Lord Of The Rings: 10 Persistent Plot Holes FINALLY Debunked
3. Gollum’s Nonsensical Plan To Get The Ring
The Claim: Gollum planned to betray Frodo and Sam to Shelob, the idea being that he could take the Ring from the remains. But what if Shelob devoured the ring, or recognised it, and how would Gollum even get into her lair?
Well, the digestive tract of a spider, even a monster like Shelob, would do nothing to the Ring. Gollum might have to dig through some spider-poop, but that would be the worst of it.
What if she recognised the ring? Shelob is sentient, yes, but she is motivated by nothing more than hunger. The Ring would mean little to her, and even if she did recognise it she would offer it up to Sauron in exchange for more tasties. That would take time, more than enough for Gollum to nick it.
How would Gollum get into her lair? Easy – Gollum was working with her, something implied even in the movies. In the books we get more information: Shelob caught Gollum when he was fleeing Mordor and in exchange for his life he promised to bring her fresh meat. In Frodo and Sam he made good on that promise, giving him free access to her lair.
So the plan was not silly. The ‘plot-hole,’ in this case, is silly.