Aragorn's political skills.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by the phantom

Though I guess a King that stays back doesn't fill the part of a romantic hero- the way fantasy Kings are supposed to be.

Tolkien certainly espouses the heroic ideal of great leaders "leading from the front" and fighting side by side with their people. We can see this not only in central characters such as Aragorn and Theoden (in contrast, as has been pointed out, with Denethor), but also in the likes of Gil-Galad, Elendil, Thranduil, Celeborn, Dain II and Brand. There is a similar contrast, in The Hobbit, between Bard (the true Lord of Dale) and the Master of Laketown.

But, as the phantom and others have said, there is much more to Aragorn's acceptance by the people of Gondor than his military skills.

[Boromir88]

I would agree with the phantom in that it was much more then Aragorn's military skills. I think it's just the way he brought himself about and as already mentioned how he was endorsed by some pretty noble people (Imrahil, Rohan, and Faramir).

I think what really shines is how Aragorn deals with when is the time he should come fourth and take claim, he handles the political side well.

First, he's a servant under the current Steward Ecthelion, but he passes up on this oppurtunity, and Denethor takes command. 2nd oppurtunity is at Amon Hen, when he can choose to go to Minas Tirith with Boromir. Again, he passes up on this oppurtunity. Third chance, is when Imrahil offers it to him, but he declines.

I think the timing (which shows Aragorn's political knowledge) is what got him respected. I think his military record gets him the support, the final edge he needed, seeing that he was a victorious leader of men.

Though I guess a King that stays back doesn't fill the part of a romantic hero- the way fantasy Kings are supposed to be.

Very true. I don't know how other people feel, but I definately admire the leaders who fight on the front lines more so then the ones who sit back in the tents. Some modern heros that I admire were probably General Patton and Coronel Moore, both men were known for fighting with their men.

Here's Denethor's case. Him and Gandalf are total opposites, we can say they despise eachother, however, they are able to respect eachother. Without one of them who knows the outcome of the Siege of Gondor. Denethor brings the military planning/strategy to the table. He sets up the defenses, he has the lords bring in their men. He learned from the palantir, eventhough if it hurt him more then helped, he used the palantir to his advantage. But, he sits in his hall and wastes lives, we get a sense that the men's morale is low.

Gandalf comes in as that "spiritual leader" that "General Patton" people need to get them fired up. It was said the hearts of men rose when Gandalf was around but quickly sank when he left. I think eventhough unintentionally they are both important to the victory of Gondor.

In Aragorn's case he's both. He is a "Gandalf," he is a leader of men, and he is a Denethor, he plans, he's patient, and he knows when and when not to make a move. Aragorn wasn't like this through the whole story, he struggles with leadership in the beginning, but this is the new man, or "galvanized" Aragorn we see in the end.

[Lalwendë]

I agree that Aragorn is a skilled politician. He makes use of patience and respect in order to gain the trust and devotion of the people of Gondor. He leads by example, going into battle himself, even going where no-one else would dare to go, through The Paths of the Dead. He is very much a ‘hands-on’ leader and in a war which is seen by all as ‘just’ then military skill and courage contributes a great deal towards engendering the respect of the population.

Shown against the actions of Denethor, Aragorn is humble and respectful beyond measure. He considers other opinions and listens before speaking. Denethor on the other hand always seems to use his power of veto and have the final say, for good or ill; this has not gone unnoticed amongst those who he is responsible for, the population of Gondor:

And now Faramir was gone again. 'They give him no rest,' some murmured. 'The Lord drives his son too hard, and now he must do the duty of two, for himself and for the one that will not return.'

Yet superlative military leadership is not all. Drawing an example from history, Churchill has been voted as the greatest Briton of all time following his wartime leadership which might lead you to expect that he would have had massive support following the end of WWII, and yet in the election of 1945 he was dealt a crushing defeat by Attlee with his welfare reform agenda. Aragorn as a leader obviously has something extra to support him, and that is Gandalf.

I see Gandalf as the perfect mentor to Aragorn, who relies on his counsel a great deal. When the Fellowship are passing the Pillars of Argonath, not long after losing Gandalf, Aragorn is struck by his destiny enough to give a stirring oration on his ancestry and destiny, but soon a lack of self-confidence brings him down:

Then the light of his eyes faded, and he spoke to himself: 'Would that Gandalf were here! How my heart yearns for Minas Anor and the walls of my own city! But whither now shall I go?'

