A few questions about Smeagol a.k.a. Gollum?

Question

1. Who or what is Smeagol supposed to be, what species of being is he? He looks like a diseased Hobbit or deformed Elf. LOL!

2. Is Smeagol supposed to be evil, schizophrenic or just plain creepy?

3. Why didn't anybody kill that miserable thing before he could cause more mischief?

Answer 1

Smeagol/Gollum is a literary character, not a mythology/folklore character.

If you read the book all your questions will be answered 1 & 2 in Riddles in The Dark and 3 in

The Mines of Moria. Enjoy the read its a great NOVEL perhaps the greatest ever written but it is not mythology.

Answer 2

1. Smeagol was "of the river folk" which was very similar to Hobbits, but as far as I know had more or less gone extinct (except for Gollum).



2. Smeagol wasn't evil or schizophrenic. Creepy is a judgement that you would have to make on your own. But it was the ring that caused Smeagol to be consumed, go crazy and become the creature known as Gollum.



3. After he found the ring (or rather killed his friend to take it from him), he fled. He stayed in hiding until he lost the ring, and even then stayed out of the way mostly. Those who were close enough to kill him took pity on him.

Answer 3

1. Not much different than a Hobbit, though deformed through living way past his species' normal life-span and centuries of living in the caves under the Misty Mountains, away from sunlight.



3. Gollum is more insane than anything else, I'd say. He's gone for centuries obsessing over the Ring, being poisoned by its power and overwhelming malice. Though the bit of Smeagol (his original personality) still might exist somewhere in there, the greatest part of his personality is that of a creature undeniably and forever tied to this artifact he loves and covets beyond anything else. Though he never wants to use it in any grand scale (I don't think his cunning is great enough for that), he still has this desire to be the "Master" of his own little world, keeping his Precious Ring close so he can love, caress, and adore it. When you lose something that basically forms the core of your existence, it's bound to throw you off a bit mentally.



3. The idea (better expressed in the film), is that being judge, jury, and executioner is much too rash a path to take. Gandalf sums it up: "Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too quick in dealing out death in judgment". It would be a shame to have killed Gollum, only to find out he may have had a purpose to the greater good later on. On another note, Gollum was such a wretched, sad, pathetic creature that people felt sorry for him, being in that state, and decided that killing such a thing would be too cruel.

Answer 4

1. He was a hobbit. But he is like over 400 years old and kept alive by the ring. (you wouldn't look too great at 400 either lol.)



2. Smeagol is the old hobbit, and Gollum is his alter ego that represents his lust for the ring. He is schizophrenic. "Gollum" is the ring basically trying to corrupt "Smeagol" assuming his two personalities. And yes he can be quite creepy.



3. Pity. Gandalf, Aragorn, the elves, Frodo, Bilbo, all saw the good and innocence in him. And even Gandalf said that Gollum would still play a part in the tale, be it good or ill. And if not for Gollum being alive the ring would not have been destroyed. It was their pity and humanity that allowed the ring to be destroyed.

Answer 5

Sméagol was once of the river folk, a race similar to but not identical to Hobbits. The River Folk resembled Hobbits in most ways, except that they were generally taller and had a habit of wearing shoes. Also, unlike Hobbits, they loved the water.



Sméagol has been the owner of the ring for 500 years and in that time the ring took hold of Sméagol's mind and formed this 'other personality' out of the malicious part of him that had the nerve to kill he cousin Deagol for the ring in the first place. Through this, I think that that Sméagol displays both schizophrenic, MPD (multiple personality disorder) and paranoia symptoms which I believe are brought to the surface by the rings corruption of his mind.



Nobody killed Sméagol because they took pity on him. As it is said in the movie 'It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand.' Gandalf also points out that he has 'a part to play, for good or ill' and that Frodo should not 'be so quick to deal out death in judgement'. Because of the pity that everyone showed Sméagol, the ring was destroyed as in the end it is only Gollum's desire to keep the ring for his own that allows the ring to be destroyed

Answer 6

Not entirely, no I don't think Gollum could have gone back to the Smeagol he was before he found the ring. The corruption from the ring likely would have had lasting effects even after the ring was destroyed. The bits of Smeagol that might have still existed in Gollum would have continued to suffer. Both Bilbo and Frodo still felt the effects from the evil of the ring after the ring was destroyed; and both left Middle Earth to find some healing and peace. Gollum possessed the ring much longer than they did. In some ways I see Gollum's death as a mercy; it ended his suffering. Added in edit: I too like Mrs' answer. I would like to add that Tolkien was also affected by the wars. The horrors of the 20th century influenced his writing. Just as Frodo could not readjust to life back in the shire, veterans and others who faced evil during WWI and WWII had trouble returning to their prior life. Smeagol/Gollum was permanently changed; just like it is hard to imagine that someone like Adolf Eichmann could have gone back to selling vacuum cleaners or working in an office after what he did in the Third Reich.

Answer 7

Is Smeagol A Hobbit

Answer 8

Well Rick this is the Myth& Folk section. Any ways you have the right answers here but I want to add that he was a murderer befor he ever touched the ring. Last I checked murderers are pretty creepy. I think, although I'm just reading between the lines, that Gandalf or some one had a feeling he was meant to do some thing and not be killed befor.

Answer 9

Smeagol Race: Hobbits

http://www.tuckborough.net/images/smeagol.jpg

Gollum

http://www.tuckborough.net/images/gollum.jpg



Originally known as Sméagol, a Stoor Hobbit of the River-folk, who lived near the Gladden Fields.This character was later named Gollum after his habit of making "a horrible swallowing noise in his throat".His life was extended far beyond its natural limits by the effects of possessing the One Ring. His one desire was to possess the Ring that had enslaved him. He pursued the Ring for 50 years after losing it to Bilbo Baggins.During his centuries under the Ring's influence, he developed a sort of split personality: "Sméagol" still vaguely remembered things like friendship and love, while "Gollum" was a slave to the Ring who knew only treachery and violence

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu58lh0tLncAAOk5XNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzZmM4ZDBuBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA0Y2NTVfMTI1/SIG=11nu5kcjm/EXP=1263327397/**http%3a//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gollum

Answer 10

1. Used to be a hobbit, way way back

2. All three, clearly

3. He has a lot of potential for good (plus it keeps the plot interesting)

Answer 11

Rick, what makes you think that? The question wasn't about your bible, was it?



I know plenty about it. I thumped it pretty hard as a callow and ignorant youth. Then, I grew up and grew away from needing an imaginary sky-daddy to make me feel warm and fuzzy.



Get over it.

Answer 12

Interesting how many authorities there are on Hobbits and so few of the same know anything about the bible.

Answer 13

You are confusing issues between a movie and reality.........

Answer 14

4. Why do you give a crap