re: Frodo at the end of ROTK

Question:

So why did Frodo have to go to the Undying Lands at the end?

I always thought it was due to him being stabbed by that Wraith blade thing. But was it that or was it due to the weight of having carried the ring for so long and all that came with that?

Or is it both? I have different links that say either is correct.

I haven't read the books in quite some time, but in the movie, Bilbo gains a lot of energy as he walks towards the boat? Was that an effect of where he was going? Or just pure excitement?

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Frodo and Bilbo were both bearers of the One Ring. (Effectively making them greater than Galadriel, Elrond, Gandalf, Sauron, Saruman, or anyone in Middle Earth.) They each largely remained true and resisted the power of the One ring, a feat that was effectively impossible for any of the truly great within Middle Earth.

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This is true, but I also thought I read somewhere that Frodo needed to go due to the toll of holding the ring so long. Maybe I'm wrong.

Because he was a Ringbearer, he is given passage to the Undying Lands. That's why Bilbo was with him (and why Sam was able to go at the end of his life even though he only held the One Ring for a short time [yes, I've read the appendices]).

Elves were intended to wield power on the level of the Rings of Power. Men were not, which is why the Nazgul were consumed by the power of their rings. If you read the Silmarillion, you come to realize that, although Sauron and his armies seemed all-powerful and unstoppable to Men, they were only a shadow compared to Morgoth, the enemy of the Elves, who was a literal god walking the earth. Sauron was only one of Morgoth's lieutenants who happened to survive when the other gods finally decided to take care of Morgoth permanently.

But that's why Frodo and Bilbo needed to go to Valinor. They had wielded power no mortal was meant to wield.

I thought this title was in reference to the homo-erotic scene on the bed when he lovingly glances at the Hobbits bouncing on his bed.

Sauron forged it, and wore it.

Been a while since I read the Silmarillion and the appendices at the end of ROTK, but to the best of my knowledge:

Mortals are banned from setting foot on Valinor. That land is reserved for the Valar and the Elves. The only other time mortals attempted to do so was the downfall of Numenor, which is basically a combination of the Old Testament flood and the sinking of Atlantis, in punishment.

The Valar are considered the equivalent of Olympian gods, so to be allowed to go there would be like being allowed to go to Olympus.

In the books (not the movie), the Ringbearers are granted this gift; it applies to Frodo, Bilbo and Sam. It's not stated directly that they will become immortal like the Elves or not, but in several other sections it is stated that Men (mortals) get to leave beyond Arda (the world), while Elves do not, and that is called the Gift of Men, something the Valar have no control over. So I'd go on the assumption that Frodo etc would get to go, basically, to Olympus to live the rest of their days, and then onwards (to heaven?) like the others.

If you get into existential matters, Arda is basically the physical universe, which is finite and will eventually end. The Elves will end with it, while Men go beyond.

As I understand it, Gandalf should be able to verify their safe passage beyond to Valinor, as he "died" and had returned to Valinor, and was sent back to complete his task. I think it's assumed that the Valar who sent him back, also let him know the Ringbearers were welcome.

Of the Dwarves, their fate is less clear. Aule made them rather than wait for the wakening of the Elves and Men, but they were lifeless until Illuvitar granted them life. Aule was the equivalent of Vulcan or Hephaestus, he was the Forge god, and Sauron was originally one of his followers.
The Dwarves were granted life, but made to sleep until after the Elves woke up. Their afterlife isn't spelled out like the others, but since they were granted sentience when Aule repented of his making them, it would seem cruel to then have them utterly cease upon death, while the other species had some afterlife. Given their low numbers, possibly they had some form of reincarnation going on...

Gimli boarded a boat with Legolas in the appendices, and the implication is that they sailed to the Undying Lands too. Nothing was stated that he would be allowed in like the Hobbits, but it was pretty evident that Legolas was going to try to bring him in, or else go wherever Gimli had to go, as he stayed behind when the other Elves left. Healing the rift between Elves and Dwarves, at least in the books, might have been as big a deal as breaking the Ring, and may have gained him safe passage.

quote:

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If you enjoy LOTR and haven't read the Silmarillion, you need to do so. Don't expect it to be a single epic story like LOTR, because it isn't. It's something totally unique. Take it for what it is, let it create an entire world in which LOTR not only takes place but makes sense given the events that led up to it, and you will learn to appreciate it as the greatest of Tolkien's works.

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It's a little bit of a tough read because it's sort of like reading a history book. But if anyone is really into LOTR and the mythology, you could definitely enjoy it. I honestly felt as if I had read the entire LOTR story 2x by the time I finished the Silmarillion.