What exactly does the Ring empower a mortal to do in Middle-earth?

[Sir Eowyn]

I've been wondering this. Setting Elves and Wizards aside (who have their own magic, as we'd call it), it's made clear that someone like Denethor, or Aragorn, could use the Ring, if they so chose, to wield a power and overthrow Sauron. Not right away... this is stressed in their gamble at the Black Gate, where the ploy is to make Sauron think that they've struck too soon, over-cocksure, but that they do indeed have the Ring. I believe it's said that the Ring indeed can overthrow him, it's just that it would take a while to properly amass the power.

What, then, does this power consist of? Feels unlikely that it would breed you a gigantic army, springing out of the ground. If not numbers of men, then does it simply bless (unholily) your enterprises, so arrows fly truer, shields hold strong, and this power flows through you yourself to all of the men you command? Or is it simply some superhuman charisma, so all of your commands are heeded and even by those from faraway lands? It's left ambiguous, just what it would look like, just what the Ring would do for you.

This is a separate issue to whether or not you SHOULD use it... we've had that talk. In Tolkien's world, for the purposes of the text, of course it's a bad idea. Question now is HOW you do it.

 

[Olorgando]

I have serious doubts that any mortal could truly use the One Ring, have it "do things for them". Just look at what The Nine turned their holders into, into Nazgûl, wraiths, enslaved to their rings. They had permanently become invisible. An interesting side note: obviously, the One Ring made the wearer and all of his clothes, everything he was carrying with him, invisible. Oddly, those cloaks that the Nazgûl wear (and their boots, and the W-k's crown) did not become invisible when they put them on … perhaps because they were by then invisible even without wearing their rings, which Sauron had collected and kept at Barad-dûr?

Many discussions about the effects of the Ring are probably scattered around the "Letters", and in Tom Shippey's books. But I have a dim memory about a statement that even Galadriel (or Elrond) would not have been able to master the One Ring, let alone Aragorn, much less Denethor. Probably the only candidates for that would have been Saruman and Gandalf (another vague memory has the One Ring trebling his power). In a way, before you could reach a point where the One Ring could do things for you, you would have been overwhelmed by what it did to you. Gandalf is quite clear on this in "The Shadow of the Past":

"The lesser rings were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown, and to the Elven-smiths they were but trifles - yet still to my mind dangerous for mortals. ...
And if [a mortal] often uses the Ring to make himself invisible, he fades: he becomes in the end invisible permanently, and walks in the twilight under the eye of of the dark power that rules the Rings. Yes, sooner or later - later, if he is strong or well-meaning to begin with, but neither strength nor good purpose will last - sooner or later the dark power will devour him."

 

[Sir Eowyn]

I hear you, but it seems that when Denethor argues that the Ring should really have come to Minas Tirith, been kept in vaults, not used except at the "uttermost end of need..."

Well, Gandalf doesn't dispute that in this end of need, it COULD be used to successfully overthrow Sauron. He remonstrates and says that no one, Denethor or anyone, could wield it to their own use, in the sense of using it to do good, etc. You'd overthrow Sauron and then take his place. But the point is, you CAN overthrow him. And it seems that Sauron fears this.

 

[CirdanLinweilin]

And it seems that Sauron fears this.

That's why Aragorn used the Palantir to reveal himself, to stoke that fear in Sauron. To make him believe the Heir of Gondor had the Ring.


CL

 

[Sir Eowyn]

Well, exactly. If it didn't matter that he had the Ring, if he really couldn't wield it, why would Sauron care?

 

[CirdanLinweilin]

why would Sauron care?

I mean Big S cared enough to attack Minas Tirith early, so yeah!

CL

 

[Olorgando]

Since I started gathering straw in another thread, I'll happily continue with that here … 😃
Instead of Saruman, Sauron suddenly sees a Hobbit (Pippin) and assumes him to be a prisoner of Saruman (the failure of Saruman's Uruks to reach Isengard not having reached him yet).
Next, he sees Aragorn and especially that (re-forged) sword that he definitely had very bad memories about. Conclusion: Saruman no longer has that Palantir, nor that Hobbit.

But in between (and before Pippin's "séance") Gandalf the White had handled the Palantir of Orthanc. Having been enhanced in power so much that he was able to deal with his former superior Saruman, who had earlier imprisoned him as the Grey with no problem, with hardly more than the flick of the wrist. Hypothesis: Gandalf's handling of the Orthanc Palantir (without daring to look into it, interestingly) would have left some "impression" upon it. So while he saw Aragorn - and lost control of the Orthanc Palantir to him - he might have sensed the far more dangerous presence of a Maia, if disguised, through Gandalf's handling. And that Gandalf and some northern Ranger (only now revealed to him to be the long-sought heir of Isildur) had been giving him and his plans trouble for decades cannot have escaped hi attention.

