Gollum: The Tragic Tale of Sméagol

Before he was a monster, he was a hobbit named Sméagol. He belonged to the Stoor branch of the hobbit race, a people who lived near the water, particularly along the banks of the great river Anduin. Unlike the hobbits of the Shire, the Stoors were comfortable with rivers and boats, and some of them could even grow facial hair. Sméagol lived with his extended family, which was led by his powerful grandmother. He was curious and interested in roots and beginnings, but this curiosity would soon lead him down a dark path from which he would never truly return.

Sméagol's life was destroyed on his birthday. He and his cousin, Déagol, went fishing in the Gladden Fields. While fishing, Déagol was pulled into the water by a large fish and saw something shiny at the bottom of the river. It was the One Ring, which had been lost there for thousands of years. When Déagol came to the surface with the beautiful gold ring in his hand, Sméagol saw it and was immediately captivated by its gleam. The Ring's evil power instantly began to work on him.

The desire for the Ring was so strong and immediate that it turned Sméagol into a murderer. He demanded that Déagol give him the Ring as a birthday present. When Déagol refused, Sméagol attacked him without hesitation. He strangled his own cousin and hid the body, taking the Ring for himself. This terrible crime was the first step in his corruption. The Ring's dark magic poisoned his mind and soul from the very moment he touched it, marking the beginning of his end.

After his crime, Sméagol returned to his family, but he was no longer the same. The Ring made him sneaky and malicious. He used its power of invisibility to spy on his relatives and cause trouble, which made them dislike and distrust him. They nicknamed him 'Gollum' because of a disgusting gurgling sound he started to make in his throat. Eventually, his grandmother, the matriarch of the family, cast him out. Alone and hated, Sméagol wandered until he found shelter in the deep, dark caves beneath the Misty Mountains, hiding from the sun he had come to despise.

For nearly five hundred years, Sméagol lived in the total darkness of the caves beneath the Misty Mountains. The One Ring unnaturally prolonged his life, but it was a miserable existence. He was completely alone, with only the Ring for company, which he called his 'Precious' and his 'birthday present.' Over the long centuries, the Ring consumed his thoughts and twisted his mind, while the darkness and isolation warped his body into a monstrous shape far from the hobbit he once was.

His new name, Gollum, became his identity. The name started as a cruel nickname from his family because of the horrible swallowing sound he constantly made. In the darkness of his cave, alone with his misery, this habit grew worse. The sound was a constant reminder of his loneliness and his wicked transformation. Over time, he forgot his own name, Sméagol, and answered only to the wretched sound that defined his new, monstrous self.

The physical changes Gollum went through were shocking. His body wasted away until he was a thin, wiry creature with only a few strands of hair left on his head. His skin became pale, cold, and clammy from living in the damp darkness. His hobbit feet became flat and webbed, better for paddling his small boat on the underground lake. Most noticeably, his eyes grew large, round, and luminous like a cat's, allowing him to see perfectly in the pitch-black environment he now called home.

Gollum's survival in the caves was grim and savage. His diet consisted mainly of raw fish, which he skillfully caught from his small boat in the cold, dark lake at the bottom of the mountain. When fish were scarce, he would hunt for other food. He would creep through the goblin tunnels that infested the mountains, snatching and eating young goblins, or orcs, that strayed too far from their groups. This brutal way of life further erased the memory of the hobbit he had been.

The long, dark years with the Ring had a devastating effect on Gollum's mind. His personality shattered into two conflicting halves that were constantly at war with each other. This internal struggle defined his character for the rest of his life. He would often talk to himself, with one voice arguing against the other, showing the deep division within him caused by the Ring's evil influence and his own guilt.

The first personality was Sméagol, the last remnant of the hobbit he once was. This side was weaker, more timid, and held faint memories of his past life. Sméagol remembered things like the warmth of the sun, the feeling of the wind, and the idea of friendship. This part of him was capable of feeling fear, sadness, and even a small desire to be good again. He was the side that responded to kindness, though he was often too scared to act on it.

The other, more dominant personality was Gollum. This was the cruel and cunning creature created by the Ring. The Gollum side was completely consumed by his obsession with his 'Precious.' He was filled with hatred for everything and everyone, including himself. This personality was selfish, treacherous, and would do anything, including murder, to protect the Ring or get it back. It was the Gollum side that made him a dangerous and unpredictable creature.

