Please god don’t refer me to the books OR the appendices–I just reread them not 6 months ago. But now I find I have never asked myself that question and I have no answer. Hell, Gandalf and Galadriel were both tempted–and they’re like mystical angel type folk (yeah, yeah–I’m sure you’ll all correct me–whatever).
So, why wasn’t Aragorn tempted? He’s human–ok, Dunadine (spelling?), but still, human.
If this can be answered without too much detail re the names and ancestry of all the characters, that’d be good. If it can’t, so be it–I’ll just nod and pretend like I understand.
Pretty much, yup. He knew of the doom which found Isildur, his many-greats-grandfather, due to Isildur’s temptation by the Ring, and was simply determined never to fall prey to it - and thus didn’t. Quite an amazing guy.
That’s deadly dull for narrative drive and action film. <sigh> I find that explanation to be very unsatisfying.
Aragorn (book) may not have been as conflicted as the movie one, but he did know that he would suffer great hardships and not rule for many, many years. Afterall, it was his future FIL who told him he wasn’t worthy ( I never did like Elrond much).
All the films did were tweak his motivation a bit to add a dramatic element.
If that is the answer: that Aragorn just knew the Ring wasn’t for him–kind of reverse Cinderella thing-- then how about we come up with our own reasons for his lack of temptation? Be as funny and as irreverent as you like.
I say he wasn’t tempted by the Ring because he wasn’t into bling. (if you want to make it rhyme, you go right ahead).
Good question, Aragorn accompanied the Hobbits for three weeks on the road ffrom Bree to Rivendell. I am sure he was sorely tempted, but he was able to resist the temptation.
One, Aragorn realized that if he took the Ring by force from Frodo, he would have almost immediately turned to evil. Only through the Ring’s destruction could Aragorn reclaim the Kingship.
Two, with the Nargul so near by, Aragorn would not have had enough time to learn to wield the One Ring properly. Aragorn could not take on all of the Nine by himself, and the Nargul would have been drawn to Aragron immediately had he tried to use the Ring. Aragorn would have been well aware of the Prophecy that the Witch-King would not fall to the hand of Man.
Three, Aragorn had some help from the wearers of the Three Elven Rings. Elrond, Gandalf and especially Galadriel all were able to impart their knowledge and understanding to Aragorn- even from afar.
Four, the Ring was “consciously” trying to return to it’s maker, Sauron. It felt the best way to do that was through the Nazgul who were close by, searching for the Ring.
Once the Ring reached Rivendell, Aragorn was even more protected. After the Ring left Rivendell, it chose Boromir best target to tempt.
Also, Boromir- who wasn’t one-hundredth the Dunedain as Aragorn- was quite able to resist the terrible temptation of the One Ring. That is until, it became obvious the Frodo was not going to continue on to Boromir’s city of Minas Tirith.
Aragorn had taken an asessment test and just knew he was good with swords and the outdoors, yet sucked with all things magic. Aragorn paid a lot of money for that asessment test, and he was old an wise enough to heed it.
Faramir seemed quite immune to the ring’s charms too (book), saying something like “I would not take this thing if it lay by the highway”, and he didn’t have anything like Aragorn’s background to explain his resistance.
Faramir was a prince, in whom the blood of Numenor ran nearly pure, yada yada. Actually, the same could be said about Denethor, and look what happened to him.
And Boromir as well. I’m guessing genetics played only a portion of the will-he-or-won’t-he-be-tempted trope. Sam was tempted, having visions of Sam the Great setting things to rights, but decided he and the world would be better off with Sam the Gardner instead. On the other hand, Frodo failed at the last moment, possibly because he’s been in contact with the ring for so long.
I’m not sure who specifically I read who said this (maybe many), but for an all-powerful ring with the ability to tempt anyone and everyone with its might, there sure were a lot of people who could resist it…
But Faramir was also smart enough to say “Don’t even let me see it” - the mere knowledge that the Ring was close by wasn’t enough to lure him, and he took care not to test his own will more than he could stand. Boromir was perhaps doing all right until he got a good square look at his own desires and the object of them in Lothlorien.
I had the idea that those not aware of the Ring’s powers, or arrogant enough to think they could use it for their own ends (or imagining they could resist the lure), were the ones that fell prey it. Hence Denethor and Boromir becoming seduced but not Faramir or Aragorn. But, ya know, just the way I privately reason about it.
Aragorn’s girlfriend was, what, 2500 years old? She must have been a fairly forceful personality, and knowing what the One Ring would do to Aragorn, would’ve been pretty harsh on him about what he’d lose if he ever tried laying hands on the thing.
Faramir had spent more time studying ancient documents in the Gondor “library.” And more time with Gandalf. (I seem to remember.) He knew the dangers of The Ring.
Boromir was a warrior & leader of men, with little time for arcane studies. So he saw The Ring as a weapon.
Of course, Faramir was a fighter, too. Times were hard.
But note that both Aragorn and Faramir refused to take possession of the ring, even to guard and ward it. If they had, they too would have been eventually affected.
As we say in AA: “If you want to stay dry, stay out of wet places”.
One might say that both Gandalf and Galadriel were aided by the Elven rings, whereas Aragorn had no help. Aragorn knew what fate awaited him if he took the ring; Faramir too (being the smarter brother). Boromir believed that the ring could be used and controlled, and the ring latched on that to tempt him.
