[Boromir88]

Nice stuff on Boromir.

I would just like to add a couple things. Boromir seems to catch a lot of flack for being "weak" and falling to the Ring's temptation, but when you look at the person he was, he is very admirable, and actually reaches a level of maturity not many people are able to do. That is his acceptance of personal responsibility.

Let's say Jim and Kim fail a test. Jim blames the "F" on the teacher, on the kid sitting in front with the distracting red hair, on the "tough" questions...blames everyone (and everything) but himself. Kim on the other hand realizes perhaps she didn't study enough, perhaps she didn't get a good nights sleep...etc. The bottomline is she knows she is to blame for failing her test. She has accepted personal responsibility.

Other characters like Grima and Gollum all fall short of redemption because they constantly blame others for their misfortunes. Grima blames Saruman for "making" him kill Lotho:

"You told me to; you made me do it," he hissed.~The Scouring of the Shire

He blames Saruman for being unable to "leave" him (and Gandalf tells Grima to "Do it!" then):

The beggar turned and slouched past whimpering: "Poor old Grima! Poor old Grima! Always beaten and cursed. How I hate him! I wish I could leave him!"
"Then leave him!" said Gandalf.~Many Partings

Gollum blames Deagol for Deagol's own death. Gollum's justification was it was "his birthday" and Deagol "ought to have given it" to him. The only actions we control are our own, and these two are never able to accept the responsibility for their own actions.

Boromir on the other hand does. He first blames trying to take the Ring from Frodo on the "madness" that consumed him. I'll note that Boromir is actually telling the truth, the Ring did fill him with "madness." However, on his deathbed he no longer blames the Ring, but he accepts responsibility, and accepts the consequences of his actions:

"I tried to take the Ring from Frodo," he said. "I am sorry. I have paid."~The Departure of Boromir

He not only admits to Aragorn what he did, but he realizes he is to blame for what he tried to do ("I am sorry"),and he accepts the consequences of his actions ("I have paid.")

Coming to that realization that you are personally to blame for your own failings is something extremely difficult to do (I'll admit there's lots of times when I like to throw the blame at others). It is because of this, though, that I believe Boromir dies a much better man...well...than anyone else really.