Now from Sauron's point of view, he didn't care squat about whether he was replaced by Denethor (or Boromir) or Aragorn (I remain convinced: highly unlikely), or a Dark Queen (Galadriel, which I also doubt), or that other Maia Olórin (a deadly peril). He was going to get the boot, and that was all he cared for.

And as he was definitely looking to recover the One Ring, he started concentrating on those whom he thought might be carrying it - the main objective of what was left of the Fellowship, and successful to Sauron's final downfall in the end, keeping him distracted. Sauron may not have actually feared Aragorn with the One Ring, but have been aware of a potential effect on Aragorn, turning him megalomaniac. So the nut wants to come over to the Black Gate to challenge me? Great, spares me and my forces a lot of travel to get a hold of and take the One Ring from him.

 

[Sir Eowyn]

Hmm. Yes, but Gandalf says the trap is to let Sauron think that the newly Ring-wielding Aragorn is cocky and will strike too soon... that's true, of course. But that implies if Aragorn only waited, he could ACTUALLY wield it. Unless you're saying those fears are unfounded, that it's just Sauron's paranoia. That is possible, but Gandalf seems pretty certain that a White Council member or even a great Lord of Men could wield it, and achieve victory. Then be morally destroyed, of course, but that's another matter...

 

[Alice]

Well, I doubt that beings which are less powerful than Galadriel or maiar could defeat Sauron with his own Ring. I always thought it just would give them the idea that they can do that, but in the reality the true Lord of the Ring will always be Sauron. But as for maiar... It would be interesting what could happen to Sauron, if some of them master the Ring. But, according to Tolkien, Sauron was the most powerful Maia (or one of them), so it is still a question, what would happen to him, if the Ring would be mastered by someone else

 

[Sir Eowyn]

We'd assume that... that no mortal Man could wield the Ring... but that doesn't seem to be the case. A lot's made of it.

Just thought of it... we all assume a Maia's automatically stronger willed than a Man... but see, both Saruman and Denethor look in the palantir. The Maia is snared, and the Man is not. I think Denethor's got as strong a will as any being in Middle-earth---barring Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel, obviously. But they likely would have said that he couldn't match Saruman, and it turns out he could.

 

[Alice]

I don't think that Saruman could defeat Sauron, even if he got his Ring.
But an interesting question is what could happen if the Ring would be mastered by some of the Valar. If this happened, Sauron would not be this lucky

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

I think the Valar could take on Sauron whether he had his ring or not and they wouldn't need it to help them. They took down Morgoth in the first age, though it destroyed an entire continent. Sauron was just one Maiar. The Valar had countless Maia and elves to help them, and none of those other Maia had poured most of their power into a piece of jewelry. And if they captured Sauron, I doubt they would make the same mistake twice of letting him go the way they did Morgoth. They'd probably shove his spirit through the Door of Night asap.

 

[Alice]

Yeah, Sauron was lucky not be kicked out from the Middle-Earth. But on the other side... It would be interesting if Morghot met him there

 

[Aramarien]

Gandalf and Galadriel did say that The Ring would give power according to the measure of each possessor. Galadriel said, "Before you could use that power you would need to become far stronger, and to train your will to the dominion of others." [ FOTR, The Mirror of Galadriel] Frodo never tried to purposely use The Ring, but nonetheless, two times when he threatened Gollum, Sam saw Frodo as a mighty lord at Emyn Muil and on Mt. Doom "a figure robed in white, but at its breast it held a wheel of fire. OUT OF THE FIRE there spoke a commanding voice." [ ROTK, Mount Doom] Frodo had some power while wearing the ring on Amon Hen, seemingly the ability to "see" further and he was not even trying to use the Ring. Galadriel said that as the bearer, he could perceive things, such as the Elven ring on her finger, which Sam could not see.
If Aragorn, or some other mortal with a strong will, like Denethor, tried to actually USE the Ring, they would be potentially be able to use their will to the dominion of others, according to their measure. Sauron could see that Aragorn must be strong willed to wrest the Palantir away from him. Aragorn could do some damage. Of course, in the end, the Ring would consume its possessor, whoever that may be.

 

[Sir Eowyn]

Yes, that all makes sense, but the real question is, just HOW does this work? If Denethor, say, had the Ring, but only a limited number of men, it couldn't exactly give him more men, could it? Or would the power, wielded right, mow down all before them, in a blinding flash?

 

[Aramarien]

I feel it might mean the ability to have dominion over others would be greatly enhanced. Imagine a great lord of power who wills his servants to do his bidding without question. Other "magic" abilities might be also bestowed upon the possessor, as "sight" or greater perception. I don't believe the power would be like a magic wand or staff that shoots lightening
Taking the free will of someone is a powerful thing. The Ring had that ability over many people, even those who wanted to possess it, and tragically Frodo at the brink of doom.

 

[Sir Eowyn]

Alright, so it's about dominion over other wills, in total... makes sense.

 

[Alice]

And self-assurance, I suppose