If Denethor hadn't committed suicide

[Kitanna]

Originally Posted by Sarumian

It's all looks more complex if he had survived. It looks to me as if Denethor has fallen under the spell of the ring just by knowing about it as Sauman did. But with the end of Sauron and the ring Denethor could have recovered from the spell. In this case he might have changed his view of Aragorn, especially after Aragorn saves Faramir.

This is something I hadn't even considered. Look at Theoden. He was under Saruman's spell and distrusted Gandalf, but by the end of his life the spell had been lifted and he was prepared to do what he felt he had too. He also lost a son, his only son, yet when the poison in his life was removed he recovered. It's possible Denethor could have recovered as Theoden had. After all he despaired in part because that was what Sauron wanted.

If Denethor had survived, without Sauron to show ruin in the palantir anymore could it have been possible for him to recover and embrace Aragorn as his king?