Original artwork, not a still
The Fellowship of the Ring • 1954
I wish it need not have happened in my time.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Frodo's wish is the plain human reaction to being handed a world-sized problem, which is why it lands harder than a heroic speech would. Gandalf's answer turned the exchange into one of the most quoted pieces of advice in fantasy. Frodo's half is the one people reach for when a crisis arrives on their watch and they wish it had come to someone else.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Fellowship of the RingShow the scene
In Book One, chapter 2, "The Shadow of the Past", Gandalf returns to Bag End and explains to Frodo that Bilbo's ring is the One Ring and must be destroyed. He has described how the Ring would overcome anyone of mortal race who kept it, and that sooner or later the Dark Power would devour such an owner. Frodo answers with this line, and Gandalf agrees at once: so do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. The rest of his reply, about deciding what to do with the time that is given to us, is the better-known half.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: The Fellowship of the Ringsection "The Shadow of the Past"Reference checked
- LOTR Wiki: The Shadow of the PastPlot and SynopsisReference checked
Context reviewed