The constant debates between Sméagol and Gollum were a key part of his daily existence. Sméagol might express a desire for friendship or fresh food, while Gollum would cruelly mock him and focus only on the 'Precious.' This internal conflict became especially clear when he later interacted with Frodo and Sam. Their treatment of him could strengthen one personality over the other, making him swing between being a pathetic, helpful guide and a wicked, scheming monster.

Gollum's isolated world was suddenly disturbed by an unexpected visitor. A hobbit from the Shire named Bilbo Baggins had been captured by goblins and had escaped deep into their tunnels. Lost and disoriented, Bilbo wandered down to the dark, underground lake where Gollum made his home. This chance meeting would change the fate of both of them, and of all Middle-earth, forever.

Before Bilbo even met Gollum, he stumbled upon a small, metal ring lying on the tunnel floor. It was the One Ring, which Gollum had lost during a struggle with a goblin. Not knowing its true nature, Bilbo picked it up and put it in his pocket. When Gollum appeared, he did not realize that his 'Precious' was already in the hobbit's possession. He only saw a potential meal and a distraction from his boredom.

To entertain himself, Gollum proposed a contest: a game of riddles. The rules were simple and deadly. If Bilbo could ask a riddle that Gollum could not answer, Gollum would show him the way out of the mountains. But if Gollum won, he would get to eat Bilbo. They exchanged several ancient riddles, with both of them answering correctly each time, raising the stakes with every question.

For the final riddle, a panicked Bilbo reached into his pocket and asked aloud, 'What have I got in my pocket?' This was not a fair riddle, and Gollum protested. But when Gollum failed to guess the answer three times, Bilbo declared himself the winner. Gollum went to get his 'Precious' to help him kill and eat the hobbit, but he discovered it was gone. In a moment of horror, he realized the answer to Bilbo's question. As Gollum flew into a rage, Bilbo slipped on the Ring, became invisible, and managed to escape his furious pursuit.

The loss of the Ring was more than Gollum could bear. The emptiness was a physical pain, a constant craving that drove him mad. After centuries of hiding in darkness, the need to find his 'Precious' was strong enough to push him out of the safety of the Misty Mountains and into the bright, terrifying world outside. His great hunt had begun.

Gollum's search for 'Baggins' and the 'Shire' took him across vast distances of Middle-earth. He showed incredible determination and a hunter's cunning. He followed Bilbo's trail east through the dark forest of Mirkwood and then south along the River Anduin. He endured sun and moon, which he now hated, and survived in the wild, driven only by his singular, obsessive goal to reclaim the one thing he loved.

Eventually, Gollum's desperate search led him to the borders of Mordor, the land of the Dark Lord Sauron. There, he was discovered by Sauron's servants and captured. He was taken to the dark fortress of Barad-dûr, where he was imprisoned and subjected to terrible torture. Sauron knew the Ring was found and wanted to know everything Gollum knew about its whereabouts.

Under extreme pain, Gollum's will was broken, and he told his captors what he knew. He spoke the two words Sauron desperately needed to hear: 'Shire' and 'Baggins.' This information was a huge victory for the Dark Lord. It gave him a name and a location, allowing him to send his most terrifying servants, the Nazgûl, to hunt for the Ring-bearer, putting both Bilbo and his heir, Frodo, in mortal danger.

After Sauron was finished with him, Gollum was released from Mordor, a wasted and broken creature. He was later found by Aragorn, who tracked him through the Dead Marshes. Aragorn brought him to Gandalf, who questioned him and learned more about the Ring's history. Afterward, Gollum was taken to the Elves of Mirkwood, who were asked to hold him as a prisoner and treat him with as much kindness as they could.

Gollum's captivity did not last forever. During an attack by orcs, he managed to escape the Elves' watch. His obsession immediately put him on the trail of the new Ring-bearer. He secretly followed the Fellowship of the Ring from a distance, through the Mines of Moria and down the River Anduin. He finally caught up with Frodo and Sam in the desolate, rocky hills of the Emyn Muil, after the Fellowship had broken.

When Frodo and Sam captured him, Sam wanted to kill the creature on the spot. But Frodo, remembering Gandalf's words about pity, made a different choice. He showed Gollum mercy and decided to trust him. He made Gollum swear a powerful oath on the 'Precious' itself. Gollum promised to serve the master of the Precious and to guide the two hobbits to the secret entrances of Mordor.

