Boromir - An example of a man?

[cellurdur]

Originally Posted by Arathorn111

Legate:

No I didn't really mean that Boromir was an ordinary man, if that was the case he wouldn't have fitted in with the rest of the company and would, from the readers point, seem misplaced. I think that the point was that he wasn't an ordinary man from middle earth, just that he represented the ordinary man in his actions. He was a great man, but only a man.

Pervinca:

Thank you!

I think that Eomer is, in many ways, a moore ordinary man than Boromir. He's also not, as a character, as complex as Boromir, mainly because he isn't faced with the "problem" of the ring. The question about how he would react is an interesting one, but in my mind he would have reacted close to what Boromir did. Perhaps not as valiantly as Bormir though, as he is "a lesser man"?

Being susceptible to the ring is a lot more complicated than being a High or Middle Man. The Numenoreans were the highest of men and they fell. Denethor was a throw back to the Numenoreans of old and he would have used the ring. Galadriel was sorely tempted and in her younger years shr might have given in. I think a few of the Noldor princes like Maeglin or Curufin certainly would have.

Boromir was not like his immediate family but that is not why he fell in the end. His pride, desperation to save Gondor and the desire for glory is what led to his fall. In the end the best protection against the ring seems to be having a realistic understanding of who you were and rejecting power. Therefore would say eomer was less likely to fall under the ring than Boromir.

In terms of character and strength Boromir was exceptional in ability but like the middle men valued ohysical prowess more than learning.

Average but pure people are thr Hobbits.