It is not easy to come to a definite decision on whether Gandalf or Aragorn is a better guild. Both exercise qualities and characteristics that a good guild would exhibit. Both are people that Frodo learns to trust as guilds and as friends. Therefore, the decision must not be made based on each of their abilities as guilds, but on how they choose to disperse their guidance, or in other words the manner in which that they guild.
There are several ways that different persons become guilds for others. He or she could guild through the words that he or she might say. He or she could lead through his or her actions. There are persons that guild through their own failure, which reveal the consequence of certain actions. I would even that there …show more content…
Both of these I attribute to characteristics of a bad or corrupt judge. The remaining two ways, spoken word and action, I attribute to good guides and, consequently, to Gandalf as well. Early on in The Fellowship of the Ring we are introduced to Gandalf, and early on we are shown that he is a good guide. On page 60 Gandalf and Frodo are having a conversation involving the Ring and what is to become of it. “’But I have little of any of these things! You are wise and powerful. Will you not take the Ring’ [Frodo speaking]. ‘No’ cried Gandalf, spring to his feet. ‘With that power I should have power too great and terrible.’ His eyes flashed and his face was lit as by a fire within. ‘Do not tempt me for! For I do not wish to become like the Dark Lord himself” (pg. 60). Gandalf continues onto say that despite all the power that the Ring could grant him, it was “pity” that was the cause of desire. In other words, he would want to use the Ring for good so that he could help people. In this instance Gandalf is showing self-control and restraint. In this situation, Gandalf is acting as a guide both through his words and his actions. He explains the effects that the Ring would have on him, and he even disfigures himself slightly such that Frodo gained a better understanding of the words that Gandalf uttered. I like that Gandalf includes in his explanation of …show more content…
I would say that the difference is found in that in The Fellowship of the Ring Aragorn does not try to promote himself as a leader as much as Gandalf. Whenever he and Gandalf are together Gandalf is the leader of the group. Whenever Aragorn is the main leader it seems to out of necessity. For example, Gandalf was supposed to be at the Prancing Pony but he could not be so Aragorn were left the task of taking the Hobbits himself. Also, again he was pushed into the leadership role when Gandalf fell in Moria. However, this difference does not seem to change the fact that Aragorn is a good guide; in fact, it might even seem to show him to be a better guide. On page 289 we get an example of Aragorn acting as a guide while being a follower. This section is right after when Gandalf asks who will follow him into the mines of Moria. “’I will go,’ said Aragorn heavily. ‘You followed my lead to almost disaster in the snow, and have said no word of blame. I will follow your lead now – if this last warning does not move you. It is neither of the Ring, nor of us others that I am thinking now, but for you, Gandalf…’” (pg. 289). The conversation continues on between the members of the group and it turns out that the only people that are actually willing to follow Gandalf into the mines are Gimli and Aragorn. In this passage we see that Aragorn is willing to follow Gandalf because