Boromir: A Display of Humanity (My Thoughts)

[Aragorn]

Well, where to begin? Forgive me if any of this comes across as not understandable or jumbled, its 1:30 in the morning, and it'll probably be later when I finish. I always was a slow typer, not because I can't hit the keys fast, but it takes me a while to articulate my thoughts.

I've been doing a lot of deep thinking lately. A lot of inner contemplation. I suppose you could call it 'soul searching', if it was my soul that I was examining. But it isn't. My soul is completely uninteresting to me, I've been examining lately the world around me. I've been reading a lot of Kurt Vonnegut, which I suppose is aiding me in questioning the details behind things we've come to know and accept as normal. I've been studying the concepts of 'greed', 'humanity', and most importantly 'love' and 'hate'. All of this, I realize, has given me a greater understanding of the concepts Tolkien represented in Lord of the Rings, as well as the concepts of other authors, poets, and such.

Anyway, I went off on a tangent. The main topic of this thread is Boromir. The man who has slowly become my favorite character Tolkien ever created. I realize that may surprise some people, considering...well...my name. I started out loving Aragorn. The whole dashing, roguish appearance. And later on, the grace and, of course, power of a king. I was drawn to his enigma, but as many people realize as time goes by, enigmas are often much different than the actual person. Aragorn seems the exception to this rule, Boromir is not. Thats why I love Boromir. Boromir is so...human. Aragorn is not. He is 'better', I suppose. Better is not the right word, but I'll use it for lack of a better one. I imagine it comes from Aragorn's heritage, but Boromir doesn't have that gift. Instead, he carries the curse of humanity.

Recently, I stepped back from the whole thing and examined them both. I looked at their enigmas, and then I looked at who they really were. Aragorn's enigma, of course, was at first the mysterious hooded wanderer, and then later on the proud and noble king. Then I examined Aragorn's actual self and I found, to my confusion, that it was the same. Throughout the entire book he did not fault, did not show weakness, and in the end became one of the greatest kings Gondor has ever known. Something about that seemed wrong to me at the time, but it doesn't now. I have a better understanding. I was looking at it from a human perspective, and it took me to a while to realize that Aragorn isn't really human. He was Numenorian.

Boromir, however, was different. As the years had gone by, his ancestors' blood had mingled with that of 'lesser men'. I examined his enigma. He was the fearless leader of the armies of Gondor, son of the Steward, protector of Minas Tirith. And then I examined his actual self, and realized he was no different than you or I. He wanted the ring. He wanted it badly. He wanted to protect his home, his people, his family. And once he got that idea into his head, it stayed there. Glued to his subconscious. Its a trait called stubborness, something that many human beings suffer from as well. But Boromir fought against it, showing that he was a better person than most could even dream to be. At first he cast aside any ideas of abandoning the Fellowship, his reasoning self realizing that destroying the ring was the only possible option.

But the Ring was powerful. It could manipulate peoples' minds, enhance their desires beyond all reasoning. Looking back on it, I am truly amazed and astonished at how long Boromir managed to hold out against the powers of the Ring. He was just like Frodo, who did not fall sway to the Ringwraiths' poison for many days. Boromir tried. I really believe he did. He fought against the Ring for quite a while. But eventually, it consumed him, and his desire to protect his people led to his downfall, in the eyes of Frodo. I cannot express that enough. Any 'weakness' he might have had did not kill him. He tried to take the Ring, but luckily Frodo managed to get away.

And then, when any lesser man would have let the Ring consume him fully and follow blindly in persuit of the hobbit (such as Gollum), Boromir managed to regain control of himself. He redeemed himself, at least in my eyes, fully and completely, when he tried to save Merry and Pippin. And he died attempting to do the thing that the Ring had attempted to corrupt him with. He died trying to protect the ones he loved. He died trying to protect his family.

When I took a step back from it all, I realized that the story of Boromir is the ultimate display of redemption. Tolkien was trying to tell us, or at least I believe he was trying to tell us, or at least inadvertently told me by accident, was that there is always hope. We always have the ability to overcome. There is always the opportunity for salvation and redemption.

And when I watch my copy of The Fellowship of the Ring, when it gets to the scene where Boromir confesses what he had done to Aragorn, and when he finally dies, I cry. Everytime I cry. Not because he died, I've come to realize. He died at peace, with himself and the world. I cry because this man did not deserve it. I'm not an irrational or crazy man, I realize its just a book, and that Boromir's death was probably necessary in telling a believable story, but I also realize that if this had actually taken place, Boromir wouldn't have deserved to die.

