Bilbo’s noblest moment in The Hobbit, a fantasy book by J. R. R. Tolkien, is when he gives up the Arkenstone, a precious jewel. He is commended by some for his graciousness of giving away such a treasure, for everyone was rushing to try to get it for themselves. Yet, Bilbo gave the stone to the Elvenking and went against of his friends to attempt to protect lives. This is especially noble since no one else could have achieved this action and been trusted. It revealed supreme generosity from Bilbo.

Bilbo feels that it is essential to settle all the disputes which is why he concludes that giving up the Arkenstone would be the best alternative. A war was beginning because the elves and men wanted their fair share of the treasure since they killed Smaug, the dragon who stole the fortune from the dwarfs hundreds of years ago. Maybe, the elves and men could bargain with the Arkenstone which is the heart of Thorin. Thorin treasures it above anything else in the world, and all other riches do not even compare to the Arkenstone. Bilbo figures that this may be the only performance that could save lives, and he wants to achieve that objective. Even though the stone does not rightly belong to him, Bilbo gives away the stone away out of the goodness of his heart. Consequently, Bilbo has many justifications for presenting the Elvenking with the Arkenstone.

Since Bilbo was so gracious for giving up the Arkenstone, no other character would have been able to do that achievement. One part that had an immense role is the Elvenking having trust in Bilbo. If a dwarf would have wanted to give the elves something, most likely, they would not have trusted the dwarf. This is because the dwarfs were the ones who were not giving them their share of the riches. Bilbo has and advantage for not being like the dwarfs. So, the elves had more faith in Bilbo for being a hobbit. Probably, the dwarfs would have been greedy and kept the Arkenstone for their own anyway. All they want is the riches, and they do not care about anyone but themselves. In fact, when they were in the tunnels with the goblins, the dwarfs did not even notice when Bilbo became lost, and they were about to go on without him. Also, they always relied on Bilbo to get them out of trouble. Just like they were almost killed by the spiders and Bilbo came to their rescue, they made Bilbo go into the secret tunnel because everyone else feared Smaug, the dragon. Consequently, Bilbo almost becomes scorched from Smaug. Mr. Baggins who is considerate, noble, and reliable is the only one that could reward them with such a great fortune.

Although he is rebuked, Bilbo returns to the mountain for many purposes. It is primarily because Bilbo has gone through so much with the dwarfs and cares a great deal for them. He has lead them to the mountain, nearly starved, killed giant spiders, and put his life on the edge to save the dwarfs. When the times got tough they always relied on one another. For instance, Bilbo outwitted the guards by sneaking the dwarfs out of their prison cells and hiding them in barrels. The main reason why Bilbo returned to the mountain was that he does not want to ruin their strong relationship just due to a stone. Friendship is much more valuable than any jewel. Bilbo figures that returning would not do as much damage as turning his back on them permanently. If he would have remained with the elves, he would have lost some of his best friends, and he would probably later regret it.

Therefore, Bilbo’s noblest action is when he gives up the Heart of the Mountain, the Arkenstone. He was willing to give up a grand fortune for the safety of others and to discontinue all conflicts. No character other than Bilbo in The Hobbit shares as much nobility and worthiness to give up the priceless Arkenstone. After knowing that he will not be accepted with the dwarfs, he returns anyway because he does not want to risk the powerful bond of friendship between them. They have gone through too much to let their relationship go to waste, now. Those are just a few reasons on why offering the Arkenstone was such an honorable action.