One of the first things that Lord of the Rings audiences learn about the ring is that it’s a troublesome task to carry it. When Frodo becomes burdened by the task and offers it to Galadriel, she is tempted to accept, but something holds her back, making her stand out from many other characters.

In the first Lord of the Rings film the scene where Galadriel refuses the ring begins with her reflecting the future to Frodo through her mirror, a basin of water that reflects events from any moment in time and more. Frodo sees a grim future for the shire in the basin and Galadriel is well aware of what he saw, as she’s conscious of the toxic damage that surrounds this ring and has seen it herself.

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The way that Frodo offers the ring to Galadriel likely plays a role in her response. He does not tell her or ask her to take it. He tells her that if she were to ask him to give her the ring, he would and she is a bit caught off guard by the offer. This scene feels much like a display of power. Galadriel is familiar with power because she’s had it all of her existence. It’s said that she was among the most beautiful, knowledgeable, and powerful of the beings on the planet. Frodo is a humble hobbit from the Shire who did not have power until obtaining the ring and even in the short time he’s had it, the weight of its power is burdensome for him.

"All shall love me and despair!"

Galadriel takes on a terrifying form after being offered the Ring

The trend with many characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is that those with power were often corrupted by the desire for more power and invincibility. Galadriel is tempted by the thought of the power of the ring but she knows she would be risking her soul in many ways. We see a glimmer of the darkness that would taint her otherwise power of light. She says “In place of a dark lord, you would have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!”

As she says this, she is set in an ominous green light that casts shadows over her facial features with flashes of light like lightning around her. Frodo backs away from her in fear. She seems to snap out of her trance, realizing what she’s said. She composes herself and says, “I pass the test. I will diminish and go into the West and remain Galadriel.”

Frodo tries to tempt Galadriel one last time and she refuses again but still gifts him with a pep talk. She is honest with him about the difficulty of carrying the ring but points out that he’s the only one who can bear the weight, saying, “You are a ring bearer, Frodo. To bear a ring of power is to be alone.” She then shows him Nenya, her own ring of power, indicating that she speaks from experience. This also hints that to carry both rings would clearly be more than the light in her soul could handle.

It is safe to assume that if Galadriel was aware of what Frodo had seen in the mirror-- of the havoc it caused his personal life-- that she had also seen such glimpses into the future of her own downfall if she were to accept the ring. She would likely have seen both the good and bad points of taking the ring and had likely contemplated whether or not to pursue the ring multiple times.

This contemplation was not because she was weak. The ring made itself appealing to all. If anything it proves her strength, because (unlike some of her male counterparts, like Saruman), she is able to recognize that she is being tempted by the ring’s power and she is able to push it away. That is what she means when she says that she passes the test.

Why Galadirel Had To Say No To The Ring

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Galadriel desired her own kingdom to rule but was not willing to submit to the darkness to obtain it. Her decision meant that she would have to commit to a much more humble lifestyle but she accepted it in order to contribute to the greater good of Middle Earth. This is really a selfless act because if she accepted the ring she would have the power she desires but many people would be living in fear under her power too. Really, Galadriel would probably make a good leader of Middle Earth on her own, without the ring. She had many qualities of a good ruler but lacked the desperation needed to take power from someone trusting, like Frodo.

To fully understand why Galadriel declined the ring and all that she sacrificed by doing so, her life prior to that moment must be examined. Her entire backstory illuminates how she gave up a lot to try to rule her own little piece of Middle Earth. When the opportunity is finally presented to her, she turns it down because she realizes that taking this route wouldn’t benefit anyone but herself.

She was born into a noble family of one of the highest orders of elves still present in Middle Earth at that time, giving her the lineage for leadership. Further, she was one of the original elves to be suspicious of Sauron, showing how intuitive those natural leadership skills were. Even Gimli cannot resist her majesty. She was also very responsible with how she used her ring. She was very careful not to use it when it was vulnerable to Sauron’s power. When it was safe to use it, she mostly used it for the protection of her realm.

Though she was never a huge contributor to the storyline like the members of the party of the ring, she consistently aided in the fight against Sauron throughout the trilogy. She gifted essential supplies to the party in the beginning, rescued Gandalf when he was captured, and revived Gandalf as the new head of the order. She sent many messages of warning and aide along the way too, all while simultaneously defending her own kingdom from attacks.

After the conclusion of the ring and Sauron are destroyed, Galadriel assists in the cleanup of the mess and ultimately relinquishes her dreams of ruling over Middle Earth and returns home to the Undying Lands. Perhaps she realized how much upkeep Middle Earth is.

Galadriel gave a lot of time and energy to Middle Earth but when the time came for her to truly take control of it, she turned it down, showing how much she really did care about the world. While many characters in the Lord of the Rings would have taken advantage of Frodo and leapt on this opportunity, she was honest and considerate of others and was rewarded in the end with a happy and peaceful ending.

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