The Tragedy of Boromir

If I were to ask you who your favorite character was from Tolkien’s classic saga, the Lord of the Rings, I might get a variety of answers.

Some might say “Gandalf,” or “Aragorn,” while others answer “Frodo,” or “Sam.” Others still may claim “Pippin,” or “Gimli.” Rarely do we hear the answer of “Boromir.”

This is for a wide variety of reasons, the primary of which is near the end of the Fellowship of the Ring, and the beginning of the Two Towers.

For those not familiar with the books or movie adaptations, Boromir tries to take the One Ring from Frodo, and does not succeed. Consequentially, he is in a position to defend Merry and Pippin from the Uruk-hai of Isengard, and is slain.

In this context, he is built up both by Tolkien, and Peter Jackson in his films, to be an opposing force to Frodo, the main protagonist. This creates a dynamic relationship and conflict between the two, which adds depth and interest to the story.

That said, Boromir is often dealt with by readers as a distasteful villain and a traitor. This is a tragedy in its own right, as this point tarnishes the otherwise sterling heroism of Boromir, and simply does not reflect the true story of Boromir, the truth that Boromir is in fact one of the greatest casualties of the War of the Ring as any, and that the One Ring killed him as assuredly as the arrows of the uruks piercing his heart.

To illustrate my point, and why Boromir is my favorite character from this classic tale, we first walk through the background of this hero. This will help us to truly understand who Boromir is, and how he was lead to the events of the Lord of the Rings.

Gondor: A Brief History

One cannot understand Boromir without understanding the culture and history of his homeland. This history spans centuries of Middle-Earth lore, so I will attempt to explain this history coherently and succinctly.

During the Second Age of Arda, off the western coasts of Middle-Earth, lay an island called Númenor, a great kingdom of men with great kings and mighty heroes. Unfortunately, the men of this island became greedy, and in a long turn of events, their kingdom sank into the sea, cursed by the Gods that Númenor had forgotten.

From the ruin of this kingdom came the men that would establish Arnor and Gondor, the Northern and Southern kingdoms of men in Middle-Earth.

Elendil was the first great king of both these kingdoms, and his sons, Isildur and Anárion, ruled Gondor together while their father governed Arnor.

Elendil was killed in combat against Sauron, and Isildur, who obtained the One Ring, became king of both kingdoms, but left Gondor to the rule of the sons of Anárion.

Isildur’s descendants would rule Arnor, while Anárion’s descendants would rule Gondor. Arnor eventually fell to the evil of Angmar, and Aragorn is a descendant of these kings, and Isildur.

Gondor faired better for a time, with a strong line of kings for many years. Gondor was weakened over time by gluttonous kings and a massive civil war, known as the Kin-strife, between the people of Gondor and the “black numenoreans” from Umbar in the south.

From this conflict, an indirect descendant of Anárion, a general named Eärnil, became king of Gondor. His son, Eärnur, was the last king of Gondor. Eärnur had no children.

Under his reign, the ring wraiths took over Minas Ithil, and thus Minas Morgul was born. Twice the Witch-King of Angmar challenged Eärnur to single combat, and finally Eärnur’s pride took over, and he traveled to Minas Morgul alone, and was never seen again. Thus the line of kings ended.

The line of stewarts then were forced to care over Gondor, and work to defend now Minas Tirith against the evil that had arisen in Mordor.

A Youth in Gondor

Into this history and kingdom, young Boromir was born. The son of Denethor II, Boromir was destined to be the 27th Steward of Gondor. Like all his people, he anxiously awaited the arrival of a savior, a king of Arnor and Gondor, who would ride from the North and aid a failing Gondor in defending Middle-Earth and defeating their ancient enemy, giving Gondor the reprieve from war it so desperately needed.

He was raised in the ways of the sword, to wield in defense of his country, like his father, who throughout his life was known as a man of great foresight, strength, and courage. Denethor had fought long and hard against the East as a captain of Gondor, though his career was overshadowed by Thorongil, who was secretly Aragorn, and Gandalf, whose great counsels and mighty deeds to Ecthelion made Denethor jealous and distrustful of them.

Unlike his father, Boromir had no rival for the affection and favor of the people of Gondor. He was the glory of Númenor reborn, and his mighty deeds both on and off the field of battle earned the far and wide respect of all, including Théoden King of Rohan, Théodred, and Éomer, all of whom mourned greatly at his loss.

The greatest admiration for Boromir came from his younger brother, Faramir, though he did not gain the same respect from their father. Faramir had great scholarly knowledge and courage in battle, in addition to the love of the people, but all acknowledged Boromir’s rightful place as the next ruler of the Southern Kingdom. The two grew especially close after the death of their mother, and the estrangement of their father. Faramir was always protected by Boromir, and the two counseled together to long protect the boundaries of Gondor.

Council from Imladris

Boromir and Faramir shared a prophetic dream, in which darkness came from the East, and voices cried “Isildur’s Bane is found.”

Seeking to know the meaning of the dream, which reoccurred continually in Faramir, Boromir set off in search of hidden Imladris, Rivendell, to seek counsel from Elrond.

On his way, he suffered many terrible misfortunes and trials. He received a horse of Edoras, a kingly gift from Théoden, but his steed was lost in treacherous waters as he tried to ford the Greyflood river in the ruined city of Tharbad. From there, he walked “forgotten paths” on foot, barely arriving in time for the Council of Elrond in Rivendell.

