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View Full Version : A Commendation of Their Qualities


TolkienGurl
10-19-2002, 02:06 PM
I happen to think that the characters in The Lord of the Rings have very desirable qualities that seem to be left in want in today's society. What qualities do you think are most prominent in each character? How did those qualities influence their actions and the outcome of the War of the Ring? Or instead, how did their qualities effect their lives and others'? How can we benefit today from learning and practicing these qualities? Just wondering!

http://smilies.networkessence.net/contrib/fk/sunny.gif

Raefindel
10-19-2002, 05:44 PM
Good topic, Tolkiengurl I'll start with a prominent few. They have so many qualities it is difficult to chose who and what to name.

Frodo showed unswerving responsibility. How many today would say "Hey, it's not my problem"

Aragorn showed,among a myriad of other things, wisdom evidenced by his deep reflection before making decisions.

Gandalf was incredably compassionate to those who he had come to guide. It would have been easy to become impatient or even enraged with those around him.

Legolas was very good at bringing focus. After the breaking of the Fellowship Aragorn was unsure of his direction; Legolas pointed out they had things to deal with before any decision could be made. Similarlly after Aragorn looked into the Palantir a heaviness was on him. Legolas gently reminded him that if he were to continue he must unburden himself first.

Sam of course, would be ,unargueably, loyalty. His examples of this are too many to name.

Merry I think had found a courage he had not known he posessed. How many of us would have attacked the Which King? It would have been easier to tell himself it was meant for someone bigger than himself.

I'll leave the others to someone else.

[ October 19, 2002: Message edited by: Raefindel ]

Diamond18
10-19-2002, 05:57 PM
Pippin ~ Resilience. More than anyone else I thought he was able to rebound quickly from the trials he encountered. Some would call this foolishness, but I think not. A thing that testifies to it being a quality is that after he and Merry parted, Merry constantly wished for Pippin's cheeful company as he felt increasingly small, insignificant and unhappy on the trek to Gondor.

TolkienGurl
10-19-2002, 06:03 PM
Boromir: Repentance.

Even though he tried to take the Ring from Frodo, Boromir was sorry in the end. I think it shows great strength of character to say 'I'm sorry' and actually mean it.

Arwen1858
10-19-2002, 07:08 PM
I'm not exactly sure what to call it, but I like how Legolas and Gimli overcame the prejudice that was there between them at the beginning.

Frodo Baggins
10-19-2002, 07:30 PM
awwww Thanks guys! smilies/wink.gif

Well, I will say Elrond, A healer as kind as summer. Always ready to help and take someone in when they need a place to stay. The world needs more people like that!

elfling
10-19-2002, 08:32 PM
I agree that we could use most of the characters quailities today. I felt they all showed an incredible honesty. There is a line in the book where Sam makes the coment about Borimir that he did not lie that was not like him and this was even after all suspected he was sucomming to the Ring. Also the responsiblity the fellowship takes on in their journey. I like the loyality of all esp. Sam as well as Merry and Pippin. These 3 came only to help Frodo. I like whoever said that about Gandolf's patience and love for the fellowship, since he knew more and had so much power but he was allways kind and patient guiding them. Gimli and Leg. overcoming so much past history to become friends is pretty neat, too. I guess I like them all. Of course Aragorn embodies so may good qualities, you name it he has it.

Child of the 7th Age
10-19-2002, 09:41 PM
Arwen: sacrifice

Eowyn: the ability to adapt in less than ideal circumstances

Rose Cotton: patience

Faramir: infinite graciousness

Galadriel: the ability to carry on despite sorrow and longing

The Hobbits in general: Full of mischief with each other, but some of the politest characters in modern literature when it comes to dealing with the outside world. Frodo's conversation with Faramir exhibits "good manners" in the very deepest sense of that word.

Birdland
10-19-2002, 10:15 PM
Child - Also for Faramir: (my favorite character), "Forbearance"? "Acceptance"? I'm not sure what term I'm looking for, but the fact that Faramir could always see the "big picture", instead of thinking that his family deserved to have the kingship of Gondor for themselves, always impressed me.

Saying that Faramir "knew his place" doesn't seem quite right either unless you think of it in terms of knowing his place in history. That he was born to serve, rather than rule.

Of course, there is that old saying that the best leaders are the ones who never really wanted the job.