Anyway, thats my thoughts on the matter. Its close to 2 AM now, and I have no idea why I wrote this post. I guess I just wanted to share my ideas with you all, and have you comment on and point out any flaws in my view on things. This very well might be very embarassing and strange to me in the morning, but for right now at least, thats how I feel on the subject.

Your thoughts?

[Lotesse]

That was a beautiful post, Aragorn. You've made points that I've thought about myself, and your writing is very fluid, and quite well articulated. I've always liked Boromir, as well, and often find he gets the short end of the stick, unfairly. He IS a well-wrought portrait of the truly human spirit.

[CrazySquirrel]

Very interesting indeed, Aragorn. I share your feelings. Somehow I also prefer humans (like Boromir and Eowyn) to all those perfect Elves and too-tough hobbits. Their POV is closer to mine (understandably so .

However, I think you are wrong about Aragorn. He is nobler, yes, but he is human as well. He has no doubts and inner conflict in LOTR, but that is just 2 years in his loooong life. He was raised by elves, schooled by them, so he looks more elvish in mind than Boromir. I think from the age of 20? he was taught and teaching himself to become what he should. All his inner conflicts are long past.

Originally Posted by Aragorn

I was looking at it from a human perspective, and it took me to a while to realize that Aragorn isn't really human. He was Numenorian.

That is not the point, I think. Lots of Numenoreans were corrupted, seeking forbidden knowledge or serving Sauron. Even those from the direct royal line were very human and corruptible, though they were nobler than Aragorn (Tar-Atanamir, Ar-Pharazon and Isildur).

No, the major factors was Aragorn's youth in Rivendell and Elrond's lessons

[Aragorn]

You're probably right. I never did read the Silmarillion or the Appendices. In fact, its been a while since I read LotR itself.

But thanks for your feedback, guys. I don't know what I was expecting so late at night, some half-crazed anti-Boromir lunatic to burst in aflame screaming at me and stabbing me with a stick maybe.

[Wayfarer]

I actually have to agree with the original poster on that point - Aragorn wasn't really a human character. Not really. To some degree or another I think all the characters in Middle Earth are either Super- or Sub-human.

I would say that Aragorn is akin to the elves - the sort of creature that all men (or at least, all good men) wish that they could be. Boromir is closer to what we fear (or know) that we actually are.

[XRogue]

I find Boromir a fascinating character also. We'd all like to think that we would be Faramir, who wouldn't touch the Ring if we found it lying before us on the road, but we're all flawed somewhere. The Ring touched Boromir on a flaw, that he was willing to use any means to reach a good end (i.e., to protect Gondor.) I've never been sure that he truly recognized the pure power of the Ring, or that it is in fact an intelligent entity, right up until the moment it reached out to take him at Parth Galen.

So yah, I see what you're saying. Redemption is a beautiful thing.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Aragorn is 80 years old, educated in leadership by some greats of the eldar, and steel in many more years of both warfare than Boromir, and years of traveling ALONE in hostile and dangerous lands. He darn well ought to know who he is by the time of LoTR.

[katya]

Very interesting post. Truly Boromir has been growing on me through the years. After all, how can I forgive Harry from Gungrave or Anikin, but not Boromir? I realized yesterday, as I was reading "The Departure of Boromir", that I had to forgive him, had to allow his friends to send him into the next world properly, because he was human. It's only now that I realize that he was a lot better man than I originally took him for though.

[Jon S.]

You have articulated, among other things, also why I, personally, prefer the Aragorn of the movies to the Aragorn of the books. I realize I'm probably in the small minority on this but I'm with you that the personality of the Aragorn of the books feels more like an archtype, ideal, or myth than flesh and blood. Boromir, on the other hand, he's real.

[The Gaffer]

Good post. Much maligned, is our Boromir. If we're referencing movies, Sean Bean's performance was top in the role.

But as Wayfarer says, I think that Aragorn, and most of the characters in LOTR, are really there as "fixed" ciphers or stereotypes.

Boromir is more interesting because of his down-to-earth-ness

[rohirrim TR]

I would have to disagree in your judging aragorn as having no faults or weakneses but if you read the two towers or fotr you will read that he doubted his own ability to lead the felloship and that he was relieved when gandalf returned and sort of took over it is not until the return of the king that he comes into his own and shows his leadership over the king of the dead
as for boromir i always loved the both in the book and the movie i think he gets underrated as a warrior but everything else you said about him is true

[Rosie Gamgee]

Aragorn, I love your post! Finally, some people coming out of the woodwork to agree with me about Boromir!

