So named for the foul gurgle he makes in his throat, Gollum is a pitiable and wretched creature, enslaved by his desire for the One Ring. His need for it drives him relentlessly, corrupting his mind and twisting his tiny body into a mangled, sinewy echo of his former self. In his weary frame a fearsome debate rages between his two selves, Smeagol, the tortured bones of his old identity, and Gollum, his spiteful new self, born of the domination of the Ring. In this debate Gollum fights to convince himself to betray his sworn master, Frodo, and take back that which he craves.