[dancing spawn of ungoliant]

I agree with Gurthang on many things. I thought it was weird that Aragorn hesitated so much claming the throne. Surely he knew that it was his duty to become a king and on the basis of the books I had had this impression that it was something he had really been waiting for.

On the other hand it was wise to wait until Sauron was defeated. If a stranger appearing out of nowhere had strolled into Minas Tirith and appointed himself a king, he wouldn't probably had received as sincere approval from the residents of the city as he did after the battles. Had he taken the rule over Gondor earlier and the war against Mordor had come, it would have been easy to blame the new ruler.

Already in FotR it's clear that Aragorn is very devoted to the Fellowship and its common mission to help destroying the ring. If they can't get rid of the ring, there won't be a throne for Aragorn to claim. After Aragorn lets Frodo go alone (with Sam) it's just a tactical question, when to head for Minas Tirith. Insecureness about the timing, I think, is understandable. Reluctance, however, doesn't seem to fit that determined man with a fixed goal to become a king.