A humble hobbit selected to carry the One Ring to Mount Doom, Frodo Baggins is an unlikely hero in ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Frodo is the perfect choice for this dangerous quest because he lacks the other Fellowship members’ martial abilities, immortality, and royal ancestry. The Council of Elrond, however, took into account other possibilities, such as Bilbo Baggins, Frodo’s uncle, who had already come into contact with the Ring in ‘The Hobbit’. Despite his advanced age, Bilbo promised to destroy the Ring himself since he felt accountable for its escape from Gollum’s cave.
Bilbo was no longer the young explorer he had been, even with his prior expertise. He was an unexpected choice for the job because of his advanced age and the Ring’s increasing strength. Bilbo accepted his limitations, knowing that his power and good fortune had diminished, and Gandalf thought that he was too old to finish such a mission. However, Bilbo may have done better than Frodo if he had been younger. Bilbo would have been more equipped to handle threats like the cave troll in Moria thanks to his fighting abilities, which he developed in ‘The Hobbit’. He would have been a good protector because of his sword skills and quick thinking.
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But overcoming Gollum would have been Bilbo’s greatest obstacle. Gollum would have been more difficult to control than he was with Frodo, and he hated Bilbo for taking the Ring. Although Bilbo’s acquaintance with Gollum may have aided him in navigating this challenging relationship, their path would have been made more difficult by Gollum’s animosity toward him.
In the end, Bilbo’s endeavour would have been more challenging without a devoted friend like Samwise Gamgee. Sam was important to Frodo’s triumph, and Bilbo lacked such support. Bilbo’s determination would have also been put to the test by the Ring’s corrupting influence, making his quest much riskier. The last stages of the voyage would have been significantly more difficult for Bilbo, even though he may have reached Mordor.
–Farheen Ali