Was it out of character?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I am not a fan of the decapitation scene; though the movie has a different take on Aragorn's character and the parley situation, it feels wrong to me as well.

However, in reaction to the "Wyatt Earp" thoughts on fair fighting that have been expressed here, I would like to quote what Tolkien himself said on the topic. This is from The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son, 'Beorhtnoth's Death'; it describes the reaction of a nobleman to a battle situation which seemed to favor his side:

The Northmen and the English were thus separated by an arm of the river; filled by the incoming tide, it could only be crossed by a 'bridge' or causeway, difficult to force in the face of a determined defence. The defence was resolute. But the vikings knew, or so it would seem, what manner of man they had to deal with: they asked for leave to cross the ford, so that a fair fight could be joined. Beorhtnoth accepted the challenge and allowed them to cross. This act of pride and misplaced chivalry (bolding mine) proved fatal. Beorthnoth was slain and the English routed; but the duke's household... fought on, untill they all fell dead beside their lord.

Where is the nobility of attempting to accomplish a task by a method guaranteed to fail? Should Frodo have marched into the Black Gate and dropped his gauntlet at Sauron's feet? (...add more possible examples of similarly misguided chivalrous behaviour here...) Would that not indeed have been a sign of pride, overestimating one's own ability, strength, and importance?

Again, I distinguish between the misinterpreted movie MoS decapitation and the general defeat of Sauron by a tricky strategy that enabled the success of the forces of good in Middle-earth. The latter is absolutely legitimate - and obviously, Tolkien agrees!