LotR book V, ch.1: Minas Tirith

[Artanis]

Brief summary
This chapter covers the day in which Pippin and Gandalf arrives at MinasTirith.

In Minas Tirith Gandalf and Pippin are heading straight to the hall of Denethor, but not before Gandalf has warned Pippin about the power and shrewdness of the Steward. We get the first warning that Aragorn perhaps will not be welcomed by Denethor if he is to come to Minas Tirith. Pippin offers his service to Denethor and swears loyalty to him, remembering Boromir who died to defend him and Merry. Then Denethor begins an interrogation of Pippin about his journey with the company and Boromir's death. At last Pippin is released, but Gandalf has worked himself up and there follows a quarrel and a mental battle between him and Denethor.

Pippin is left by himself as Gandalf goes to meet the captains of Gondor, but he soon finds new friends in Beregond, one of the Guards of the Tower, and his 10-year old son Bergil. From them he learns much about the ways and customs of the city, and of its old history as well as the events from the recent days. But he also has much to tell, and his stories from his journey together with his humbleness and courtesy soon make the Men respect him, in spite of his childish appearance.

In the evening Bergil and Pippin watches the armed forces from the outskirts of Gondor march into the city. They are bold, strong men, but too few. We get the first glimpse of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. At last Gandalf returns, and the chapter ends gloomily with his prediction of the dawnless day, echoing Pippin's earlier comment:

‘So ends a fair day in wrath!’

A pawn's view
“Pippin looked out”.... with these initial words the perspective of the narrative is set. Everything that happens during the day spanned by this chapter is seen through the eyes of the young Hobbit. A nice little turn that allows us to know the ordinary people in the city of Minas Tirith, primarily represented by Beregond and his son Bergil, instead of following Gandalf in his meeting with the captains and other people of high rank. Pippin is as ignorant as we, the readers, are, and when he gets to learn about the ways and customs of the city, we learn with him. We see everything for the first time and we are filled with curiosity. We see the dead, white tree in the courtyard of the citadel, and we wonder with Pippin about the significance of the tree.

Following Pip around is also a good way to provide the chapter with some lightness, to balance the dark and heavy atmosphere in Denethor's hall and the approaching war from the East. Pippin has grown much mentally since he set out from the Shire, but he has not come of age yet and has not lost all of his childish attitude.

The Steward and the steward
The clash of Denethor and Gandalf provides for the drama in this chapter. Denethor is prideful but also poweful, and not many people in Middle Earth would challenge Gandalf as he does. Is he aware of what Gandalf's origin?

It is interesting to read Pippin's observations of the two men as they are having their little mental fight:

Denethor looked indeed much more like a great wizard than Gandalf did, more kingly, beautiful, and powerful; and older. Yet by a sense other than sight Pippin perceived that Gandalf had the greater power and the deeper wisdom, and a majesty that was veiled.

So again we see that there is more to a person than what leaps to the eye!

While Denethor seems to care only about the realm of Gondor and especially the city of Minas Tirith, Gandalf is primarily concerned about the whole of Middle Earth, aiming to preserve at least some worthy things, and the defence of Minas Tirith is just a way to carry out this task.

Is Denethor really capable of reading other people's mind?

Originally Posted by Gandalf

He is not as other men of this time, Pippin, and whatever be his descent from father to son, by some chance the blood of Westernesse runs nearly true in him; as it does in his other son, Faramir, and yet did not in Boromir whom he loved best. He has long sight. He can perceive, if he bends his will thither, much of what is passing in the minds of men, even of those that dwell far off.

Originally Posted by Beregond

And the Lord Denethor is unlike other men: he sees far. Some say that as he sits alone in his high chamber in the Tower at night, and bends his thought this way and that, he can read somewhat of the future; and that he will at times search even the mind of the Enemy, wrestling with him.

These words about Denethor makes me wonder what this 'long sight' is. Was it an innate ability due to his Númenorean ancestry, only increased in power by the technology from Númenor? I think Tolkien gives us strong hints here.

Another question is, did Gandalf know or suspect that Denethor had made contact with Sauron?


The Steward and the King
Not referring to Denethor and Aragorn, but Denethor and Theoden.
Denethor did not make a good first impression on this reader, and I think he was not intended to. He comes across as both rude and cunning, especially in his treatment of Pippin, and his grief over Boromir is not sufficient to excuse him.

Originally Posted by Gandalf

Théoden is a kindly old man. Denethor is of another sort, proud and subtle, a man of far greater lineage and power, though he is not called a king.

The contrast between Theoden and Denethor is indeed striking. They are both rulers of a kingdom, and they have both lost a son. And there ends the likeness, as far as I can see. The difference will become even clearer further on in the story, when Merry is entering the service of Theoden. There is also an interesting contrast between Denethor's stony hall and the seat of Theoden, the golden hall of Edoras.