The bulk of this theory has to do with the particular relationship between Locke, Ben, Widmore, Jacob, and the Island. In between, I hope to incorporate other characters and events into this as well going as far back as the pilot episode and as recent as the death of John Locke.
It goes without saying that LOST is the best television show on Earth.
For obvious reasons the title of this theory, "THE CIRCLE", implies exactly how LOST is structured in terms of time (or space-time to be more precise). Ever since the pilot, the eye motif has become a signature theme on LOST. Each eye, like each character, is slightly different and thus, each "eye" has a different story to tell of how they came to be there. Notice that "eye" here is a pun for the "I", or subject, like Locke, Jack, Sun, Kate, ect. The first half of LOST centered on flashbacks (i.e. the past) in relation to the immediate events that took place on the island. Whether it was Jack running to find Christian's empty coffin because of his vision or Sayid wanting Shannon not to shot Locke because of his memory of betraying an old friend to find Nadia. Sayid said something interesting to Shannon in that same episode (I think it was the "Greater Good"): He tells her that "if you do this, you can never take it back." And here we begin our theory:
CLAIM 1: LOCKE'S MURDER WAS NECESSARY FOR BEN TO RETURN TO THE ISLAND AND WAS NOT AN ACT OF 'EVIL'. Ben killed Locke out of two reasons, one takes primacy over the other. First, vengeance for knowing that Jacob helped him survive when he shot John in Season 3 and that he could hear Jacob speak. Second, because Locke cannot die of his own doing. Ben knows this. Widmore's attempt to convince John to visit the 06 was clearly a suicide mission! If Locke kills himself, he CHANGES THE RULES!Obviously, Ben does not want this to happen again. In other words, Ben does not want "the circle" to, using Sawyer's infamous words, "come back around". However,Locke's death in the "real" world is most likely permanent, meaning that Locke cannot possibly leave the island again and stay alive. Hence, in "Because You Left", Ben tells Jack to bring everything he wants in "this life" because he's never coming back. Notice the biblical themes here most evident when Ben kneels before John. Thus, Ben! is serving out his destiny by helping Locke achieve his. It can be said that every character on LOST is a proverbial Matthew Abbadon because each one gets people to "where they need to go".
CLAIM 2: LOCKE MUST DIE IN ORDER TO SPEAK AND SEE JACOB.
Jacob is clearly not visible to, who according to Ben's words, those who are too "limited" to see. Locke was "limited" back in Season 3 beacuse he hadn't died yet.
CLAIM 3: JACOB IS TESTING BEN AND WIDMORE.
Recall the famous Bible passage where two women claim ownership of the same infant, but only one is its real mother. The king then threatens to cut it in half, then realizes that the true mother would never let that happen. In this case, the baby is the island. Widmore and Ben want the island for selfish purposes. For Ben, the issue is about his mother and subsequent relationship with Annie. For Widmore, it is the leadership role (and thus power to speak with Jacob). Jacob's test can only have one person pass. Thus, the cat and mouse game between these two has a direct impact on the survivors, particularly Locke. At this point, Jacob is more interested in John rather than Ben or Widmore seeing as how the island Jacob "reached" out to John since birth. Richard is the de facto leader until the real leader is no longer "limited" to speak to Jacob.
CLAIM 4: BEN AND WIDMORE BOTH WANT SOMETHING THAT THE ISLAND CAN DO.
What can the island do? See below.
CLAIM 5: THE ISLAND CAN PROVIDE ITS INHABITANTS WITH A "TABULA RASA" OR CLEAN SLATE. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE POWER OF THE ISLAND.
For Locke, Ben, and Widmore, the power of the island essentially means a new "life" in the sense of the mind. This is why Widmore is so fascinated when Locke doesn't age vis-a-vis time travel just Richard experienced the same thing. Again, the scientific explanation for this is time travel (hence, the D.I. and Faraday going back in time). The spiritual explanation has to do with Jacob, the proverbial "father" of the island, who can "summon" those ready to explain the "rules" of this tabula rasa phenomenon.
SUBCLAIM: EFFECTS OF A "TABULA RASA"
Essentially, the tabula rasa is like a reset button on a video game console. The game itself is unchanged (hence, it possesses the same memory/code it was programmed with) but it starts over from the beginning. This is how Locke was able to remember everything that happened, even dying!, to him prior to crashing on Hydra island.
CLAIM 6: THE ISLAND, HOWEVER, HAS RULES FOR PROVIDING THIS "TABULA RASA" TO ITS INHABITANTS.
The rules are simple, yet complex to follow. First, it appears that the island mandates a Code of Hammurabi style enforcement. An eye for an eye, ect. Thus, the island does demand sacrifices: Boone, Eko, Shannon, Charlie, ect. These are necessary in order for the "few", especially Locke, to fulfill their purpose. In the future, we see Jack and the 06 try to rewrite their destiny by refusing to go back to the island. Obviously, they were wrong (proven by how miserable they've been) and now Jack is finally convinced. Also, Jack would have never died had he jumped off the bridge in Season 3 for the same reasons Micheal didn't die -- because the island "isn't done" with them yet. Another rule is this: in order to get back what you've LOST ,you have to be LOST. This seems a little confusing at first but makes sense in the scheme of the show. Locke was LOST in his life prior to the crash, LOST his faith during the button incident, then LOST himself in time before coming back to t! he island. For this circle to stop, Locke must see Jacob.
CLAIM 7: JACOB IS THE ISLAND'S LANDLORD. THE OTHERS ARE THE ISLAND'S TENANTS. THEREFORE, THE OTHERS ANSWER TO JACOB.
