Book V, ch. 7 & 8: The Pyre of Denethor and The Houses of Healing

[Landroval]

The 7th chapter begins after a quite dramatic moment: the chief nazgul, confronted by Gandalf at the city gates, departs at the moment of the attack of the Rohirrim. Just when Gandalf is about to pursue the witch-king, he is stopped by Pippin, in order to save Faramir.

On the way to the house of the dead, Gandalf appoints Imrahil as leader of the city and arrives barely in time to prevent more blood-shedding: Denethor, driven by madness and despair, is about to cast himself and his son into fire. Gandalf makes a most poignant remark:

- Work of the Enemy! said Gandalf. Such deeds he loves: friend at war with friend; loyalty divided in confusion of hearts.

Denethor claims that he has the right to issue commands in his city, but Gandalf argues that such commands can be disobeyed, when the will has been turned to madness and evil. The wizard makes a impressive show of force, by taking away the steward's sword, and leaping on top of the wood-pile to save Faramir.

At that moment, Faramir speaks for the first time, and calls his father - an event which almost wakes up Denethor from his madness. Once again, Gandalf challenges his authority, claiming that he cannot keep his son, nor take away his life, in the manner of heathen kings of old.

The gondorian ruler reveals his hidden artefact, the palantir; unfortunately, he resorted to using it. Although strong enough to resist corruption, he was driven to despair by the things he saw, unknowing that the palantir only showed the things Sauron allowed. Thus, he sees the fleet of Umbar about to enter the battle of the Pellenor fields, but he doesn't know that Aragorn is leading it. What Denethor chooses is death when confronted with utter despair.

With the help of two of his guards, the steward sets himself alight, holding the palantir in his hand. Gandalf hears the deathcry of the nazgul king.

There are some rather poetic moments that are worth noting: the fall of the dome of the house of the dead, underlining Gandalf's words that an age has ended; the grey rain at the end of the chapter, which quenches the fires, almost cleansing the hurts of the day.

The thing I have most trouble with is Gandalf turning back from the battlefield; considering just the losses:

There Theoden fell, Thengling mighty,high lord of the host.
Harding and Guthlaf, Dunhere and Deorwine, doughty Grimbold,
Herefara and Herubrand, Horn and Fastred,
fought and fell there in a far country
Neither Hirluin the Fair to the hills by the sea,
nor Forlong the old to the flowering vales
ever, to Arnach, to his own country
returned in triumph; nor the tall bowmen,
Derufin and Duilin, to their dark waters

it was a terrible price to pay.
1) Do you agree with Gandalf's choice to turn back, to save Faramir, even though he acknowledges himself that many will die? What do you think motivated his choice?

2) Does Gandalf have the right to appoint Imrahil as ruler of the city? Would Imrahil had taken this decision himself, if he knew what happened to Denethor?

3)Does the divided loyalty of the guards remind you of the curse of the noldor? Is it a valid comparison?

4)Denethor has a rather pure numenorean blood; doesn't he still have the right to end his life when he so wishes, even if he can't do it through willpower alone?

5)The steward knows of Aragorn and of Gandalf's plan concerning him - most likely through the use of his palantir. Did he found out about this sooner or later than Sauron did?

6)Denethor is unwilling to relinquish his rule of the city to an heir of Isildur and wishes that the stewardship continues; doesn't this contradict his statement, quoted by Boromir in The window of the west, TTT, that "In Gondor ten thousand years would not suffice" for a steward to become king?

7)Why is Gandalf forced to stay?

8)What greater sorrow may yet come to pass?

9)If Denethor knew of the incoming Umbar fleet, it is most likely that Sauron did too, and in more exact/realistic terms; why wasn't the host of Mordor more prepared to meet Aragorns' attack, seeing that Sauron and the nazgul can communicate rather instantly?