]

As you will of course, I just don't see what it's based on. Yeah, Aragorn is Gandalf's friend? So? I don't see the connection between that and his refusing the Ring.

Also, Aragorn met Arwen before he met Gandalf. And I would think his relationship with someone with whom he will spend the rest of his life with trumps the one with the guy he soon will never see again (in his present life anyway).

 

[Olorgando]

And if Gollum takes the ring from Aragorn not Frodo, wouldn't that make him even more of a hero than he already is!

I don't think Gollum would have had the ghost of a chance of taking the One Ring from Aragorn. Aragorn could have killed Gollum instantly with hardly an effort.

 

[TrackerOrc]

I don't think Gollum would have had the ghost of a chance of taking the One Ring from Aragorn. Aragorn could have killed Gollum instantly with hardly an effort.

Oh absolutely; I was just swapping Aragorn for Frodo as the character who can't let go of the ring.
Aragorn would have drop-kicked Gollum into the lava without breaking into a sweat.

 

[Idril Celebrindal]

I think it's striking that the more powerful characters know almost viscerally that they couldn't resist the temptation of the ring. Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel (even though she is tempted) know what would happen to them if they took the ring.
The simpler characters (i.e. the Hobbits, who have common sense but are not exactly Einsteins) are the ones who are affected less; I think Frodo succumbs because he's being carrying it for so long and through some extremely stressful situations.
Maybe as Aragorn grew in stature during the book his will to resist would actually decrease?

I definitely agree that being simple and having humility are the best ways to resist the Ring: when Sam is tempted by it it's his plain hobbit sense that saves him.
And as great a character as Aragorn is, he isn't exactly humble, is he? I think the Ring would tempt him in the same way as it tempted Boromir: by telling him that accepting it is the only way to save Minas Tirith.
Also, assuming that Aragorn captured Gollum and forced him to show him the way, I don't think Aragorn would have tried the pass of Cirith Ungol as he would know it's danger. Rather, I think, he would have followed Faramir back to Gondor after deciding that there was no way into Mordor.
Also, while Aragorn is a lot wiser than Boromir, Boromir succumed to the Ring quite quickly without even having it on him. Imagine how fast the process would have been if Boromir was made Ringbearer. And in their desires Aragorn and Boromir really are quite simillar. Even though Aragorn is stronger than Boromir, I don't think he would have been able to resist anywhere near as long as Frodo.
Also note that fate (if fate you call it) seemed to favour Frodo in his quest: the Orcs who had him captive ended up killing each other, the two orcs who were tracking him also had a fight, the Nazgul didn't spot him and Sam found a road leading to Mount Doom while carrying Frodo. I wonder if it would have been the same for Aragorn.
Plus, as Olorgando mentioned, Gollum would not have been able to take the Ring from Aragorn if he managed to get that far, and therefore it would probably not have been destroyed in time.
All in all, because of his humility and posession of hidden strength I think Frodo is the only character who could have taken the Ring so far. Perhaps the Valar even gave him these strengths so as to be able to resist it.

 

[Valandil]

The Ring: "Oooooo... a descendant of Isildur. THIS will be interesting... and FUN!"

I think the Ring would have chipped away at his will throughout the journey toward the Cracks of Doom. And if he got that far - and as Frodo, at last gave in to the Ring's pull, in no way would Gollum have been able to take it from him, as he did from Frodo, nor could Gollum have forced him over the edge.

It would have been Aragorn's doom. It would have led to an eventual confrontation between him and Sauron. Whichever won, Middle Earth would lose.

 

[TrackerOrc]

the two orcs who were tracking him also had a fight,

Yes, I believe you are referring to the awesome Tracker Orc!

 

[Ais]

I have always thought of Aragorn as "anti hero" - i.e a protagonist, but not a "hero" - he spent years upon years in the wild, in the wilderness working for others, with no great hope for his own ambition - but he knew himself... and where he fit in the world. He would have taken the ring to Mordor to destroy it, but he knew how it would work upon him, and was ready to sacrifice a hobbit... knowing they were stronger in ways which mattered - he always pointed out that he was Isildurs' heir, not Isildur himself... I think he knew instinctively what Galadriel and even Gandalf had to try... that the lure of the Ring would make a Dark Lord of him, greater than Sauron himself, because his intentions would be good... I think we have a moment with Sam carrying the ring, and thinking about making farm land in Mordor, fields where once there were ash pits.. that show the power of the ring, to convert good into eventually evil, but in the name of "good"...
If I were trying to imagine a scenario where Elrond and Gandalf only knew that the ring must be destroyed, and the hobbits didn't volunteer... I can only see Aragorn volunteering to do what Elendil did... and try and take a boat beyond the circle of the world and place himself at the mercy of the Valinor.