25 years later, Gandalf the Grey’s words of wisdom in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring still hold true. If Samwise Gamgee is the beating heart of the Fellowship, and Frodo Baggins its soul, then Gandalf is its mind, the leader who understands that knowledge is just as great a power as any magical ability he possesses, and perhaps even more so.
There are a lot of great Gandalf lines from throughout the three Lord of the Rings movies (and, of course, J.R.R. Tolkien’s books long before them), which help to make him one of the most beloved characters. “A wizard is never late…” is iconic, and his lines in the scene with the Balrog – “You shall not pass!” and “Fly, you fools,” – have been endlessly quoted ever since The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters in 2001.
But as memorable as they are, there is one that stands out from the rest as being the greatest words of wisdom imparted by the wizard, which not only shapes the entire narrative, but applies directly to all of our own lives, too.
Gandalf’s Quote Defined The Fellowship’s Quest In The Lord Of The Rings
The Gandalf quote in question comes when Frodo laments the heavy burden the One Ring has placed upon him, wishing it had not come to him, and that none of it had happened. To this, the grey wizard says:
“So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
The line works on multiple levels. To Frodo, it is exactly what he needs to hear at that moment, even if it’s not necessarily what he might want to hear. Gandalf offers him a sense of comfort, in that the Hobbit is not alone in his thoughts, validating his wishes. But at the same time, he doesn’t pander to him and tell him that it’s going to be easy, but does state his own sense of agency in these events.
This speaks to the Fellowship at large, and Middle-earth as a whole. It’s a perfect way of distilling down the ideas of free will vs. what’s already divined that are at play in The Lord of the Rings, which we also get a sense of in the same scene, as Gandalf tells Frodo there are other forces at play, and that: “Bilbo was meant to find the ring. In which case, you also were meant to have it.”
That juxtaposition of those quotes might suggest a conflict between free will and fate or luck in this story, but that’s not actually the case. We do know that fate exists in Middle-earth, via the creator of Arda, Erū Ilúvatar, but they also granted people free will. And we see time and again throughout the story that, while fate and luck play their hands, it’s the choices people make that ultimately define the story.
This is clear with all the Fellowship of the Ring members, each choosing to follow Frodo (“my sword… my bow… my ax…”), and all being tested at various turns, and the outcomes are entirely dependent on which path they choose. Fate may have played a part in Frodo getting the ring, but it was, as Gandalf says, deciding what to do, such as Sam being by his side, or Frodo not killing Gollum, that all led to the One Ring being destroyed.
All of this is enough to make Gandalf’s quote one of the most powerful in fantasy history, but it’s just how relevant and relatable it is — whether it’s 1954, 2001, or 2026 — that makes it even better. Because what Gandalf is really getting at is a core tenet of humanity and how we live our lives. None of us could choose when we were born, nor the surrounding circumstances, but all we can do is decide what to do with the time given to us. It’s a simple, beautiful message that continues to resonate far beyond The Lord of the Rings.
Gandalf Gives Another Of His Wisest Quotes In The Same Scene
That Gandalf line alone is incredible, but what’s just as impressive is that we get another bit of profound wisdom in the same scene. When Frodo talks about wishing Bilbo had killed Gollum when he had the chance, the wizard responds:
“Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
Again, it’s a quite simple yet elegant and fitting way of boiling down something that is so fundamentally human. It’s easy to condone, but Gandalf here teaches an important lesson about humility, morality, and judgment that also endures, and connects perfectly to his line about time. After all, it is Frodo remembering these words, and sparing Gollum’s life, that becomes central to the whole story, and thus free will and fate entwine together, as highlighted by Gandalf’s classic The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring quotes.
- Release Date
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December 19, 2001
- Runtime
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178 Minutes
- Writers
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Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, J.R.R. Tolkien
- Producers
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Barrie M. Osborne, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Mark Ordesky, Robert Shaye, Tim Sanders
