Do not tempt me! I do not take it, not even to keep it safe, unused."" Similarly, Elrond, leader of the Rivendell Elves, declines ownership of the Ring. "We cannot use the Ruling Ring If any of the Wise should with this Ring overthrow the Lord of Mordor, using his own arts, he would then set himself on Sauron's throne, and yet another Dark Lord would appear."" He explains that through anyone the Ring will ultimately be used as an instrument of evil. " as long as it is in the world, it will be a danger even to the Wise. For nothing is evil in the beginning. Even Sauron was not so. I fear to take the Ring to hide it. I will not take the Ring to wield it."" The Ring is a tool of corruption and can manipulate even the wisest of beings. Finally, Frodo presents the Ring to Galadriel, an elf of the Golden Wood. She admits temptation, but warns him of the consequences of her potential strength. "You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night!- Despite her differences from Sauron, she will still be swayed into wickedness. Bestowing such power to the already powerful will only lead to a new Dark Lord. .
However, not all would refuse the Ring; some wished to take it by force. Boromir wished to use its power to defend his homeland of Gondor, the last stronghold between Mordor - Sauron's Kingdom - and its conquest of Middle Earth. Boromir attempts to murder Frodo in attempt to steal the Ring. During this altercation, Frodo slips on the Ring, which in turn draws the pursuing creatures in service of Sauron, the Orcs. After realizing his mistake, Boromir becomes aware of the Ring's power and its control of him. "What have I done? Frodo, Frodo! Come back! A madness took me, but it passed. Come back!- .
The magnetism of the Ring tears strong relationships between friends apart. With power comes the desire for more power.