He is seemingly ‘lost’ without his mentor, and unable to make a clear decision which he trusts will be the best choice. At the Last Debate, where the decision is taken to ride to the Black Gate, Aragorn is quiet at first, and Gandalf effectively takes on the role of chief strategist and chairman.

Gandalf sometimes appears to be something of a consummate spin-doctor. He is not respected by every leader. Theoden, influenced by the machinations of Grima, does not trust the wizard, and nor does Denethor. Yet his ‘charge’, Aragorn, is content to let him impart his considerable wisdom, and Gandalf certainly has the ear of the ‘common people’, the inhabitants of Minas Tirith and The Shire.

And yet, it becomes clear that as time has gone by, Aragorn has learned much from his mentor, as displayed in his expert use of propaganda when he appears in the Palantir to Sauron, to lead him into believing that the Ring may in fact still be in the hands of Men, rather than Hobbit ‘spies’ sneaking into his land right under his nose.

At the end of The Last Debate Aragorn’s ‘politics’ are neatly summed up when he speaks with the tone and authority of a leader, without issuing command but commanding respect, and acknowledging the influence of his mentor:

They were silent for a while. At length Aragorn spoke. 'As I have begun, so I will go on. We come now to the very brink, where hope and despair are akin. To waver is to fall. Let none now reject the counsels of Gandalf, whose long labours against Sauron come at last to their test. But for him all would long ago have been lost. Nonetheless I do not yet claim to command any man. Let others choose as they will.'

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

I think what really shines is how Aragorn deals with when is the time he should come fourth and take claim, he handles the political side well.

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I agree that Aragorn is a skilled politician.

I appreciate what you are both getting at, but I rather think that Tolkien's thoughts in response to a review of LotR by WH Auden are applicable in relation to the use of the word "political" here:

I dislike the use of "political" in such a context; it seems to me false. It seems clear to me that Frodo’s duty was "humane" not political. He naturally thought first of the Shire, since his roots were there, but the quest had as its object not the preserving of this or that polity, such as the half republic half aristocracy of the Shire, but a liberation from an evil tyranny of all the "humane" - including those, such as 'easterlings' and Haradrim, that were still servants of the tyranny.

Denethor was tainted with mere politics: hence his failure, and his mistrust of Faramir. It had become for him a prime motive to preserve the polity of Gondor, as it was, against another potentate, who had made himself stronger and was to be feared and opposed for that reason rather than because he was ruthless and wicked. Denethor despised lesser men, and one may be sure did not distinguish between Orcs and the allies of Mordor. If he had survived as a victor, even without use of the Ring, he would have taken a long stride towards becoming himself a tyrant, and the terms and treatment he accorded to the deluded peoples of east and south would have been cruel and vengeful. He had become a "political" leader: sc. Gondor against the rest.

Letter #183

It is clear from his description of Denethor as "political" and all that this entails that Tolkien considers the word as denoting someone who takes action primarily to preserve his or her own position, rather than with any "humane" (ie moral or right) objective in mind. (And, not being particularly enamoured of our current crop of politicians, I would tend to agree with him on this one.) He describes Frodo's Quest as "humane" rather than "political", and I think that Aragorn's actions during the War of the Ring can be viewed in a similar light. He would have acted in the same way whether it established his claim as King of Gondor or not.

Admittedly, his actions following the Battle of Pelennor Fields, particularly his forbearance in entering the White City, contribute towards his eventual acceptance as King. But I would rather say that he is exercising good judgment here than "political" skill. Rather than being calculated to aid his cause, which would imply an element of political manipulation, he is simply displaying good common sense:

"But this City and realm has rested in the charge of the Stewards for many long years, and I fear that if I enter it unbidden, then doubt and debate may arise, which should not be while this war is fought ...

... But I deem the time unripe; and I have no mind for strife except with our Enemy and his servants."

To Aragorn's mind, there is little sense in stirring up a (potentially acrimonious) dispute over his claim while Sauron is still to be defeated.

I wonder how Aragorn would have reacted had his claim been rejected. I severely doubt that he would have pressed it (as a politican such as Denethor might have) in any way other than in a (to use Tolkien's term) "humane" manner.

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Gandalf sometimes appears to be something of a consummate spin-doctor.

The Istari as spin-doctors? Hmm, perhaps Alistair Campbell is one of the Blue Wizards ...

Again, the term carries connotations of (political) manipulation that are, to my mind, simply not present in Gandalf's character.

[Celebaglar]

As it is a fairy tale, it seems absurd of me to say that Aragorn uses the touch of a happy ending of a story. Which he did figuratively and literally. I wonder though, did people ever take advantage of his kindness?