Another chapter in which we witness Hama's adoration for Gandalf....
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"What does that mean?" said one of the guard to Hama.
"That Gandalf Greyhame has need of haste," answered Hama. "Ever he goes and comes unlooked for."
"Wormtongue, were he here, would not find it hard to explain," said the other.
"True enough," said Hama, "but for myself, I will wait until I see Gandalf again."
"Maybe you will wait long," said the other.
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Some other things I noticed on Theoden and Aragorn....
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"It will go ill with Wormtongue, if Gandalf comes upon him," said Theoden. "Nonetheless I miss now both my counsellors, the old and the new. But in this need we have no better choice than to go on, as Gandalf said, to Helm's gate, whether Erkenbrand be there or no.
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"I fret in this prison," said Theoden. "If I could have set a spear in rest, riding before my men upon the field, maybe I could have felt again the joy of battle, and so ended. But I serve little purpose here."
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"It is said that the Hornburg has never fallen to assault," said Theoden; "but now my heart is doubtful. The world changes, and all that once was strong now proves unsure. How shall any tower withstand such numbers and such reckless hate? Had I known that the strength of Isengard was grown so great, maybe I should not so rashly have ridden forth to meet it, for all the arts of Gandalf. His counsel seems not now so good as it did under the morning sun."
"Do not judge the counsel of Gandalf, until all is over, lord," said Aragorn.
"The end will not be long," said the king. "But I will not end here, taken like an old badger in a trap. Snowmane and Hasufel and the horses of my guard are in the inner court. When dawn comes, I will bid men sound Helm's horn, and I will ride forth. Will you ride with me then, son of Arathorn? Maybe we shall cleave a road, or make such an end as will be worth a song-if any be left to sing of us hereafter."
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These quotes show the differences between Theoden and Denethor. Why Theoden is your typical heroic King of the middle-ages, and Denethor once great, is in rapid decline. "I will not end here, taken like an old badger in a trap." Theoden refuses, now, to sit back and die in the tower, to sit back and be conquered. He will ride out (and even for the similar reasons as Treebeard and the ents, "maybe it will be worth a song.")
Theoden is starting to doubt Gandalf's counsel, however he is still willing to listen to it. Despite his uncertainty, he basically steps down to Gandalf. Whether Theoden sees Gandalf's counsel as foolish or not, he still steps down, and listens to it. Another difference from Denethor. Even when he is in doubt of Gandalf's words to meet Saruman head on, he still makes the decision to ride out, not just to Helm's Deep, but to what he believes the last moments of his life. "I will bid men sound Helm's horn, and I will ride forth."