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Kalimac · 03-21-2002, 09:45 PM

If I remember English class correctly, a tragic hero was defined, Lush-like, as someone who was brought low by "a fatal flaw" - in other words, it was an avoidable disaster, as opposed to, for example, having scaffolding sudden fall on you from a forty-storey building that you happened to be walking under - that is sad and horrible, but so random that there was no way to really *avoid* it. Personally I prefer the first definition - the second one is good as well but it would seem to have more potential for just turning into a question of who had the worst luck, as opposed to the psychologically twisty "who *made* his worst luck?"

My choice for that (going by LOTR proper) would be Denethor. He didn't really seem evil, certainly not incipiently evil the way Sauron was, but he had a fatal flaw which you could see, well, a palantir's distance away, and that was Pride. "Did you think that the eyes of the White Tower were blind?" He thought that he had the right and the ability to use the Palantir as well as the heirs of Elendil, and also that by using it to look into Sauron's dominions that he would somehow have the ability to see what Sauron did not want him to. Denethor was great, but he was not as powerful as Sauron, Saruman, or even Aragorn (since Aragorn had a blood-right to the Palantir) and could not make himself so by means of the Palantir. Instead it turned what was obviously a once good and worthy if somewhat grim Steward into a madman who was capable of burning his own son alive.

It's hard to feel sorry for Saruman the same way, since he looked into the Palantir out of pure self-interest (increasing his knowledge, increasing his personal power) and also must have had a better idea of the risks, since he was a wizard. But Denethor must have looked at least partly out of concern and fear for the realm he was ruling, trying to see how best to defend himself against the evil in the outside world. But still, it was the wrong thing for him to do - pride led him to it and eventually he died insane because of it.

03-21-2002, 09:45 PM	#77
Kalimac Candle of the Marshes Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Flyover Country Posts: 780	If I remember English class correctly, a tragic hero was defined, Lush-like, as someone who was brought low by "a fatal flaw" - in other words, it was an avoidable disaster, as opposed to, for example, having scaffolding sudden fall on you from a forty-storey building that you happened to be walking under - that is sad and horrible, but so random that there was no way to really avoid it. Personally I prefer the first definition - the second one is good as well but it would seem to have more potential for just turning into a question of who had the worst luck, as opposed to the psychologically twisty "who made his worst luck?" My choice for that (going by LOTR proper) would be Denethor. He didn't really seem evil, certainly not incipiently evil the way Sauron was, but he had a fatal flaw which you could see, well, a palantir's distance away, and that was Pride. "Did you think that the eyes of the White Tower were blind?" He thought that he had the right and the ability to use the Palantir as well as the heirs of Elendil, and also that by using it to look into Sauron's dominions that he would somehow have the ability to see what Sauron did not want him to. Denethor was great, but he was not as powerful as Sauron, Saruman, or even Aragorn (since Aragorn had a blood-right to the Palantir) and could not make himself so by means of the Palantir. Instead it turned what was obviously a once good and worthy if somewhat grim Steward into a madman who was capable of burning his own son alive. It's hard to feel sorry for Saruman the same way, since he looked into the Palantir out of pure self-interest (increasing his knowledge, increasing his personal power) and also must have had a better idea of the risks, since he was a wizard. But Denethor must have looked at least partly out of concern and fear for the realm he was ruling, trying to see how best to defend himself against the evil in the outside world. But still, it was the wrong thing for him to do - pride led him to it and eventually he died insane because of it. __________________ Father, dear Father, if you see fit, We'll send my love to college for one year yet Tie blue ribbons all about his head, To let the ladies know that he's married.