After reading the trilogy a few years ago, and watching the films, I thought back about the whole thing and realized something.
How was Faramir able to resist the temptation of the ring? He knew Frodo had it, and his proximity to him would have caused him to be interested. The ring caused Boromir to go rather apeshit around Frodo in an attempt to get it.
Not only was the ring probably tempting Faramir, but there was also the issue of his father- IIRC, Denethor charged Boromir with retrieving the ring for Gondor. Boromir was Denethor’s ‘favorite’ and Faramir was always trying to prove himself (like the suicide run he later went on). It seems to reason that Faramir had EVERY REASON to gank the Ring and hand it over to daddy dearest. Denethor would have certaintly tried to use the ring to somehow save Gondor, which in fact would have only helped Sauron, since it probably would have been easier for Sauron to get it from Faramir/Denethor, especially when they would be doing exactly what he thought- trying to use the ring against him, a situation where he could likely bend their will towards his and get them to hand it over to him, The End!
But Faramir didn’t do this. Somewhere along the line, he had a change of heart- something very heroic. Isildur didn’t have the cojones to do the right thing and he was a Numenorian. So how was Faramir able to pull this off, being a Steward to a kingdom of rather watered-down (racially) and desperate people?
Sam hesitated for a moment, then bowing very low: “Good night, Captain, my lord,” he said. “You took the chance, sir.”
“Did I so?” said Faramir.
“Yes sir, and showed your quality: the very highest.”
Faramir smiled. “A pert servant, Master Samwise. But nay: the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards. Yet there was naught in this to praise. I had no lure or desire to do other than I have done.”
“Ah well, sir,” said Sam, “you said my master had an elvish air; and that was good and true. But I can say this: you have an air too, sir, that reminds me of, of – well, Gandalf, of wizards.”
“Maybe,” said Faramir. “Maybe you discern from far away the air of Numenor. Good night!”
I don’t think a better explanation can be given.
The alteration of Faramir’s character was my least favorite part of the movie, and I would prefer to ignore it. In his initial interrogation of Frodo, Faramir said that if he were to discover (Isildur’s Bane? some other token of great power and peril? I misremember) lying in the road, he would pass it by. When he later learned that he had been speaking of the Enemy’s Ring, and that it was before him, guarded only by a Halfling, he took those words as an oath already freely given, and was not tempted to seize the Ring.
The fact that he never laid eyes on the Ring itself may have worked in his favor.
Nitpick (or dependig on your POV, humongous GOB-pick): Boromir was not charged by Denethor with obtaining and returning with the Ring. His mission was to learn the meaning of the verse in the dreams that were sent to him and to his brother, and to return with whatever aid to Gondor the knowledge would provide.
In the book, the lure of the ring is not so immediate as in the movie. Boromir succumbs to the temptation, but he has been travelling with the ring for many weeks. Faramir was not around the ring for so long, and had taken an oath ("… not if I found it laying in the road…") In Tolkien’s world, oaths have potency; the whole bit about the Paths of the Dead, after all, relates to oaths unfulfilled.
Clearly, the potency of Faramir’s oath helped him in his resolve.
Basically, the book has Faramir a trifle more noble than Boromir, a trifle more steady and dependable.
Also, perhaps, taking the ring to Minas Tirith means giving it to Denethor; and Faramir understands that Denethor has made some very bad choices in the past, and is probably falling into despair. (Of course, the reality is that if Faramir or Boromir took the ring, they would certainly NOT turn it over to Denethor, but they think they would, that’s part of the temptation.)
In the movie, I dunno. It’s not clear. The temptation of the ring is faster and more immediate in the movie than in the book: Boromir shows signs of succumbing even in Rivendale and certainly on the mountains. Thus, Peter Jackson said that he couldn’t let Faramir easily resist the ring – that would dis Boromir. So, Faramir succumbs and takes Frodo toward Minas Tirith, but stops in Osgiliath. He there sees the lure of the ring – how Frodo is drawn toward the Nazgul and almost turns the ring over to it – and he hears Sam’s impassioned speech. He understands that the ring will not be a weapon for good in Minas Tirith, and he is able to overcome the temptation. That’s my take, anyhow.
Okay, that makes sense, I guess. It just seemed like the lure of the ring was so potent in the hearts of men (as it was intended, I imagine) that only men with some extrodinary qualities were able to resist it. While Faramir is very noble, there didn’t seem to be any explicit qualities in him that would allow him to resist the ring.
