[ArathornJax]

I was reading in Scull and Hammond's A Reader's Companion on Boromir and found an interesting point. As I stated, one of the things I like about Boromir is that he is very human. He desires the ring for his own glorification (ego) and justifies it by claiming to want to defend his city, people and country. For me Gandalf already realized back in Hobbiton that this is the danger of the ring according to the weakness of the person who has it or seeks it. Gandalf states:
"Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good."

The Ring attacks Boromir through his desires to lead, protect, and to seek his own glory. We see that when he says to Frodo that "True-hearted Men, they will not be corrupted. We men of Minis Tirith have been staunch through long years of trial."

He then goes on to say ""We do not desire the power of wizard-lords, only strength to defend ourselves, strength in just cause. . . The fearless, the ruthless, these alone will achieve victory. What could not a warrior do in this hour, a great leader? What could not Aragorn do? Or if he refuses, why not Boromir? The Ring would give me power of Command. How I would drive the hosts of Mordor, and all men would flock to my banner!"

The quote is long, but fits Fair Use Guidelines and shows that the Ring is tempting Boromir first by having him see himself using the Ring to defend and lead his people to victory against their enemy, Sauron. His own ego comes in when he appeals to the notion of what a great leader could do like Aragorn, and if he refuses why not Boromir? The Ring appeals to his view of himself as becoming so great that not only would he drive the hosts of Mordor, but he would have ALL men flocking to his banner for him to command.

Now my point in bringing this up is not to attack Boromir. As I've stated I like the guy and think in someways he is one of the most human characters in the trilogy. I also believe he was fated to go on the quest and fated to be tempted so that the Fellowship could achieve its end. However, I wonder if this is how Sauron tempted some of the Nine in terms of getting them to accept their ring of power? Did he appeal to a personal situation or a political situation and offer a solution? Did the then also appeal to their ego and personal pride with shades of personal glory?

So, would Boromir have been one of the Nine had he lived so many years ago? I would love to hear your thoughts on this as I could see Sauron going after Boromir to make him one of his Nine IF Boromir had been alive at the time. Would Boromir have given in? I'm not sure on that, but I would hope that in the same way that when the temptation was removed with the ring, he quickly gained his rational thought back, and returned to his noble acts and done his duty as he did with Merry and Pippin. I would hope in the past that he would have done the same.