Boromir
The most human of all Fellowship of the Ring, who embodied the eternal struggle and curse of the Men of Middle-earth.
The figure of Boromir within The Lord of the Rings has always raised a mesmerizing debate about his motivations, actions, and very nature as a man throughout the books.
He was born at the end of the third millennium of the Third Age, son of the Steward of Gondor Denethor II. He had a younger brother named Faramir. Throughout his life, he held the positions of Captain of the White Tower and other significant captaincies within the army of Gondor and was also a member of the Company of the Ring.
Although Númenórean genetics (direct ancestors) had been diluted in Gondor over the centuries, Boromir inherited many characteristics of the ancient inhabitants of Númenor. He was tall and powerful, and his fighting spirit was contagious to everyone around him. His loyalty to his people and his family was his driving force, and his exceptional warrior skills became known to several kingdoms.
He dedicated his whole life to defending the kingdom of Gondor, a task for which he was trained from a very young age. Boromir’s protective character was marked by his military dedication and by the sad loss of his mother when he was ten years old. As a child, he saw how his dead affected Denethor II. He became a sad and, to some extent, apathetic steward.
That may have spurred Boromir’s will to protect his people even more. Likewise, the fact that Denethor II practiced extreme favoritism towards his eldest son made Boromir take care of his younger brother Faramir, fueling that protective desire.
As soon as he was old enough to command, Boromir took it upon himself to lead the defense of the eastern part of Gondor, where it bordered Mordor. From there came the vast majority of threats to the kingdom because of the Witch-King of Angmar.
Sauron’s faithful servant constantly sent armies through Ithilien (the easternmost part of Gondor, which reached the foothills of the mountains of Mordor). Boromir was responsible for keeping the western coast safe for many years, with Anduin as his geographical border.
Among his last outstanding achievements was the reconquest of Osgiliath, a critical city that was a passage between the two banks of the Anduin River via its bridge. As orc attacks were constant, it was decided (perhaps it was Boromir himself or his father) to destroy the bridge and prevent the passage of large troops on foot.
Boromir forged great respect from neighboring kingdoms like Rohan for years through countless campaigns against Mordor that kept the borders of Gondor safe, with better and worse times but always within some stability. However, defending themselves was becoming increasingly complicated, and the casualties continued while the Enemy seemed to grow more and more.
In this context of restlessness, Boromir had a dream, the same that recurrently had his brother Faramir: a reverie related to Frodo and the One Ring. He was also urged to travel to Imladris (Rivendel) to discover the future of Gondor.
Uneasy about this, he brought it to his father’s attention, who summoned the elders to assess what to do. The elders decided that Faramir would go to Rivendell to seek advice from the Elves. Still, Denethor again exercised his favoritism and commanded that his eldest son would go to the stronghold of Elrond the Half-Elven on behalf of Gondor.
He traveled north for weeks, perhaps regretting abandoning his duty defending his kingdom and fearing it would fall in his absence. He had time to think and martyr himself, for halfway there, he lost his horse and had to walk for 110 days.
He expressed this fear when he participated in the Council of Elrond, a meeting where Boromir discovered that Frodo had the One Ring and that the heir to the throne of Gondor (Aragorn) was alive. Both discoveries had a profound impact on him.
With a lifetime of fighting against Mordor, weary and always afraid of falling, Boromir saw an opportunity to end it all by using the One Ring. However, no one seconded his proposal, for they were convinced that the only option was to destroy it.
Reluctantly, but knowing that his dream was pushing him, Boromir agreed to join the Fellowship of the Ring and help Frodo on his journey to Mount Doom.
His help was essential on many occasions during the Fellowship’s long weeks of travel, such as at Caradhras or in Moria. His courage and skill with the sword allowed them to survive the attack of the goblins and the cave troll, a moment in which the Gondorian showed his greatest virtues with weapons.
In Lothlórien, Boromir feared that the elf lady Galadriel would enter his mind and discover all his fears and doubts. Because he never accepted the mission of the Ring despite collaborating. For Boromir, the Ring’s destruction was a great mistake, and he secretly nurtured the need to get hold of the object at some point. At the same time, his values dissuaded him from committing such evil. He suffered from this drive throughout the journey, driven by the need to help his people and his promise to Frodo and the Fellowship.
All that tension exploded in Amon Hen. Driven by momentary madness and greed, he managed to stay alone with the hobbit and tried to snatch the Ring from him. Frodo was able to escape, and Boromir instantly regretted his actions. He returned with the rest and announced to them that Frodo had fled without telling the truth.
He was left in the care of Merry and Pippin, who had gone in search of their friend, and when Boromir found them, the two hobbits were surrounded by the orcs. The Gondorian, in a display of courage beyond imagination, attacked the orcs with his sword and wreaked havoc among the enemies. Many fell, but finally, the Gondorian was cut down by the Uruk-Hai of Isengard, who riddled him with arrows.
Boromir blew his horn and alerted the rest of the Fellowship. The enemies retreated momentarily but returned to the charge, defeated him, and then captured Merry and Pippin.
By the time Aragorn arrived on the scene, it was too late for Boromir. He had time, however, to confess his attempt to steal the Ring and ask the Ranger to save Minas Tirith. His body was placed in one of Lothlórien’s boats and pushed into the river Anduin, where it floated for three days before reaching Ithilien, the region Boromir had so often defended. It was there that his brother Faramir found him.
Boromir’s story can be interpreted as a man’s eternal internal struggle between his values and needs. There is no value judgment on his actions with Frodo and the Ring, but rather a reflection on how circumstances can push excellent people to commit acts against their values.
That diatribe makes Boromir one of the most interesting characters in The Lord of the Rings and shows that Tolkien was much more profound than some people realize.