Kalimac
10-20-2002, 12:44 AM
For Faramir and Eowyn, I would like (with all due respect) to co-opt Professor Tolkien's descriptions of Frodo and Sam, odd as that might sound. That is -

Faramir - Hope Unquenchable (paraphrasing)

Eowyn - Endurance beyond Hope.

Faramir because he did what he thought was right and stayed - well, optimistic isn't really the word - but you could say that he refused to give in to despair. Remember the scene in the Houses of Healing when he is talking with Eowyn; for all he knows their world is going to end before the next morning, but he can still speak to her of love and hope and recovery from illness.

Eowyn, of course, has given up hope and wanted to die in battle, but she survives. She accepts that she must live - certainly she never thinks about suicide or anything like that, not once fate has decreed that she should survive her own attempt to get herself killed. She has no hope for the future but she will accept what it brings, and that is courageous of her. What it brings, of course, is Faramir, showing that if you hang on long enough all will be well smilies/wink.gif.

Sorry, don't mean to be too squishy. It's just that the more I read the books, the more I admire Faramir and Eowyn. Neither one is marked from the start as THE person to lead and be looked up to; Eomer is in front of Eowyn and Boromir in front of Faramir. Yet they still hold their own, and more.

GildorInglorion
10-20-2002, 08:28 AM
Great with a small and easy topic, soon covered in every aspect :-)

Gimli: Faithful to oaths, endurant, brave, quite, unselfish.
In the beginning he is quite and grave, but as the book moves on he is more talkative and happy.
Important for his fate is his friendship with Legolas, which would have been impossible had he been conservative like most dwarves.
He is also extremely ashamed to show fear; the only time he does it is in the paths of the dead. I think he is more brave than Legolas; he doesn't know fear, Gimli overcomes it.

He has some kind of problem with authoreties (how the ____ is that spelled? (kings and queens)), as shown in Edoras and Lothlorien (before he sees Galadriel of course)

Finally, just a great friend. I love every time he meets up with Merry and Pippin, and you can feel the pure joy he is trying to hide.

The Squatter of Amon Rūdh
10-20-2002, 08:55 AM
I don't believe that Gimli has any objection to the authorities (that's how the ____ it's spelled) per se. I think that he's just rather proud and stubborn. In other words he doesn't mind someone being a king, so long as it doesn't give them ideas above their station. smilies/wink.gif

[ October 20, 2002: Message edited by: Squatter of Amon Rudh ]

Reyna Evergreen
10-20-2002, 09:16 AM
Arwen has inner strength. Come on, if your one love went out to the great risk of dying, and you supported it, it would take more than a bit of hope.

Pippin and Merry had sheer ignorance. Bad thing? In this case, certainly not! If they had known what they were getting into, they probably wouldn't have done it. Not knowing their peril, they did many great things, like Merry taking on the Witch King, and Pippin joining the Rohan (or was it Gondor?) guard.

Frodo had resilience. No explaination needed.

Sam loyalty. You know that saying "If your friend would jump off a cliff, would u do it too?" If it were to follow Frodo, he'd go first to offer something soft for Frodo to land on.

Boromir...I don't know how to say this, but he had something close to self-acceptance. I agree with TolkienGurl; he knew he was wrong and admitted it. That takes character, especially considering his line and pride.

Tee-hee...that was fun, and I guess that if we all showed a bit more of the qualities portraied in these characters, we wouldn't have to jump off cliffs...

[ October 20, 2002: Message edited by: Reyna Evergreen ]

Luinėcolloien
10-20-2002, 09:40 AM
I agree about Galadriel, the ability to carry on while facing longing and sorrow, and I am also surprised that no one (well, forgive me if they have) mentioned what I thought to be the best thing about her. Adamancy, and the wisdom to realize that things you wanted in the past are not of importance.
I also thought that Pippin had a great quality to keep the lightness, in somber situations.
Sam-The world needs more Sams, that's for sure.
And Arwen-I kind of admired the way Arwen faced her choice. She knew that either way, she might end up dying. (if she left, she might die of grief, then, obviously, dying of mortality). So the way that Arwen faced her fate I thought was really good.
-BTW-Good topic, TokienGurl!!!