Boromir is my second favourite character in LotR. Almost my favourite. The only character that surpasses him is his brother, Faramir. Let me contrast the two:

Boromir was the firstborn of his father, the Steward of Gondor. He had much to live up to. His father, and even he himself, seem to have had high hopes that Boromir would be made King after Denethor dies. The Stewards had practically become Kings anyway, and the Kings of the past were so far removed they seemed more like fairy tales than relevant history. Now, whether or not it was the fact that Boromir felt he could distinguish himself above other men in no other way, or because it was the only thing he was really good at, or because it was the only thing he had a mind to do, Boromir excelled at warfare. He was a master of weapons, a master of battle and command. I get the slight feeling that nothing much was denied him in the way of weapons and warefare, and he made quite a name for himself. In those days, being a warrior was preferred to anything else, and no doubt Gondor loved their best warrior, their future lord, perhaps even future King.
Now Faramir starts having these dreams. It seems that the men of Gondor take stock in repeated dreams, but only when Boromir has the same dream is anything really done about it. It is unclear exactly as to who claimed or who gave the quest to find Imladris, as Faramir states that Denethor gave it to Boromir, prevailing over someone else's (possibly Boromir's) council, while Boromir purports that he claimed the quest for himself. I like to think that Faramir was the one telling the honest truth, and that Boromir would have liked to have stayed in Gondor. To protect his people, his interests, and his reputation. What kind of a future King wants, while there's a war on, to travel far and wide on a lonely quest? What kind of a warrior and commander wants to ride around the countryside by himself when he is at his best among his troops? But, at any rate, Boromir takes the quest, finds himself in Rivendell at a serendipitous council to decide what's to be done with Isildur's Bane. Aware, probably, of the event's historical significance, and perhaps wishing his own name to go down in the history books (especially after learning that the Heir of Isildur was going, too), Boromir decides, warrior and son-of-the-steward-like, that he will join the Fellowship. I think that he did not realize the power of the Ring to begin with, that he underestimated It. As someone who had always been given nearly all he wanted, the thought of obtaining a weapon that could wipe out Mordor and save his failing country, and even set himself up as lord of all of it, was already preying on his mind. He was used to being in control, and wanted to stay that way (probably not out of greed, but merely out of nature, out of character--for that is how the Ring operates: according to a person's character).
So he lets the idea fester. And it grows until thought becomes deed, and he--dispite his loyalty to the Fellowship, his like of the hobbits and his growing admiration for Aragorn, and all his personal ties to these friends and comrades he has been travelling with--asks Frodo to come with him to Minas Tirith, to bring the ring. I think Boromir's concern was mostly for his people and his city, but it seems that when he gave voice to his desires, the Ring doubled the pressure and he started to get selfish. Frodo, as we know, got freaked out and said, "Absolutely not," and by then Boromir was under the influence of desire. I think if he had stopped to think about it, he would have recanted, but only after Frodo left did he rethink what he had said, and by then it was too late. His words when Frodo leaves are heartbreaking: "Come back! A madness came over me, but it has passed!" Those words really get to me. I mean, even Sam, good-hearted hobbit, had a moment where that same madness effected him, but because Boromir is this big, burly warrior, we don't really stop to think that he was only human.
So when the Uruk-Hai attack, Boromir sets out to redeem himself in the only way he knows how: battle. He probably had the chance to retreat to safety a few times, I think, or even to run away, but he stayed 'til it killed him, maybe as penance. So he dies within sight of his homeland, which is just devastating.

Faramir's story of temptation and rising above it is much shorter, and for that reason I like him better.
Faramir was the second son of his father. He didn't have the pressure on to be anything great, but he excelled at what he did do. He might not have been as brilliant or as talented a warrior as his brother, but he had much more compelling leadership qualities that made up for it. Tolkien tells us that he had mastery of man and beast. His soldiers loved him so much they followed him loyally, even in the "face of danger and almost certain death." Being under less pressure to prove himself, I think Faramir was much more comfortable with who he was. He seems to have spent a lot of time listening to Mithrandir, studying history and lore, ect., so in addition to being confident in himself, he also had wisdom on his side. I think he was a bit more moral than Boromir, being a more black-and-white kind of guy. When he saw something dangerous, he didn't go toward it saying, "Dude, what's this," he immediately backed off.
So when the Ring came to him, he said, "No" at the beginning and stuck by it. End of story. He didn't let the thought of an easy way out get to him, he didn't foster delusions of grandeur or glory. He said, "I don't want it," and that was that.

