Gollum
Gollum or Smeagol is an extremely important character as he is the only one who switches betwen good and evil. He has been the most affected by the ring and still he seeks it. However, this does not make him evil as he does not intend to use the ring to rule people or gain power. He kept the ring (his precious) in secret, deep in the misty mountains for nearly five centuries without using it and he is certainly does not want to return it to its maker,who he knows is looking for it as he can feel his great eye, which is ever watchful for the ring.
One of the sub-plots in the story is Gollum/ Smeagol's continuous dilemma of whether to join with Frodo and be "good Smeagol" or to give into the power of the ring and remain Gollum. Frodo empathises with Smeagol as he is in a similar situation. Frodo is kind to Gollum as he needs to believe that he can "come back" to be Smeagol again. Frodo realises that this is his fate as a ring bearer and does not want to be bound to the ring forever.
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