Why did Gandalf not return to help Frodo and Sam?

Question

It says on the Lord of the Rings wiki:

Gandalf returned as the White Wizard (named anew "Gandalf the White"), and he claimed leadership of the order of Wizards. Gandalf's power and wisdom were greatly increased, allowing him to more directly aid Middle-earth in its time of need. With the Flame of Anor at his command, he was able to assist his companions once more, and to denounce and overthrow Saruman.

Why didn't he, having greater power than ever before, appear to Frodo and Sam to help them in their quest?

Answer 1

"The Ring has passed beyond his help"

Although he did what he could indirectly, there was no way Gandalf could directly help Frodo any longer as he himself states:

The Ring now has passed beyond my help, or the help of any of the Company that set out from Rivendell. Very nearly it was revealed to the Enemy, but it escaped. I had some part in that: for I sat in a high place, and I strove with the Dark Tower; and the Shadow passed. Then I was weary, very weary; and I walked long in dark thought.
_{The Two Towers - Book Three: Chapter 5, The White Rider}

He informs us that though he wasn't with the Company of the Ring he has aided them from a distance. However, what this "High place" was is unknown to us, however we are led to believe it was just before the Breaking of the Fellowship when Frodo was on the seat of Amon Hen

After acknowledging what's happened with Frodo, Gimli asks for more information, but Gandalf is unable to provide any more.

'Then you know about Frodo!’ said Gimli. ‘How do things go with him?’ ‘I cannot say. He was saved from a great peril, but many lie before him still. He resolved to go alone to Mordor, and he set out: that is all that I can say.’
'Not alone,’ said Legolas. ‘We think that Sam went with him.’ ‘Did he!’ said Gandalf, and there was a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face. ‘Did he indeed? It is news to me, yet it does not surprise me. Good! Very good! You lighten my heart.
_ibid.

Although he is aware of Frodo's departure, he seems unaware that he has company. In finding out that Sam has gone with him Gandalf's heart "lightens". It also leads onto my next point that he has no knowledge of the Company of the Ring after Amon Hen, and therefore would have to search to find them.

Leading on from earlier, besides the fact Gandalf looking for them would make it easier for Sauron to find them, 1. by pointing out where they're not and 2. an Istari and known guide of the Fellowship going towards the Hidden Stairs and Cirith Ungol would be oddly suspicious, without the Ring nearby he couldn't be tempted by it.

‘No,’ he said in a soft voice, ‘it has gone beyond our reach. Of that at least let us be glad. We can no longer be tempted to use the Ring. We must go down to face a peril near despair, yet that deadly peril is removed.’
_ibid.

Back to indirectly helping, Gandalf knows that Sauron believes no one could destroy the Ring, and that the only plausible cause of action would be to take it to Minas Tirith and try to use it's power. In doing so, he draws Sauron's attention away from his borders, and makes it easier for Sam and Frodo to complete their task. (Recall in RotK when they walk for days through Mordor without seeing anyone).

[Sauron] supposes that we were all going to Minas Tirith; for that is what he would himself have done in our place. And according to his wisdom it would have been a heavy stroke against his power. Indeed he is in great fear, not knowing what mighty one may suddenly appear, wielding the Ring, and assailing him with war, seeking to cast him down and take his place. That we should wish to cast him down and have no one in his place is not a thought that occurs to his mind. That we should try to destroy the Ring itself has not yet entered into his darkest dream. In which no doubt you will see our good fortune and our hope. For imagining war he has let loose war, believing that he has no time to waste; for he that strikes the first blow, if he strikes it hard enough, may need to strike no more. So the forces that he has long been preparing he is now setting in motion, sooner than he intended. Wise fool. For if he had used all his power to guard Mordor, so that none could enter, and bent all his guile to the hunting of the Ring, then indeed hope would have faded: neither Ring nor bearer could long have eluded him. But now his eye gazes abroad rather than near at home; and mostly he looks towards Minas Tirith. Very soon now his strength will fall upon it like a storm.'

Gandalf's mind is set, he knows what he must do, and although the Ruling Ring is of primary concern to complete the task he was sent to do, he cannot do so without the help of the Free People's of Middle-earth. And so he sets out to aid Edoras and in turn Minas Tirith, in doing so, distracting Sauron from Mordor and allowing the Hobbits to destroy the Ring.

Answer 2

In this question we have to look at two things: capabilities (what powers did Gandalf have?) and threats (what was the wisest application for his powers?)

He had at his disposal (as strengths):

• Shadowfax (granting him outstanding mobility on the plains if unencumbered)

By going with Frodo he'd have had to sacrifice this mobility for stealth and mountaineering experience. He'd have to take Samwise along, and Gollum for good measure.

• The Ring of Fire (enabling him to inspire people)

Narya cannot work in the desert. Nor can it instill fear in Orcs, Trolls or the Haradrim.

• Good understanding of the strategic situation (see Josafoot's answer)

Without military forces to ehrm... influence this brilliant understanding goes to waste.

His weaknesses:

• The Ring was a constant temptation for Gandalf.

Out of sight, out of mind.

• Gandalf was not a steamroller. A conspicuous old man in white with a millennia-old sword trudging along with two (or three) halflings cannot stand against the might of Mordor. Please repeat after me:

  Quantity has a quality of its own.

While Gandalf the White can fight the Witch-King (and, technically, win since he's a Maia), this would go against the grain of Ilúvatar's Plan. He cannot fight the Nine, and definitely stands no chance against Sauron unless he grabs the One Ring but then it's a tossup between the Dark Lord and the Really Compassionate Dark Lord.

What if Gandalf goes East?