So, yeah. I like both the brothers, probably because they are the most human characters in the story, but I like Faramir better because he rises above his humanity at the start rather than at the end.

Ah-hem.

[CrazySquirrel]

Awesome post RG!

Faramir was Tolkien's own "darling" ("As far as any character is 'like me' it is Faramir", Letters, №181)

But I like Boromir more!

[Rían]

Originally Posted by Rosie Gamgee

...but I like Faramir better because he rises above his humanity at the start rather than at the end.

I think Faramir rose above his humanity during his growing-up years. It's a hard thing to lose your mother, and have your father obviously prefer your brother to you; I think he took some terribly hard things and instead of getting bitter and angry, chose (prob. with Gandalf's help and wisdom) to glean good. Great wisdom usually comes through a path of sorrow... sorrow can bring great good or great evil, depending upon the bent of each person's character, IMO. In Faramir's case, because he was selfless, it brought great good, and one can see why his men loved him so much.

[Butterbeer]

Like Aragorn i don't know where to start and fear i shall ramble as aragorn didn't ...

I have always thought the departure of Boromir where he slays the Orcs and espcially the blowing of his horn was a very moving momment (in the book) i was less keen personally on sean bean, more from how his character was screenplayed and directed than the casting or Sean's portrayal .. i was very disappointed in the blowing of his horn as represnted in the film (but i have avoided discussion of the film thus far and will not now start )

Though brothers who were very close and loved one another, they had different genes as do all of us ... JRRT says that in faramir the blood of westernesse ran nearly true ... Boromir was a great leader of Men, a throw back to the fighting prowess and will of adamant that was Boromir the first ...

Our Boromir still came from a Numenorean blood-stock and showed true qualities in battle and resitance to the nazgul but in terms of foresight or perception given to those of the line of Elendil or the lines of Numenorean kings he was more a fighter, a 'great leader of men' (as indeed faramir in his way is too)

I agree with ARAGORN'S excellent post that boromir's redemption is a great story ...

" i have failed ..."

" No you have won .. few have won such a battle as you"

(approx words) but aragorn (in the book) is reffering to the allure of the ring and boromir's decision not to pursue it further and is saying what others here have said .. he won a personal battle once the 'madness' was gone from him and for perhaps the first time he truly began to understand WHY the ring was so dangerous and couldn't safely be used ... at this point he commits to the company and their objective: he bravely dies defending the hobbits,


I have always liked boromir. esp when he blows his horn before leaving Rivendell

"though i go by secret routes in the dark .. i shall not now go as a thief in the night" (very approx wording!)


I think aragorn is human ( i mean the one in the book of course ) and does have doubts and fears ... though i must say i prefer the book version to the film ... (except where viggo breaks his foot kicking that thing by the burning orcs!)

My take has always been that Boromor never truly accepted that the ring could not be wielded for good, not perhaps till he tried to take from frodo did he realise it's corrupting nature?

it is not wrong to want to defend your people and he is more human because of his desire ... but aragorn recognises this even when sorely troubled and not knowing what to do and berating himself, he gives boromir an honourable send off even when time is pressing and the quest stands on a knife-point ... does this not show us that aragorn himself was aware of the lure of the ring himself? he truly knew himself what had seized upon boromir ... and thus boromir helped in that mainly because of this aragorn decided not to follow frodo ...

"at least that deadly danger is now beyond us" (even more approx wording) - refferring to the lure of the ring ... and that it was now beyond his temptation.

Someone put it well when they said we'd all hope we were Faramir in that situation, but would we prove to be more like boromir ... or much much worse...?

[Rosie Gamgee]

CS, thanks.
Wow, Tolkien was saying quite a bit with that statement-- I always considered Faramir to be one of the most selfless and 'pure' characters in the book. Maybe he meant he idealised himself as Faramir. *shrug*

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

I think Faramir rose above his humanity during his growing-up years. It's a hard thing to lose your mother, and have your father obviously prefer your brother to you; I think he took some terribly hard things and instead of getting bitter and angry, chose (prob. with Gandalf's help and wisdom) to glean good. Great wisdom usually comes through a path of sorrow... sorrow can bring great good or great evil, depending upon the bent of each person's character, IMO. In Faramir's case, because he was selfless, it brought great good, and one can see why his men loved him so much.

