He becomes proto-Gollum and is released from this torture only when the real Gollum appears and robs him of the ring. Gollum changes from villain to savior of the world as he plunges accidentally to his death. Within a very short amount of time, Frodo and Sam go from doomed on the edge of a crumbling mountain to exulted in front of an assembled army. They are honored as they should be for such momentous risks and triumphs. They transform from wayward travelers into heroes.
Warriors become peacemakers.
The companions, who traveled and fought for months on end, find some final moments of peace as they linger together in a single place. Saruman changed from a good wizard into a very powerful servant of evil and now he travels the world as a beggar. The Shire, a peaceful and loosely organized place, swiftly turns into an entity of force and action with the leadership of the four companions. They lead the Shire to overcome its worst adversary ever. This change, however, is only temporary, for the Shire reverts quickly to its slow and peaceful pace.