master was right. I wish you'd take his ring. You'd put things to rights. You'd make some folk pay for their dirty work," Galadriel replies, "I would—That is how it would begin, but it would not stop at that, alas!" While many earlier thinkers might have agreed, such a stark and definitive view of the inherent dangers of power could only emerge with humanity's growing capability to control and destroy not just themselves but the entire planet. The Ring symbolizes the will to power, existing solely to dominate. It corrupts, creating a divide between the wearer and their true nature, as well as every other being, regardless of how cherished. Tolkien illustrates this corruption using the language of addiction, where everything is sacrificed to the unquenchable hunger for the Ring/Power.

Providence
Early in Lord of the Rings, when Gandalf tries to explain the Ring to Frodo, he says: "It was the strangest event in the whole history of the Ring so far: Bilbo's arrival, just at that time, and putting his hand on it, blindly, in the dark...There was more than one power at work...The Ring was trying to get back to its master. When its master was awake once more and sending out his dark thought...Behind that there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring and not its maker." Critics often note the absence of explicit religion or references to God in Lord of the Rings. Nonetheless, a sense of providence pervades the narrative—a benevolent force influencing events and individual decisions, both good and (ironically) bad, to bring about the Ring's destruction and Sauron's downfall. This providence does not promise a happily ever after, as it depends on the actions of the speaking peoples and leaves them to face the consequences of their choices, but it does not abandon them. Elves, men, dwarves, Ents, and Hobbits must act, yet providence ensures their deeds are not in vain. The triumph of good cannot restore all that was lost or preserve everything that was saved. However, it does prevent a far greater, unimaginable evil.

Mercy and Pity
In Lord of the Rings, pity implies understanding, compassion, and a moral duty to relieve suffering rather than inflict it. It closely aligns with empathy, differing from the modern interpretation of pity, which often carries a hint of disdain. Acts of mercy, driven by sympathetic pity, are woven into the larger divine plan. Gollum is repeatedly spared through the pity of characters like Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam. Ultimately, this mercy saves not Gollum, who remains ensnared by evil, but those who have shown him mercy.

Death and Deathlessness
While many readers and critics focus on the theme of power's absolute corruption, Tolkien himself stated that Lord of the Rings is fundamentally about death and deathlessness. This theme often surprises even the most diligent readers of the trilogy, but it becomes clearer within the broader context of Middle Earth's history. The contrast between the nearly immortal elves and mortal beings like men, dwarves, and hobbits is a recurring theme. Sauron's initial temptation of men exploits their fear of the unknown and envy of the elves' immortality. The quest for eternal life leads to the downfall of Númenor, the island kingdom in the western sea, and a preoccupation with death and ancestry leaves Minas Tirith sparsely populated. Tolkien refers to death as a "gift" and suggests it is a natural transition from the world to the presence of its creator. The centrality of this theme becomes more apparent in Tolkien's wider body of work, particularly in the Silmarillion and The Book of Lost Tales. The landscape of Middle Earth is frequently depicted in terms of loss, change, and decay, emphasizing the transitory nature of the world. The contrast between the immortal, unchanging elves and the impermanent world underscores their ambiguous and uncertain position, hinting at the "long defeat" Galadriel mentions.

Moral Absolutes
Tolkien has often been criticized for viewing events in black and white. However, throughout the trilogy, it becomes evident that while moral absolutes serve as the foundation for actions, they do not dictate specific, unwavering behaviors. These absolutes are the standards against which characters must weigh various 'right actions.' Merry and Pippin both pledge oaths of allegiance but consciously break these oaths in pursuit of a greater good. As Rosebury noted, "it is precisely these kinds of departure from a facile and predictable structuring of ethical action which exemplify the work's moral subtlety and openness to contingency." Tolkien portrayed his characters with moral flaws and intellectual limitations. Even Gandalf's character embodies a profound sense of human imperfection. Tolkien's wisest characters maintain their wisdom through a balance of limited knowledge. Frodo illustrates this when he cites the proverb, "Go not to the elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes." The elf Gildor responds, "Elves seldom give unguarded advice for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill."

The central theme of The Lord of the Rings revolves around the necessity of confronting the power of evil. Tolkien illustrates that no one is immune to its influence. Everyone is susceptible to corruption, not just the weak but also the strong. Throughout the story, characters who have been stalwart defenders of good in Middle-earth fall prey to corruption — Saruman, Boromir, and Theoden. Even Gandalf, arguably the best and strongest member of the fellowship, declines to take the ring, fearing it would corrupt him. Frodo, too, comes perilously close to disaster and is ultimately saved from failure by an external force. Gollum, who consistently acts with malevolent intent throughout the book, inadvertently (or perhaps providentially) saves the day by biting off Frodo's ring finger and plunging into the Cracks of Doom with it. Gollum's actions and their beneficial outcome can be interpreted as either a stroke of luck or divine intervention; Tolkien offers no clear explanation of his purpose. Regardless, the reader must reconcile with the fact that Frodo, despite his extraordinary heroism — making him one of the most heroic figures in modern literature — could not ultimately withstand the corrupting influence of true evil. In the end, it did corrupt him.