Yes, I always liked the bit about Faramir being touched by sadness--Pippin marked it when first he saw Faramir; a bit of the sadness of the elves, I think is something like he described it. I think that this 'sadness' reflected Faramir's sobriety, his level-headedness. He was an eager scholar, it would seem, and inherited the art of applying knowledge from his Numenorian ancestors.
About the mother-dying-father-favoritism thing, it really wasn't mentioned too much in the books, I don't think. I don't really get the impression that Faramir's sadness comes nessicarily from sorrow, but it's like the elves, lamenting a world that once was and will never be again. And as for Denethor's 'favoring' Boromir, I think that back in those times it was accepted and normal for a father to 'favor' his first-born son over any other children, especially for a father who had a title to pass on. Denethor would be remembered through his heir, and so he would naturally want Boromir to be all that he could be. I think the movies really played up the favoritism with the Denethor-Boromir-Faramir relationships. I think that really the reason that Denethor and Faramir were at odds was not because Denethor couldn't stand his younger son because of any traits (or lack thereof), or because Faramir wasn't perfect and Boromir was, or even because Faramir may have 'caused' the death of his mother. I think that the reason they were at odds with each other is because Faramir was so much like Denethor. It would have taken but a nudge to make Faramir like Denethor. I think Faramir understood his father's thinking, his father's mind, better than anyone else, and Denethor didn't like that. We're always afraid of people that really know us, especially when we have something to hide, which Denethor did: his looking into the palantir, among other things. Faramir also, dispite being a very selfless and level-headed fellow, knew Denethor's inner 'buttons' well.

One thing I never really thought about before was the way Denethor's personality is split between his sons. Faramir got Denethor's regal, wise, Numenorian side (in addition to similar traits from his mother), whereas Boromir possessed more of his impulsive, decisive, human qualities. Hm. Never though about that before....

[Rosie Gamgee]

Originally Posted by Butterbeer

Someone put it well when they said we'd all hope we were Faramir in that situation, but would we prove to be more like boromir ... or much much worse...?

An interesting question. I think in a relationship with the Ring, more of us would end up reacting like Boromir than any other character in the books. Looking past his individual characteristics (his skill with weapons, the fact that he's the Steward's heir, etc.), I think he is indeed the 'everyman' of the story. For even though the hobbits are always portrayed as the average Joe in LotR, they are not human; they have their amazing resilience, their blithe ability to take any situation lightly; and those qualities made it possible for them to avoid the lure of the Ring, whereas your average human doesn't possess those traits.

btw, Butterbeer, I agree with you totally about Boromir's horn. I love how he blows it at their outset, and I love the imagery that comes in when you picture those on the Rammas Echor and in Minas Tirith suddenly looking up from what they're doing to listen to him blow it on Amon Hen.

Another thing about Boromir I thought I'd bring up: the way he springs onto the Bridge of Khazad-Dum after Aragorn.
(roughly
Aragorn: He cannot stand alone! *runs up with Anduril* Elendil!
Boromir: *starting to take his cues from the man he is beginning to recognize as King* I am with you; Gondor!

I love how he constantly does that: "Gondor!" thing. He's just so proud of his country, the remnant of Numenor, he's just got to get that in there whenever there's an important moment coming up; "Gondor!"

[Rían]

One thing I never really thought about before was the way Denethor's personality is split between his sons. Faramir got Denethor's regal, wise, Numenorian side (in addition to similar traits from his mother), whereas Boromir possessed more of his impulsive, decisive, human qualities. Hm. Never though about that before....

yes, interesting

[Rosie Gamgee]

I was just reading in TTT a few days ago, and I noticed something that Gandalf says when he returns, about Boromir, that I never really thought about before.
In 'The White Rider', Gandalf talks about Boromir finding release in the end from his bout with the Ring. I always skimmed over that and thought Gandy was talking about the fact that Boromir finally over-came his temptation in the end. but when I read it the other day, it looked more like Gandalf was saying that Boromir found release in death; as if unless Boromir had died, he would have ultimately been corrupted.

What do y'all think?

[Earniel]

There's some logic in that, I suppose. Boromir realised his 'madness' and sort of recovered after Frodo had fled, but there's no telling whether he'd withstand another round with the Ring's manipulative tricks. There's a good possibility that if Boromir came again in close proximity of the Ring he'd fall prey to the Ring again. In that theory death spared him the test, and the possibility that he'd lose.