At the Council, he witnessed the return of Isildur’s Bane, a fulfillment of his and his brother’s vision. He attempted to persuade the Council that this weapon had returned to free Middle-Earth from Sauron’s grasp, and that Gondor, Sauron’s closest and most recent enemy, should be the one to wield it for victory.

He was convinced of his error, and agreed that the One Ring could not be used, deferring to the wise counsel of Elrond and Gandalf. Swearing allegiance to its bearer, Boromir became a member of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Caradhras and Moria

No doubt, Boromir quickly discovered the identity of Aragorn, and was displeased to see not a king returned in ancient glory, but an aging man, dressed in rags, wielding shards of a forgotten blade.

Hopes of a Messianic return from a king in the north were dashed, and Boromir was forced to shift his ideals with this new information of a humble heir to Isildur’s throne.

However, these doubts were lessened by the reforging of the ancient blade Narsil, and the leadership of Gandalf and Aragorn through the wilderness of Eregion that had plagued him mere months before.

Additionally, he grew to a sense of realization as to the strength of the Fellowship. Excluding the hobbits, each member had significant lineage and power in their own right. In addition to Aragorn and Gandalf, Gimli, son of Gloin, was a dwarf of great respect as the son of one who reclaimed Erebor, and Legolas, an Elf prince of Mirkwood, had the high praise and trust of both Gandalf and Elrond.

The Pass of Caradhras proved a difficult trial to the Fellowship, but when other hearts failed, Boromir and Aragorn plunged into the snow and forged a path with nothing more than the strength of men in their hands. Truly deep roots are not reached by the frost.

This bond of fellowship was not exclusive to the men of the west. All of the Fellowship grew in friendship and strength, and while their trials were disheartening, they banded together to avoid peril and despair.

In Moria, Boromir witnessed greater strength and leadership, as the Fellowship faced battle and mortal terror from the orcs and goblins of the deep. He saw Andúril wielded by a king to smite their enemies; Glamdring, blade of Gondolin, gleamed in anger and burned its foes in the hands of the wizard. The bow of Legolas sent many arrows into the dark, and the ax of Gimli dripped with avenging blood for his fallen brethren.

In the shadow and terror of the Balrog of Morgoth, Boromir felt true fear, but witnessed the might of Gandalf the Grey uncloaked in his power. The magnificence of the wizard defied the demon, and shattered his flaming sword.

However, this victory was short-lived, as the Fellowship saw its leader plummet into the darkness, and all hope seemed lost. Gandalf, the mightiest among them, was dead.

The Failing Quest

We know from this moment that Boromir had great faith and trust in Aragorn. There was no question as to who would lead the quest on, no argument over who would make the final say in the course of their actions. Any question as to the route or destination was answered with the word of the heir to Isildur.

In Lórien, Boromir’s resolve weakened with his encounter with Galadriel, as she showed him visions of a dying kingdom and a growing shadow that would consume his family, friends, and country. However, he was comforted in the strength and peace of the elves, and came out of the Golden Wood with greater courage to face the path ahead.

However, this experience gave another gift to Boromir, that of temptation. The doubts he had in Rivendell had returned to his mind, and with the loss of the wizard, what hope was their that the Quest to destroy the One Ring would succeed?

Knowing that Aragorn would never take the Ring for himself, and knowing that Gandalf was no longer alive to counter Sauron, he pondered the only viable course of action left in his mind: to take the Ring and, perhaps at the cost of his own will and life, destroy Sauron and save Gondor.

This temptation worked long and hard for months to break Boromir’s mind, and eventually, Boromir fell to his own despair and desire. The One Ring had worked in him, poisoning him with hopelessness and grief. At their most vulnerable point, Boromir had a moment of weakness.

There is no need to go into great detail as to the final encounter between Boromir and Frodo. Boromir attempted to take the One Ring by force, and failed to do so. Thus he broke his vow to protect the ring bearer.

Boromir would work to redeem himself, discovering the great need of the hobbits now under attack by the Uruk-hai. Seeing the peril of Merry and Pippin, Boromir rushed to their aid, defending the defenseless, as he had so often done for Gondor.

This final battle would take Boromir’s life, as the overwhelming numbers pierced him with many arrows, even as he felled scores of his foes and pierced the air with his horn.

In Minas Tirith, it was said that day that the people thought they heard the horn of Gondor in the distance, and thought their captain had returned, but it was not to be; Boromir would never again see his home.

Aragorn managed to arrive just as Boromir’s body was failing him. Boromir confessed his sins, made Aragorn promise to take up his role in defending his home, and died, alone with his king in an empty forest.

Boromir’s Legacy

Did Boromir betray the trust of the Fellowship, and break his vow to protect Frodo? Yes. Did the Fellowship, in its originally intended purpose, fail because of his actions? Yes. While this might brand him as a traitor in the eyes of many readers, the depth and complexity of his character is so much more than that of a simple conflict and opposition.

Boromir represents the human spirit and character of men, and is an archetype for Gondor and her people, a courageous, stalwart beacon of hope against the darkness, a failing kingdom desperate for freedom and victory against a seemingly unbeatable foe.

To dismiss the character of Boromir is to dismiss the power of the One Ring to corrupt even the greatest of hearts. The Ring’s horrifying power is demonstrated in its ability to warp and twist coherent thought and desire, creating despair and desperation where courage cannot dwell.

In my opinion, Boromir is one of the greatest characters in not just the Tolkien legendarium, but in all of literature. He represents the great tragedy of fallen heroes, and the good that can rise, and fall. The tragedy of Boromir is one of the greatest stories in all of literature, and for that, we credit a hero who ultimately fell trying to defend his people.