Boromir
Template:Short description Template:Not to be confused with Template:Good article Template:Use British English Template:Infobox character Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers), and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King. He was the heir of Denethor II (the 26th Steward of Gondor) and the elder brother of Faramir. In the course of the story Boromir joined the Fellowship of the Ring.
Boromir is portrayed as a noble character who believed passionately in the greatness of his kingdom and fought indomitably for it. His great stamina and physical strength, together with a forceful and commanding personality, made him a widely admired commander in Gondor's army and the favourite of his father Denethor. As a member of the Fellowship, his desperation to save his country ultimately drove him to betray his companions and attempt to seize the Ring, but he was redeemed by his repentance and brave last stand.
Commentators have remarked on Boromir's vainglory and desire for the Ring. They have compared him both to other proud Tolkien characters such as Fëanor and Túrin Turambar, and to medieval heroes like Roland, who also blew a horn in battle and was killed in the wilderness. His boat-funeral, too, has been likened to Scyld Scefing's ship-burial in Beowulf.
Boromir appears in animated and live-action films of Lord of the Rings, and in radio and television versions.
AppearancesEdit
Boromir is the son of Denethor II and Lady Finduilas of Dol Amroth. He has a younger brother Faramir. A year after Faramir was born their father became the ruling Steward of Gondor, and Boromir became heir apparent, inheriting the Horn of Gondor. When Boromir's mother Finduilas dies, he is only 10.<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb, Appendix B, "The Tale of Years", "The Third Age", entries from 2976 to 2988</ref> Denethor always favours Boromir over Faramir; he loves Boromir "too much, perhaps; the more so because they were unlike".<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb, book 5, ch. 1 "Minas Tirith"</ref>
In response to prophetic dreams that come to Faramir and later to himself, Boromir claims the quest of riding to Rivendell. His journey lasts a hundred and eleven days, and he travels through "roads forgotten" to reach Rivendell, though, as he says, "few knew where it lay".<ref name="The Council of Elrond" group=T/> Boromir loses his horse while crossing the Greyflood and travels the rest of the way on foot.<ref name="Farewell to Lorien" group=T/>
The Fellowship of the RingEdit
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Boromir arrives at Rivendell just as the Council of Elrond is commencing. There he tells of Gondor's attempts to keep the power of Mordor at bay. He tries to persuade the council to let him take the One Ring to defend Gondor, but is told that it would corrupt and destroy its user, and alert Sauron to its presence. He accepts this for the moment. He agrees to accompany Aragorn to Gondor's capital, Minas Tirith, and since their path lies with the Fellowship for the first part of the journey, he pledges to protect the Ring-bearer, Frodo.<ref name="The Council of Elrond" group=T>Template:Harvnb, book 2, ch. 2, "The Council of Elrond"</ref>
Boromir accompanies the Fellowship south from Rivendell. Before departing, he sounds the Horn of Gondor, saying he "would not go forth like a thief into the night". On the journey south, he questions the wisdom of their leader Gandalf. On the Fellowship's attempt to pass over the Misty Mountains, he advises that firewood be collected before the attempt to climb Caradhras, saving them from freezing in a blizzard. In the retreat from Caradhras, Boromir proves his strength as he and Aragorn force a way through shoulder-high snowbanks back down the mountain.<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb book 2, ch. 3, "The Ring Goes South"</ref>
The Fellowship then pass under the mountains through the caverns of Moria where Gandalf is killed, and Aragorn becomes their guide.<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb book 2, ch. 4, "A Journey in the Dark"</ref><ref group=T>Template:Harvnb book 2, ch. 5, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum"</ref> At the borders of the Elven realm of Lothlórien, Boromir is unnerved by the thought of entering, pleading with Aragorn to find another way "though it led through a hedge of swords"; he cites stories of elvish witchcraft, and the "strange paths" they had already taken which had caused Gandalf's death.<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb book 2, ch. 6, "Lothlórien"</ref> Once in Lórien, Boromir is greatly disturbed by Galadriel's testing of his mind, telling Aragorn "not to be too sure of this lady and her purposes". On parting, Galadriel gives Boromir a golden belt and an Elven-cloak.<ref name="Farewell to Lorien" group=T>Template:Harvnb book 2, ch. 8, "Farewell to Lórien"</ref>
Boromir had always planned to go to Minas Tirith, and despite the consensus reached at Rivendell that the Ring must be destroyed in Mordor, he urges the Fellowship to accompany him to Minas Tirith before going on to Mordor.<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb book 2, ch. 9, "The Great River"</ref> As Frodo ponders his course from Parth Galen, Boromir privately urges him to use the Ring in Gondor's defence, rather than to "throw it away". Finally, he succumbs to the temptation to take the Ring for himself, justifying this by his duty to his people and his belief in his own integrity.<ref name="Breaking of the Fellowship" group=T>Template:Harvnb book 2, ch. 10, "The Breaking of the Fellowship"</ref>
After seeing that Frodo is unconvinced, Boromir half begs, half commands him to at least lend the Ring, and when Frodo still refuses, Boromir leaps to seize it. Frodo vanishes by putting on the Ring and flees, intending to continue the quest alone. Boromir, realizing his betrayal, immediately repents of his actions and weeps. Searching unsuccessfully for Frodo, he tells the Fellowship of Frodo's disappearance, though not of his own misdeeds. The hobbits in a frenzy scatter to look for Frodo. Aragorn, suspecting Boromir's part in Frodo's flight, orders him to follow and protect Merry and Pippin. The Fellowship is attacked by a band of orcs.<ref name="Breaking of the Fellowship" group=T/>
