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Now this is probably best left to people well experienced with the book or movie (though the movie to a lesser extent), but it should be fairly easy going if you've seen/read either. Now, ignoring the large quest of The Lord Of Rings, the One Ring as a metaphor for drugs (generically):
When using it, the wearer passes into "the unseen world", a possible metaphor for hallucinogenic experiences.
When not using The Ring, the wearer feels a great urge to put it on. It's will tears them as long as they are a ring bearer, and those who use it long enough become "permanent addicted" (Gollum).
The change it puts over the emotions and actions of those near it (the desperation for the drug suffered by most druggies).
This theory comes from a former teacher, now good friend (and Godfather) who reads the book regularly.
Tell me your opinions.

yeah i guess there are some similarities.... but what about when the lidless eye can see you :0

of course drugs come in a shapes sizes and forms thier effects also vary depending on how you use it and what type it is. so there are the rings given to the elves the rings given to the dwarves the ones given to the humans and of course the one ring to rule them all. all i can say is that some dragons are high right now....

That's a very odd resembleance. But you can make that to almost anything, like speical K:

WHAT'S IN THE BERRIES?
______________
Good find.

Berries??

Wow, I've neve thought of it like that... >.>

OK that's extending it too far. I know somthings like commercials and maybe some shows may do that but not lord of the rings man. This is just stupid. It is an action movie. I see your trying to think "outside the box" but this is an extent no one would ever reach.

People do it with poems, why not movies?

Hell we should do it in Children's cartoons next. We can make Gangsta Blues Clues, and Fairly Pimparents.

because what type of super smart english man make a story about drugs.. it doesn't make sence. The movie had it's specific story and action.

No, it's not an action movie at all. It's a High Fantasy NOVEL that was turned into a High Fantasy movie. Plus, one could say The Ring is "druglike", but not an actually metaphor for drugs. For one thing, Sauron and Tom Bombadil's immunity to the effects of The Ring, it holds "no sway" over them, Tom Bombadil because he is like a wood spirit and Sauron because he created it. But the creators of a narcotic are not immune to it. As for some you spouting out some nonsense about it being "an action movie", please leave. I'm not saying I think The Ring is a drug, I'm saying that it could be interpretted as a drug. It's certainly a druglike object, but none of you seem to grasp that.

I totally see from where you're coming Wilhelm.

yeah JRR tolkien wrote the lotr in highly metaphorical fasion. it diplicted the strife between good and evil(heaven and hell) but the one ring is what could change the good to evil. and who knows he could of metaphorically made the ring as a drug. it changes good people to evil but then again hes dead so we will never know :0

Drugs are not a problem that is restricted to the young and the ignorant. It plagues people of all ages/races/income brackets. Wilhelm isn't going to far in thinking that The One Ring could be a metaphor for drugs. It's a very realistic and possible assumption. One that I happen to agree with.

Let me give you an example of thinking too far outside the box: A year or so ago, in one of my film classes, we were watching "American Beauty" and some artsy-fartsy student was analyzing a scene where the gothic girl is watching her dad use a blender to make something. The student said "The lifeless expression on her face and the focus pull from the blender to her eyes is representative of the plight of humanity and our over-reliance on machines." That's going way too far. I rolled my eyes so hard they almost fell out of my head.

Hehehe, in real life people who use drugs too much often end up resmbling Golem.

*sigh*

if only there was a mount doom we can toss that crap into....

wooh * wears the ring * * gets stoned by Nazguls *
what would you refer to nazgulsa though?

um the crack addicts that give everything up(money friends family etc) for the ring. they constantly pursue it.

So...like does Sauron represent the most addicted PCP user ever?

Seriously though, a very nice observation, though I have my doubts that the author expected this type of metaphor for the ring.

The reason Sauron is not swayed by the ring, is because he basically is the ring. The ring is his personality poured into it.

Tom Bombidill is one step higher than the Maiar (Spelling), but below the Valar.



I quote this from the Foreward to the Second Edition by J.R.R. Tolkien; Pages, xvi & xvii in LOTR:



I'm sorry to end your guys' discussion, but i'm touchy with LOTR.

Note: Andy Serkis does state in the bonus feature, that he plays the part of Golum as like an addict, but states this only to show that he did so, to play his part well.

Another note: At the time of this stories conception, drug addiction was not a big issue, and probibly would not have been on his mind in the first place

dude I love the ring! Iam a drug user! I'd love to try "the ring" and disappear from anyones view! seriously, i wish i had the ring.

Drug dealers don't use their drug, hence Sauron isn't swayed by the ring.

Do you guys not listen to the man that wrote the book?

There's a difference between allegory and metaphor. An allegory is an entire piece of fiction thatg represents a different event. A metaphor is taking an object and representing it with a different object that is intentionally suggestive of it. An allegory would be "The Lord Of The Rings is the story of World War 1", with characters/areas/magics/etc. representing the countries/leaders/weapons/etc. The Lord of The Rings is not without metaphors. The ending where Frodo sails to Valinor is essentially "Frodo died", but written in an immensely poetic manner. But I did not say the Lord of The Rings is an allegory for a drug addiction, I didn't even say The Ring IS a metaphor, but I am suggesting this as a plausible interpretation. This is a discussion on The Ring itself. This theory, as noted in the start, is from a friend.