[QUOTE="Mercenary848"]
[QUOTE="Teenaged"]Its not because Dumbledorr went to school to learn magic.
One must have knowledge of Tolkien's universe also in order to make a comparison. I do, you dont.
I made a post earlier and I dont think Dumbledore beats Gandalf by any means.
You say Dumbledore will cast quick pells on Gandalf: Gandalf probably wont be affected cause like I said he is in the ranks of gods. Gandalf is not actually a wizard. He was thought off as one among Men.
Teenaged
Wait I don't get it you said he was cheap when I brought up instant death spell, but not your saying Gandalf is a god.
No I am not labeling everything superior as "cheap".Perhaps of course even going on defending Gandalf in this unfair for Dumbledore comparison is "cheap" but eh lets explain:
Each of those characters are set in their own world and the principles of greatness are different within the two of them. Tolkien's world is not based on creating impressions through flashy spells and easy witchcraft. I think thats intentional.
Each character is kept like a secret. They never reveal their true power and they never would because Tolkien was on one portraying powerful scenes of wars and battles but he was also against war.
That imo makes him give his characters more substance through their personality and their wisdom. But in Tolkiens world the emotional world and the physical one are intertwined.
Sauron was very powerful for instance in relation to the fact that immense malice and hatred were fueling his heart. Emotions augment physical strength to a point where the strength is actually ones personality and "persona".
Gandalf is powerful of course also because he is a Maia, but also because he was once the follower of a Valier who taught him many things. But not "things" not as in witchcraft, but in life lessons and teachings valuable in wisdom and prudence. Tolkien makes sure to represent ones inner world with a physical attribute, or the whole set of attributes given to them.
I just find more substance in a character like Gandalf than Dumbledore.
But of course it all boils down to presentation because a character is what he is presented as (not in description only but through everything he/she does).
And quite frankly Gandalf has much more of a background than Dumbledore.
What makes Dumbledore cheap in such a comparison is that any series of books could have introduced a character that from the moment their born they can shoot lazer beams out of their eyes, teleport by will, regenerate strength for ever, being unable to be penetrated by anbything, immune to magic and all that in a single page. So what? You just created a character with little substance and that makes him cheap.
Not that Dumbledore is as cheaply depicted as my example above. Of course not. I am just giving an example.
Dumbledore has a lot of substance. Ever since he was a kid he was gifted, but at the same time he had his own issues. Like him killing his best friend and them both or one of them killing his sister. He has to work ewith a ministry he does not agree, who only makes things harder, but he prevails though it cost his life. Dumbledore lived for everyone else, and though he was powerful he had his flaws and aknowleged his mistakes were costly then most peoples.
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