• (by Eagle) Detected by Nazgûl. Destroyed in the air. GAME OVER
• (on foot) Detected by Nazgûl or a scout. Constantly tracked by the Nazgûl until the Witch-King organizes an encirclement. For a glimpse of how it works, see the 'Disaster of the Gladden Fields' in the Unfinished Tales. GAME OVER
• (with Shadowfax) Detected even sooner, caught a bit later. The Nazgûl still have mobility advantage, and Sauron's forces have positional advantage by being stationed all across Mordor and (almost all) Ithilien. GAME OVER
• (Gandalf succumbs to the One Ring) GAME OVER
• (Frodo succumbs to the One Ring) Frodo puts on the Ring, they are detected and hunted down. GAME OVER
• (Saruman captures Rohan) Sauron doesn't panic, leaves enough guards on Mordor's borders and inside it. Nazgûl patrols, all that - you know the rote - they are found and terminated. GAME OVER

Answer 3

He needed to rally the free people (men) and ensure Saruman/Sauron did not cover the world in darkness (achieve victory)

Saruman had raised an army of Uruk-hai that was marching on Rohan and the combined forces of Mordor had already begun or were preparing to siege Osgiliath.

If Saruman's army was left unchecked, they would have slaughtered the army of Rohan and the people of Rohan. They would have tracked down the Rohirrim and destroyed their force as well.

While the forces of Gondor put up a good fight, they will eventually be routed to Minas Tirith for a final stand against the combined forces of Mordor. As we can tell from the Siege of Minas Tirith, the forces of Mordor would, eventually, wear down the forces of Gondor and break the siege through attrition. The battle is only successful after the Rohirrim opens a second front on the flanks and rear of the the siege force, starting the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

Upon his return, Gandalf recognizes that Saruman's forces can and will destroy Rohan and the Rohirrim and without their assistance, Gondor will also fall.

While the destruction of the Ring of Power was important; it would ultimately be considered a moot point if Saruman's forces destroyed Rohan, allowing Sauron to destroy Gondor and thus achieve victory over Middle-earth without the use of the Ring of Power.

One could argue that destroying the ring would "destroy" Sauron and end the war. Gandalf recognizes that the more pressing matter is to stop the forces of Mordor and Isengard from achieving victory over the free people. Gandalf recognizes that his mission is guiding and rallying the free people. If Gandalf did not rally the free people, they would have been destroyed before the ring was "put into play".

By put into play I mean destroyed by Frodo's actions or obtained/used by Sauron.

A similar analogy would be two nations at war, A puts on a heavy offense against B. B puts up a meager and faltering defense while putting more resources into developing a war-ending super weapon. By the time B finishes its weapon, A has already won the war.

Answer 4

Directly, no, he did not help Frodo and Sam. Indirectly, yes.

Why didn't he help them directly?

He did not try to find Frodo and Sam in Mordor because he was wise enough to know that it would have been futile. Any attempt of his to enter Mordor would have been noticed. Remember: he is an Istar and not a Hobbit, thus he holds a great amount of power that can be felt. In the case of Frodo and Sam, their 'small' (arguably insignificant without the Ring) power is felt by the Nazgûl at Minas Morgul.

‘Sh, Gorbag!’ Shagrat’s voice was lowered, so that even with his strangely sharpened hearing Sam could only just catch what was said. ‘They may, but they’ve got eyes and ears everywhere; some among my lot, as like as not. But there’s no doubt about it, they’re troubled about something. The Nazgûl down below are, by your account; and Lugbúrz is too. Something nearly slipped.’

[...]

‘About an hour ago, just before you saw us. A message came: Nazgûl uneasy. Spies feared on Stairs. Double vigilance. Patrol to head of Stairs. I came at once.’

Therefore, with the great amount of power that Gandalf had, it would've been ridiculous for him to try 'sneaking' into Mordor. He even states this himself:

‘Yes,’ said Gandalf, ‘that was Gwaihir the Windlord, who rescued me from Orthanc. I sent him before me to watch the River and gather tidings. His sight is keen, but he cannot see all that passes under hill and tree. Some things he has seen, and others I have seen myself. The Ring now has passed beyond my help, or the help of any of the Company that set out from Rivendell.

---

So, how did he help them indirectly?

He created a diversion. By 'drawing out Sauron's power', he was able to force Sauron to focus on the Army led by King Elessar, and not on his own lands. In this way, Frodo was not detected (earlier). Had the diversion not occurred, Sauron would have left his forces in Mordor (Gorgoroth precisely), and Frodo wouldn't have been able to pass the Pass undetected.

'His doubt will be growing, even as we speak here. His Eye is now straining towards us, blind almost to all else that is moving. So we must keep it. Therein lies all our hope. This, then, is my counsel. We have not the Ring. In wisdom or great folly it has been sent away to be destroyed, lest it destroy us. Without it we cannot by force defeat his force. But we must at all costs keep his Eye from his true peril. We cannot achieve victory by arms, but by arms we can give the Ring-bearer his only chance, frail though it be.

Answer 5

He did help them, actually, risking his life and the lives of many others. Summarized here:

"We have not the Ring. … Without it we cannot by force defeat his force. But we must at all costs keep his Eye from his true peril. We cannot achieve victory by arms, but by arms we can give the Ring-bearer his only chance, frail though it be. … We must push Sauron to his last throw. We must call out his hidden strength, so that he shall empty his land. We must march out to meet him at once. We must make ourselves the bait, though his jaws should close on us. … We must walk open-eyed into that trap, with courage, but small hope for ourselves."

—Gandalf, The Return of the King, "The Last Debate"