For a while, it seemed that Frodo's pity might actually save Gollum. With the 'Gollum' personality suppressed by the oath, the more gentle 'Sméagol' side became stronger. He was an excellent guide, helping the hobbits navigate treacherous lands like the Dead Marshes. He referred to Frodo as his 'nice Master' and seemed to show real loyalty and a strange kind of affection, giving hope that he could be redeemed.

The delicate balance in their group was always threatened by Samwise Gamgee's distrust. Sam saw Gollum not as a pitiful creature but as a wicked monster who was just waiting for a chance to betray them. His constant suspicion and harsh words toward Gollum created a tense atmosphere. This tension made it difficult for the Sméagol personality to remain in control and slowly wore away at the fragile trust Frodo had built.

The final breaking point came in the land of Ithilien. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum were captured by Faramir and his rangers. To save Gollum from being shot by the rangers' arrows, Frodo had to trick him into their hands. Gollum, however, did not understand. He felt that his 'nice Master' had deliberately betrayed him and handed him over to cruel men to be hurt. This perceived betrayal shattered his loyalty and allowed the hateful Gollum personality to take over completely.

With his evil side back in command, Gollum developed a new, treacherous plan. He would continue to act as their guide, but he would lead them to a different, more terrible fate. He decided to take them to a secret pass he knew, called Cirith Ungol. He pretended it was a safe way into Mordor, but he was actually leading them straight into the dark and foul-smelling lair of a monstrous creature.

Gollum's plan was born of pure malice and cunning. The creature in the pass was Shelob, a giant spider who fed on any living thing that crossed her path. Gollum intended for Shelob to attack and kill the hobbits. He believed that after the spider had cocooned them and drained them of their blood, he could sneak into the lair, find the Ring among their discarded clothes and bones, and finally reclaim his 'Precious' for himself.

Even after his plan with Shelob failed, Gollum's obsession would not let him give up. He endured the horrors of Mordor, stalking Frodo and Sam as they struggled across the diseased plains of Gorgoroth. He was a gaunt, starving shadow driven by one single thought: to get his Precious back. He followed them all the way to their final destination, the fiery mountain of Orodruin, also known as Mount Doom.

Inside the volcanic chamber called the Cracks of Doom, where the Ring was originally made, Frodo's long struggle finally came to an end. Staring into the fire, he found that he could not destroy the Ring. Its power had finally conquered him. In a clear voice, he declared, 'I will not do this deed. The Ring is mine!' He then placed it on his finger and vanished from sight.

Just as all hope seemed lost, Gollum made his final move. He had crept into the chamber unnoticed. Unable to see Frodo but knowing where he was, Gollum leaped through the air and attacked the invisible hobbit. A desperate, violent struggle took place on the very edge of the fiery pit. In his final, crazed attempt to get the Ring, Gollum bit down hard and severed Frodo's finger, taking the Ring with it.

For one brief, terrible moment, Gollum was victorious. He held the Ring, his Precious, in his hand once more. He danced with joy, holding his treasure high and screaming 'Precious!' But in his moment of triumph, he lost his balance on the narrow ledge. With a final cry, he tripped and fell over the edge, plunging into the fiery magma of the Cracks of Doom. He and the One Ring were destroyed together, ending the threat of Sauron forever.

Even though Gollum was a villain who committed many evil deeds, his final act was essential for the victory of the free peoples of Middle-earth. He played a strange but vital part in the story, becoming an unlikely and unintentional hero. His personal obsession, in the end, was the key to destroying the source of that obsession.

It is a hard truth that without Gollum's intervention, the quest would have failed. Frodo Baggins, for all his incredible courage and resistance, was unable to destroy the Ring at the end. Sauron would have discovered him, taken back the Ring, and covered the world in a second darkness. Gollum's desperate attack was the only thing that could break the Ring's power over its bearer.

Gollum's life is one of the most tragic stories of the Third Age. It serves as a powerful cautionary tale about the corrupting nature of greed and power. He shows how a single evil choice can lead to the complete loss of self, turning a person into a monster enslaved by their own desires. His journey from Sméagol to Gollum is a grim reminder of what can be lost when obsession takes hold.

Gandalf the wizard often spoke of the importance of pity. Bilbo's decision to spare Gollum's life in the goblin cave, and Frodo's later mercy in the Emyn Muil, were crucial moments. These acts of compassion kept Gollum in the story, allowing him to be present at Mount Doom to play his final, fated role. His story suggests that even the most lost and wretched individuals can have a purpose in the great pattern of the world, a purpose they may not even understand themselves.