Many believe that a major theme of the Lord of the Rings series is destiny, and that each of the characters is destined to do a certain thing. I believe that destiny does play a significant part of each of the characters' lives, however I believe that free will dictates more than destiny does. In my eyes, the characters make their own destiny by every decision they make. Some of these choices may lead to doom, but if one of the characters chooses one of these doomed destinies, that is just how it is.
This interpretation is mostly due to my view on life; that there are paths along the way, one just has to choose their own path. It's basically that your choices make your own destiny, in a way. I mean, if you want me to interpret this literally, then sure, every character has a destiny and no free will because an author dictates exactly what these characters do. And people who think that way probably believe that their every action is the doing of a higher power. And I am not dismissing that, for I do not know everything there is to know. I do believe in God...I just believe that he does not do everything for you; you have to make the best of what you've got.
The good Lord will only help those who help themselves