This is self-explanatory. Theory by chrisisLOST
It goes without saying that LOST is the best television show on Earth.
For obvious reasons the title of this theory, "THE CIRCLE", implies exactly how LOST is structured in terms of time (or space-time to be more precise). Ever since the pilot, the eye motif has become a signature theme on LOST. Each eye, like each character, is slightly different and thus, each "eye" has a different story to tell of how they came to be there. Notice that "eye" here is a pun for the "I", or subject, like Locke, Jack, Sun, Kate, ect. The first half of LOST centered on flashbacks (i.e. the past) in relation to the immediate events that took place on the island. Whether it was Jack running to find Christian's empty coffin because of his vision or Sayid wanting Shannon not to shot Locke because of his memory of betraying an old friend to find Nadia. Sayid said something interesting to Shannon in that same episode (I think it was the "Greater Good"): He tells her that "if you do this, you can never take it back." And here we begin our theory:
CLAIM 1: LOCKE'S MURDER WAS NECESSARY FOR BEN TO RETURN TO THE ISLAND AND WAS NOT AN ACT OF 'EVIL'. Ben killed Locke out of two reasons, one takes primacy over the other. First, vengeance for knowing that Jacob helped him survive when he shot John in Season 3 and that he could hear Jacob speak. Second, because Locke cannot die of his own doing. Ben knows this. Widmore's attempt to convince John to visit the 06 was clearly a suicide mission! If Locke kills himself, he CHANGES THE RULES!Obviously, Ben does not want this to happen again. In other words, Ben does not want "the circle" to, using Sawyer's infamous words, "come back around". However,Locke's death in the "real" world is most likely permanent, meaning that Locke cannot possibly leave the island again and stay alive. Hence, in "Because You Left", Ben tells Jack to bring everything he wants in "this life" because he's never coming back. Notice the biblical themes here most evident when Ben kneels before John. Thus, Ben! is serving out his destiny by helping Locke achieve his. It can be said that every character on LOST is a proverbial Matthew Abbadon because each one gets people to "where they need to go".
CLAIM 2: LOCKE MUST DIE IN ORDER TO SPEAK AND SEE JACOB.
Jacob is clearly not visible to, who according to Ben's words, those who are too "limited" to see. Locke was "limited" back in Season 3 beacuse he hadn't died yet.
CLAIM 3: JACOB IS TESTING BEN AND WIDMORE.
Recall the famous Bible passage where two women claim ownership of the same infant, but only one is its real mother. The king then threatens to cut it in half, then realizes that the true mother would never let that happen. In this case, the baby is the island. Widmore and Ben want the island for selfish purposes. For Ben, the issue is about his mother and subsequent relationship with Annie. For Widmore, it is the leadership role (and thus power to speak with Jacob). Jacob's test can only have one person pass. Thus, the cat and mouse game between these two has a direct impact on the survivors, particularly Locke. At this point, Jacob is more interested in John rather than Ben or Widmore seeing as how the island Jacob "reached" out to John since birth. Richard is the de facto leader until the real leader is no longer "limited" to speak to Jacob.
CLAIM 4: BEN AND WIDMORE BOTH WANT SOMETHING THAT THE ISLAND CAN DO.
What can the island do? See below.
CLAIM 5: THE ISLAND CAN PROVIDE ITS INHABITANTS WITH A "TABULA RASA" OR CLEAN SLATE. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE POWER OF THE ISLAND.
For Locke, Ben, and Widmore, the power of the island essentially means a new "life" in the sense of the mind. This is why Widmore is so fascinated when Locke doesn't age vis-a-vis time travel just Richard experienced the same thing. Again, the scientific explanation for this is time travel (hence, the D.I. and Faraday going back in time). The spiritual explanation has to do with Jacob, the proverbial "father" of the island, who can "summon" those ready to explain the "rules" of this tabula rasa phenomenon.
SUBCLAIM: EFFECTS OF A "TABULA RASA"
Essentially, the tabula rasa is like a reset button on a video game console. The game itself is unchanged (hence, it possesses the same memory/code it was programmed with) but it starts over from the beginning. This is how Locke was able to remember everything that happened, even dying!, to him prior to crashing on Hydra island.
CLAIM 6: THE ISLAND, HOWEVER, HAS RULES FOR PROVIDING THIS "TABULA RASA" TO ITS INHABITANTS.
The rules are simple, yet complex to follow. First, it appears that the island mandates a Code of Hammurabi style enforcement. An eye for an eye, ect. Thus, the island does demand sacrifices: Boone, Eko, Shannon, Charlie, ect. These are necessary in order for the "few", especially Locke, to fulfill their purpose. In the future, we see Jack and the 06 try to rewrite their destiny by refusing to go back to the island. Obviously, they were wrong (proven by how miserable they've been) and now Jack is finally convinced. Also, Jack would have never died had he jumped off the bridge in Season 3 for the same reasons Micheal didn't die -- because the island "isn't done" with them yet. Another rule is this: in order to get back what you've LOST ,you have to be LOST. This seems a little confusing at first but makes sense in the scheme of the show. Locke was LOST in his life prior to the crash, LOST his faith during the button incident, then LOST himself in time before coming back to t! he island. For this circle to stop, Locke must see Jacob.
CLAIM 7: JACOB IS THE ISLAND'S LANDLORD. THE OTHERS ARE THE ISLAND'S TENANTS. THEREFORE, THE OTHERS ANSWER TO JACOB.
This is self-explanatory. Theory by chrisisLOST