In the Extended Edition of the Two Towers film, there is a scene where Denethor talks with Boromir in private about an ‘Elvish weapon’ in Rivendell, which all races are vying for. It seemed as though he sent Boromir because he thought Boromir would know what was right for Gondor (way to blow it, Denethor! You should have sent Faramir- the fellowship wouldn’t have gotten FUBAR’ed so early on and you could have left Boromir to watch over Osgiliath since he was so damn good at it! )
Exceptional people could resist the lure of the ring. The elves managed to shun the temptation after it was revealed that Annatar was actually Sauron in disguise, misleading them. Aragorn resisted, and so did Faramir. They both had the blood of Numenor running true in their veins. For many Numenorians did resist Sauron himself, while he wore the ruling ring: Tar-Miriel. Also Amandil and his son Elendil. And the Faithful in general.
Now given more dire circumstances, perhaps both Faramir and Aragorn would have been suborned by the ring.
I didn’t mind the movie changes re: Faramir much. Jackson had only so much time to tell the story, and tell it convincingly. I think he did quite well showing Faramir as both nobler than his father and brother, and conflicted, in the brief time allotted. With inadequate background explanation, having Faramir just say “TTFN” to the hobbits and the ring would have rung hollow. In the movie, Faramir truly has to struggle to show his moral superiority.
And it’s a key point of the story that what makes a person exceptional is not something restricted to the high-and-mighty, or those of “special” birth. If anything, it’s the opposite: Remember, Sam is able to give up the Ring completely willingly and within the boundaries of Mordor itself, even after having used it himself. And Sam is about as far from “noble” (in a birthright sense, at least) as one can be. Gandalf, on the other hand, is two steps below God Himself, and he doesn’t dare to even handle the thing, lest he be tempted. So the fact that Faramir refuses it doesn’t reflect on his power or his lofty heritage, but rather on his humility.
Actually, that was the one change that I did mind.
Faramir’s nobility. His strength of character. Those are the things that, to me, proved that the race of man had NOT completely fallen and WERE worthy of salvation. In the book he was just one more weakling that fell and did not repent until confronted with the Nazgul.
After all, anyone can regret their decisions when the handcuffs snap shut.
Excellent points, Chronos. JRRT was big on the idea that, even tho man is fallen, he has the ability to make his own fate outside of the fate ordained for the world.
Ah, but JRRT considered man to be a fallen race, and included that in his mythos. Of course, he combined this with mankind’s unique ability to weave their own fate.
Deep thinker, he was.
Deeper 'n me, anyway. Not that that’s saying much.
I could be wrong, but I was rather under the impression that Faramir was a superior specimine, due to the near-miraculous fact that in his veins the blood of Numenor ran true. Boromir more resembled their mother, who was of far less noble blood than his father; she died young, and that may have been the seed of Denethor’s bitterness, as well as his favoritism toward Boromir. Denethor’s fall is the more remarkable because he also is of high blood, though, like his Numenorean ancestors, he could be arrogant; he dared to use the Palantir, and was thus ensnared and deranged by Sauron’s visions. Arrogance, unfortunately, was one of the few things Boromir inherited from his father; the rest was the weakness of spirit, if not body, of his mother’s ilk, and hence he was more susceptible. Faramir is quite simply immune.
As for Sam’s resistance: One could ascribe to him a kind of nobility; but I think it was more a simplicity, an innocent lack of sophistication. He felt drunk with power for a moment while wearing the Ring, but recoiled out of humility: A simple gardener was all his due, and all his desire. Immune, again, but for a very different reason.
I must say, I’ve ignored the film’s depiction of Faramir, which was for me by far the most dissapointing change made to the story (to the point that I felt really quite pained by it). I found his behavior inexplicable in TTT film. Why witnessing Frodo display the Ring to the Nazgul (another gut-wrenching change I’d prefer to blot from my memory) precipitated this sudden change in attitude simply was not apparent to me. My wife, who never read the books, was even more baffled, perhaps because she had no reference to tell her that eventually, at least, Faramir was supposed to allow Frodo to continue. I dunno, I guess Faramir saw Frodo’s little eyes roll into the back of his head and figured the Ring was bad mojo or something. Beyond that, the cinematic Faramir makes no sense to me.
)