What exactly was the ring supposed to represent?

Boipussy

Basically that power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.

the atomic bomb

The ring represented the ring. Tolkien hated allegory and never used it

fresh teenage atheism

actually chuckled at this, good job

Tolkien is dead, we're in charge now

marriage

You disagree? Because tolkien himself wrote in a foreward to lotr that all the people asking him about what parts of lotr represented should stop, since it simply is. Perhaps influenced by his life events as anything anyone does is. And that he was distasteful of allegory as it was the forced domination of the authors mind onto the reader. Lotr is applicable to the human condition because there are things of power that corrupt, but it has no actual intended parellel with something in the real world.

Granted, LotR isn't as blatant with its biblical parallels as the Silmarillion, but I think it's a stretch to say they aren't there. I agree that the ring probably isn't one of them.

Supposed to? Nothing. That doesn't preclude a secondary interpretation, but Tolkien had no such thing in mind.

Yes, I think similar things exist between biblical stuff and the mythology of middle earth, but I don't think they are intended to represent biblical things. Is Eru being the one creator and having one of his chief Maiar Melkor becoming his antagonist kind of like like God and Satan? Of course, undeniably they are similar. But I don't think they are intended to represent them like Aslan was straight up meant to be Jesus in lewis' books

"I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author."

pussy addiction (marriage)

It's evil as evil manifests in the world. Boromis is proud, the ring makes his pride his folly. Gandalf is righteous but the ring would make him self-righteous

no dumbass Gandalf is Jesus

You're a fucking retard if you think Tolkien's work isn't stuffed with allegory just cuz the man denied it.

>elves = saints
>gandalf = the pope
>humans = normal catholics
>dwarves = orthodox
>hobbits = good catholic peasants who know their place
>rohan = poland
>gondor = austria
>mordor = turks
>sauron = lucifer/satan
>saruman = luther
>uruk-hai = protestants
>the ring = satanic temptation

not quite sure about ents

>saruman = luther

>represent
A magic ring which Sauron was able to use to back-door the other rings. Any and all other symbolical meaning you want to make are yours and not intended from Tolkien. He wrote a story as is.

Literally what?
>tolkien hated allegory
>but my allegory is okay
Right.

>dwarves
>not Jews

>Literally what?
>>tolkien hated allegory
>>but my allegory is okay
>Right.

>mfw I saw it say 'king' not ring.
Eh.

Reading helps my nigga

The ring was a complex metaphor for untouched boipucc

Gandalf was Jesus. Popes don't come back from the dead.

Read Plato ya idiots, the ring represents the temptation of the power to be invisible and do anything you want while succumbing to greed.

No. I don't think it was about material wealth in the slightest. Political or absolute power would be closer.

I don't think it's specifically political power. Sam had visions of grandeur of turning mordor into a garden.
I think it's the temptation of power at whatever cost.

The ring is literally the ring of Gyges from Plato's republic.

What might a mere man do with such power?

It's pretty literal in its meaning.

If gives you the power to command/convince and control others. It gives weak mortals like Frodo control over other weak creatures like Golum and Faramir. When Sam holds it he appears to be a mighty warrior to some lowly orcs in mordor who flee in terror. But still a mortal can't put it on his finger to use its full power, that just makes him invisible as a side effect of its mechanics.

One of the powers you get for properly wearing it is control over the other rings and the people wearing them, the control effect is stronger and you can basically mind control entire armies, plus some boost in general magic power it seems.

High level elves and Maiar (like Gandalf or Saruman) could probably wear it properly like Sauron. They exist in both regular and non-physical world, so they wouldn't go invisible.

>
>No. I don't think it was about material wealth in the slightest. Political or absolute power would be closer.

Not him but its surprising to see you think this... considering the whole concept of the ring influencing the greed of it's bearer; as exampled by bilbo, and gollum. Hell, even the brother of the Aragon went crazy and i dont think he even specifically ever held the ring. Honestly i figured the ring representing material wealth was kinda obvious

Nothing, it represents a fucking evil ring. Tolkien always hated allegory and symbolism, it's a fucking magical evil ring, that's all.

Fuck you, D-
See me after class

I like this.

the ring is the apple plucked from the tree of eden.

makes a man believe he is the master of his own destiny.