I agree with you on most points. But he also wanted to see Minas Tirith restored to glory, and saw the ring’s potential (deceitful potential) for that. He was also more than briefly tempted–often after Lothlórien Boromir seemed to be struggling with something in his mind, and rarely let Frodo out of his sight. Unless you suspect him of being a pervy hobbit-fancier, he was clearly tormented by the Ring. It’s as though he were doomed to succumb at some point. Briefly or not is of no consequence; he did succumb.
Boromir is just very rarely mentioned by people as a noteworthy member of the Fellowship, because of his failings. Essentially, he was a loser; Faramir was a paragon, and Aragorn, but not Boromir. But, as you say, he was a good man, and he earned honor in his death. His humanity in a sense was therefore the most empathetic among those three, as you say.
By the way, the characterization of Boromir in Jackson’s films I find to be spot-on (other than hair color).
The usual threats for calling me a nerd. ONly I’m busy right now, so I’m going to need you to beat yourself, okay?
I’m not saying that hope for restoring Gondor’s glory wasn’t part of it. I am asserting that that alone would not have overcome his honor. It was his genuine concern for Frodo & the other hobbits that gave the Ring an in.
Boromir makes total sense to me. All those wise Elvish types are saying “don’t use the ring! don’t use the ring!” But if you know your history, you’ll know that half the time Elves makes mistakes. Just because the person telling you something is an Elf doesn’t mean that person is right.
If I had to be anyone, I would want to be Glorfindel, the Elf prince that even the Ringwraiths run away from in terror.
Realistically, I would be Fatty Bolger. I would tell the Hobbits “my part is to put the bad guys off track. I’d love to go with you, but I only get two weeks paid vacation time each year and if I quit my job I’d have to find a new one when we get back, and that’s too much trouble. How are you going to pay for this trip anyway? Put it on a credit card? Have you seen the interest rates these days?”
Boromir didn’t make any sense to me until I saw Jackson’s LotR. So not only would I say that Sean Bean’s depiction was spot on, it actually made me appreciate an aspect of the books that I’d originally overlooked.
I’m not sure this is supported by the text. Boromir spoke very passionately on at least two occasions on the possibility of using Sauron’s weapon against him. I’m not saying he didn’t have genuine concern for Frodo; I believe he did. He clearly had fondness for the hobbits. But I also believe it was a mask for his true ambition: to wield the Ring for Gondor’s honor. He grows most angry at Frodo at Cair Andros when Frodo implies that Men cannot be trusted. In fact, no one can. But Boromir believed in the strength of the descendants of Númenor, and was deluded into thinking that he (or someone, but I think he) would have the strength to master the Ring and not be mastered by it. He didn’t want Frodo to “lend him” the ring for Frodo’s benefit. He wanted it for Gondor (and himself.)
Anyway, I still think he’s a very sympathetic and interesting character, and I agree with The Hamster King. Before Jackson’s movie, I had not really paid much attention to what was going on with Boromir.
Hoom. Well, now, Treebeard drones on incomprehensibly at great length, spends most of his life doing a lot less than he could or ought, and hasn’t had sex since even he can’t remember when, but is kind to cute inoffensive strangers and brews some great drink every once in a while.
You know, I started going through this whole mental explanation of how they’re probably for sexual display, like birds or antelopes or some such, before realizing that:
a) Middle-earth was Created, and thus has no evolution
b) Balrogs are physical manifestations of fire Maiar, and could have assumed any damned characteristics they wanted, and sex wasn’t what they were thinking about (if in fact sex even existed for them - it had to for some of the Maiar given that Melian married Thingol and a number of the Valar were married).
:smack: Clearly I watch too many natural history shows on television.
ONly I’m busy right now, so I’m going to need you to beat yourself, okay?