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How would the 💀Nazgul able to keep pestering Frodo to put on the Ring?

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Feb 19, 2018
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I'm recalling a quote from The Two Towers, where Frodo tells Gollum that the Ring mastered him long ago and that swearing on the Ring was a bad idea and that he has merely to command him to do anything and he'll do it.

Since the same would be true for the Nazgul, that they long ago fell to the Ring's lure, indeed, even more than Gollum (at least Gollum held out from becoming turned into a wraith by the One Ring and these guys fell to the Nine Rings, which are lesser rings.) So, if anything, Frodo would be more able to command them (true, he's not that powerful) than they able to start getting in his head with the "Put on the Ring!" stuff.
 
I think that in the dialogue between Frodo and Galadriel in the books, this is answered:

‘I would ask one thing before we go,’ said Frodo, ‘a thing which
I often meant to ask Gandalf in Rivendell. I am permitted to wear
the One Ring: why cannot I see all the others and know the thoughts
of those that wear them?’
‘You have not tried,’ she said. ‘Only thrice have you set the Ring
upon your finger since you knew what you possessed. Do not try! It
would destroy you.
Did not Gandalf tell you that the rings give power
according to the measure of each possessor? Before you could use
that power you would need to become far stronger, and to train your
will to the domination of others. Yet even so, as Ring-bearer and as
one that has borne it on finger and seen that which is hidden, your
sight is grown keener. You have perceived my thought more clearly
than many that are accounted wise. You saw the Eye of him that
holds the Seven and the Nine.

So yes, Frodo could theoretically control Nazguls, but he lacks both strength of will, and knowledge to do this (and of course, it helps a great deal that in nature he is not ambitious and dominant).
I assume, not even the likes of Aragorn would be able to control Nazguls, right away, but only after some time they have it, and learn how to use some of its potentials.
 
Not sure they ever try to tell him to put it on. They say, "The Ring! The Ring!" at the Ford, but I don't know if this means they want him to put it on. Here's the full exchange:

‘Go back!’ he cried. ‘Go back to the Land of Mordor, and follow me no more!’ His voice sounded thin and shrill in his own ears. The Riders halted, but Frodo had not the power of Bombadil. His enemies laughed at him with a harsh and chilling laughter. ‘Come back! Come back!’ they called. ‘To Mordor we will take you!’ ‘Go back!’ he whispered.

‘The Ring! The Ring!’ they cried with deadly voices; and immediately their leader urged his horse forward into the water, followed closely by two others.
  • "Flight to the Ford"
 
Tolkien goes into sumadis* in (draft) letter 246.
*"some of this"

I don't go into any of this however, here in post 5.

Black Cat Sleeping Stock Illustrations ...
 
Not sure they ever try to tell him to put it on. They say, "The Ring! The Ring!" at the Ford, but I don't know if this means they want him to put it on. Here's the full exchange:

From what I recall, the ring itself was trying to urge Frodo to put it on, and it gave him false hope he will be safer if he is invisible.
But the ring intention was totally opposite, because putting ring on will make Frodo much more visible to Nazguls, so they can grab it, and so the ring can return to it's master.

I mean.. that's how I understood.
 
I think somewhere I remember that to each, according to their power... the rings give power, but according to the measure of the user. In other words, Aragorn wearing the one ring, might be able to overmaster a Nazgul, had he lived like a King of Gondor or Arnor... but just as Smeagol could only think small, and therefore only command small things... to hide, to stay hidden, and "sneak"... - Frodo could only have controlled the ring to the extent of his ability... which he actually does by commanding Smeagol/Gollum in the "name" of the ring... - and Aragorn chose to live under cover..

It's why the nine were given to mortal men and fell under the one rings spell and created the Nazgul. The dwaves were spared in many ways because their wills were not bent towards subservience, being very strong willed in their own right... the rings did them harm, but were destroyed either by dragons or collected by Sauron who didn't really gain great control over dwarves as a result. The three were actually useful because their wearers' were powerful in their own right and resistant to Sauron... so their power could be used accordingly... Cirdain gave his ring to Gandalf, because Gandalf had become more powerful.. although here, "power" and powerful need explaination.
I think this is why I am a Bombadil fan... he had no power over the ring, but the ring had no power over him... And what Elrond says at the council in Rivendell... I'm paraphrasing, but basically... the Valar won't take it because it is a tool/ creation of Middle Earth... and up to Middle Earth to deal with, even if the consequences are catasrophic... There is no deus ex machina... they have to deal with their own problems.. and slim and all as hope may be, the non ambitious, caring, close to the earth, not into war and fighting small people are the way to go.
 

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