Eomer of the Rohirrim
10-20-2002, 11:39 AM
Great topic, and I definitely agree how an increase in qualities shown in LotR would make for a better world for us.

You all make good points for the characters you mentioned and I won't add to them. I'll try and find characters not discussed.

Theoden and Eomer both show tremendous bravery. Theoden was an old man after all, and he rode at the front of battle because he knew it was his duty. He didn't really expect to live at Helm's Deep or The Pellenor. Indeed he said something about making the event at least worth a song. He also didn't think himself as great as the old Kings but still gave evrything he had.

Eomer sometimes strikes me as a bit rash, quite like Boromir, and not as wise as others, such as Faramir. However, he made up for it with total loyalty to King and country and fought on against odds in battle.

And one other quality portrayed so excellently by Treebeard, patience. If he thought Merry and Pippin were hasty I doubt he'd like our world much!

Raefindel
10-20-2002, 11:54 AM
It seems to me everyone is struggling to describe or name Faramir's Qualities, (also my favorite character, Birdie) And you are all correct in your choices but I think if I had to describe him I would just call him Wise.

lindil
10-20-2002, 05:37 PM
Aragorn - perseverance in the face of impossible odds.
Taking responsibility for his anscestors faults, even though they were not his faults.

TolkienGurl
10-20-2002, 06:26 PM
Sauron makes me think of the Devil... smilies/frown.gif *shudders*

That is, of course, NOT a commendation!

[ October 20, 2002: Message edited by: TolkienGurl ]

Tigerlily Gamgee
10-20-2002, 06:45 PM
I'll try a shot at some of the characters not quite mentioned yet (that much)...

Galadriel - shows us living with the consequences of our own actions (because she is pretty much living in exile) and the hope for forgiveness. She goes back to Valinor not knowing what to expect, so that is courage...

Theoden - I would have to say that he has the quality of duty. He sacrifices a lot for his people. Also he shows us how you can be "re-born," in a matter of speaking...

Treebeard - shows us tradition (not to sound like Fiddler on the Roof), and how so many things can be easily lost and forgotten. He lives in an ancient world that most people think is legend, yet he (and the other Ents) still live as if the world has not changed that much...(since loosing their Entwives, sniff)

Anyone want to take a shot at Denethor??? I believe he represents a coward... I think the problem with the world today is that it is full of too many "Denethors" and not enough "Theodens", "Aragorns", "Frodos", "Sams", and "Eowyns".

[ October 20, 2002: Message edited by: Tigerlily Gamgee ]

TolkienGurl
10-20-2002, 07:48 PM
I think the problem with the world today is that it is full of too many "Denethors" and not enough "Theodens", "Aragorns", "Frodos", "Sams", and "Eowyns".

Exactly! Too many people today give up and care not about the hardships of life. We can't just concentrate on the 'good parts,' but must also examine the 'bad parts' so we can learn from our own and others' mistakes.

akhtene
10-20-2002, 08:06 PM
Anyone want to take a shot at Denethor??? Quite a challenge! Anyway, he at least passed away in time, not burdening his people for too long.

Now some more:
Treebeard (& other ents)- taking good time to think matters over and make plans. (IMHO just too many hasty decisions are made nowadays)
Beregond - being able to forget about orders and subordination in real need (brr, doesn't sound nice at all, but hope you'll understand)
Cirdan - wisdom&generosity. He gave the ring to Gandalf, perceiving he needed it more and would use better.

InklingElf
10-20-2002, 08:09 PM
I like Gandalf (like many ppl smilies/wink.gif) and his qualities for the most part...his wisdom

Child of the 7th Age
10-20-2002, 08:13 PM
The other undesirable character we have today is Saruman. Saruman is a slick talker, someone who persuades people to go against their better instincts. He was even able to persuade the Ents to release him from imprisonment, and they were not hasty in their decisions.

He never tells complete lies. Instead, he tells half-truths, and thereby deceives many people. For example, he recognized the growth in Frodo which was admittedly true. But he also prophesied that Frodo would have neither health or long life. In one sense, that is true, if one considers only the Shire itself. But it completely denies the reality of the Blessed Lands.

Although Frodo warns others not to listen to Saruman, he himself probably ran the words over in his head many times. In his moments of despair, they must have gnawed at his heart and added to his burdens.

