Most Tragic Figure

[The Saucepan Man]

Fair points, Vanya, particularly as Isildur was on his way to Rivendell to seek counsel on what should be done with the Ring, having realised his error in not destroying it, when he was waylaid and killed.

But it has been pointed out that, to be a truly tragic figure, an individual's own personality defects should play a critical role in his downfall. I wonder how much of Isildur's refusal to destroy the Ring was his own pride, and how much was the influence of the Ring itself. Tolkien makes the point in his Letters that no one could willingly have destroyed the Ring. Can Isildur really be described as tragic, when the failing which led to his downfall was something which no one could be expected to resist?