In my mind, Saruman's words were as much a weapon as a prediction. He was trying to make Frodo believe a half truth and so drag him into despair that he would not even be able to accept the gift of passage to the Blessed Lands. Fortunately, he did not succeed. But there are too many Sarumans around today in too many high positions.

[ October 20, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

Tigerlily Gamgee
10-20-2002, 09:21 PM
Oooo... what about Wormtongue???
He definitely shows us that following the wrong side is not a good idea, even if you do decided to change at the very end (of course, he betrays Saruman as well as Theoden... so he just wasn't a good man). He is another coward... a greedy coward.

TolkienGurl
10-21-2002, 09:31 AM
Hama - True bravery and loyalty. I mean, he DIED for his King. I'm not even sure if I would do that... smilies/rolleyes.gif

charly
10-21-2002, 09:50 AM
Aragorn: bravery, of course.Loyalty, as well as to Arwen as to himself
Galadriel: composed, how-do-you-say-it?? she walks around bearing a huge weight, because she knows she“ll fade. Many other people would have blown up and gone to Sauron“s side
Eowyn: loyalty, bravery, staying hersel f no matter what,
Faramir: refusal to give up
Theoden/Eomer/Hama: believing in Gandalf/ Aragorn/ his Lords no matter what
TOLKIEN: CREATIVITY; GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!

TolkienGurl
10-21-2002, 10:01 AM
Sam - faithful to Rose
Aragorn - faithful to Arwen

I greatly admire that in a man!

Eomer of the Rohirrim
10-21-2002, 10:19 AM
Well, well, well, I have to totally disagree with the people slagging Denethor here. Denethor had a PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM. He was in despair for the later part of his life.
Depression is by no means a quality but in no way would I call Denethor a coward.
I think Denethor's main quality is love for his family. The death of Finduilas sent him spiralling downwards. He loved Boromir greatly and was extremely proud of him. When Faramir was thought to be dying we saw how much Denethor cared for him as well.

TolkienGurl
10-21-2002, 10:43 AM
He shouldn't have killed himself though. There is no excuse for that action. Not only did that set a bad example for the people of Gondor, but it brought shame on them as a country. I once read this book where a Scottish Laird killed himself, and the whole clan was ashamed and spoke of him no more. Not only was it bad for Denethor, but harmful to all who cared about him.

Lush
10-21-2002, 02:50 PM
Well, Denethor was nuts when he decided to BBQ himself and his only remaining son. I guess that's what happens when you tune into the wrong frequency on your palantir.

As for the qualities I like in certain LotR characters, it's the following:

Aragorn: The ability to hold off and be patient when needed. I like that, because I lack that quality myself.

Sam: The ability not to wig out in the %$#@tiest of situations, and preserve his inner sweetness and good faith no matter what is happening around him.

Gandalf: Sense of humour.

Legolas: Sheer mojo.

[ October 21, 2002: Message edited by: Lush ]

elfling
10-21-2002, 05:12 PM
Hey Tolkiengurl, thanks for mentioning Hama.
I was just rereading that part and was really saddened. I'm glad you mentioned his bravory and loyalty.
Gandolf's since of humor is often forgotten as a good quaility without it I'm sure he would have often lost his patience.
I agree Denether was crazy at the end his weakness was a weakness of the mind that corrupted him in the end.

Ar-Luman
10-22-2002, 01:23 AM
I would have to go with the over all comraderie of the fellowship. Loyalty and unconditional love among friends is hard to come by these days. Any one of the fellowship would have laid down their life for anyone of the others. Some of them did it. ...... I think I remember reading some where that greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. smilies/wink.gif

TolkienGurl
10-22-2002, 05:28 PM
Treebeard - wisdom and patience.
Theoden - willingness to trust an old friend in the face of doubt (well, not at first, but you know the story...)

Arwen1858
10-22-2002, 08:46 PM
I really admire the loyalty of the Fellowship, and Aragorn's love for Arwen. And her love for him. She gave up her immortality, one of the things that makes elves different than us mere humans, because she loved him so much. She must have also supported him and what he was doing, even though she knew he could get killed.
Arwen

VanimaEdhel
10-27-2002, 05:50 PM
Do not forget this for Faramir!
Faramir: Strength Unequalled In Most Other Men (although he was not near it for as long as his brother, Boromir, was, he did not give into the temptation of the ring).