The Two TowersEdit
Fighting to defend Merry and Pippin, Boromir is mortally wounded by orc-arrows. In Pippin's words:<ref name="Uruk-hai" group=T>Template:Harvnb, book 3, ch. 1 "The Uruk-hai"</ref>
Blasts from Boromir's horn alert Aragorn, but he comes too late to prevent the hobbits' capture. As Boromir lies dying, he remorsefully confesses to attempting to take the Ring from Frodo. He urges Aragorn to save Minas Tirith, as he himself has failed. Aragorn reassures him that he has not failed, that indeed "few have gained such a victory". Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas place Boromir's body in one of their Elven boats, with his sword, belt, cloak, broken horn, and the weapons of his slain foes about him. They set the boat adrift in the river toward the Falls of Rauros, singing the "Lament of the Winds" as his funeral song.<ref name="Departure of Boromir" group="T">Template:Harvnb, book 3, ch. 1 "The Departure of Boromir"</ref>
Three days later, Faramir, to his and their father's great grief, see the boat bearing his dead brother floating down the River.<ref name="Window on the West" group=T>Template:Harvnb, book 4, ch. 5 "The Window on the West"</ref>
Names and titlesEdit
Boromir is the son and heir apparent of Denethor, the ruling Steward of Gondor. Appendix A calls him "Captain of the White Tower",<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb, Appendix A: part I, iv. "Gondor and the Heirs of Anarion"</ref> while Faramir called him "High Warden of the White Tower" and "our Captain-General".<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb, book 4, ch. 4 "Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit".</ref>
Boromir was described by Tolkien as a name "of mixed form";<ref name="AppF" group=T>Template:Harvnb, Appendix F: part I, "Of Men" note 1</ref> it combines Sindarin bor(on)- 'steadfast' and Quenya míre 'jewel'.<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb, "The Etymologies", entries BOR- and MIR-.</ref> But the Stewards of Gondor also often bore names "remembered in the songs and histories of the First Age",<ref name="AppF" group=T/> regardless of meaning, and the name Boromir did appear during the First Age in The Silmarillion.<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb, ch. 17 "Of the Coming of Men into the West"</ref> The eleventh steward of Gondor, Denethor I, had as well a son called Boromir who was described as a great warrior. This might have been an inspiration for Denethor II to name his first son.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
AnalysisEdit
MoralityEdit
Boromir's desire for the Ring has been described as well-intentioned but uninformed by the potential danger. His perception of Middle-earth is biased by a belief that divine powers have chosen Gondor to lead the fight against evil.<ref name=Rutledge>Template:Cite book</ref> He is always eager to praise the great deeds of Gondor, including his own.<ref name=Burkard>Template:Cite book</ref> Boromir's hubris makes him prey to the malign power of the Ring, and he seals his own doom when he attacks Frodo to seize it.<ref name=Rutledge/> He makes way thereby for Aragorn to become the future king of Gondor, in a manner similar to Virgil's character Turnus.<ref name=Burkard/> He speaks of using the Ring in the service of Gondor, but his talk of "strength in a just cause" indicates, writes the Tolkien critic Tom Shippey, only how matters would begin. He comments that Boromir never quite says "the end justifies the means", though the thought makes his corrupted behaviour entirely believable.Template:Sfn
In Christian terms, Boromir atones for his assault on Frodo by single-handedly but vainly defending Merry and Pippin from orcs,<ref name=olar>Template:Cite journal</ref> which illustrates the Catholic theme of the importance of good intention, especially at the point of death. This is clear from Gandalf's statement:<ref name=olar/><ref name=Rutledge/> "But he [Boromir] escaped in the end.... It was not in vain that the young hobbits came with us, if only for Boromir's sake."<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb, book 3, ch. 5 "The White Rider"</ref>
Boromir has been likened to other Tolkien characters such as Fëanor or Túrin Turambar who display vainglorious excess, a trait in leaders that Tolkien despised.<ref>Template:ME-ref</ref> The character of Boromir has been compared to the legendary medieval hero Roland. Both blow a horn in the distress of battle and both are eventually killed in the wilderness while defending their companions, although Roland is portrayed as blameless and heroic throughout. Further, Roland's death gives the appearance of signalling the end of the ruling dynasty.<ref name="Seaman 2013">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
Boat-funeralEdit
The ship-burials of the seafaring Numenoreans in The Lost Road and Other Writings<ref group=T>Template:Harvnb, ch. 2 "The Fall of Numenor"</ref> have been compared to those of the Viking age as described in the Prose Edda and in the Old English poem Beowulf; Boromir is similarly given a boat-funeral.<ref name="Departure of Boromir" group="T"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Hall 2006">Template:Cite journal</ref> As with Scyld Scefing's funeral ship in Beowulf, no-one knows where the boat goes to in the end, but for Tolkien the suggestion that it goes to a mysterious land in the uttermost West was fascinating, and he developed it at length in The Lost Road.<ref name="Lee Solopova 2005">Template:Cite book</ref>
| Beowulf 2:36b–42 Scyld Scefing's funeral |
Translation<ref name="Hall 2006"/> | "Departure of Boromir" (prose)<ref name="Departure of Boromir" group="T"/> |
|---|---|---|
| þær wæs madma fela of feorwegum frætwa gelæded; ne hyrde ic cymlicor ceol gegyrwan hildewæpnum ond heaðowædum, billum ond byrnum; him on bearme læg madma mænigo, þa him mid scoldon on flodes æht feor gewitan. |
There was much treasure from faraway ornaments brought not heard I of more nobly a ship prepared war-weapons and war-armour sword and mail; on his lap lay treasures many then with him should on floods' possession far departed. |
Now they laid Boromir in the middle of the boat that was to bear him away. The grey hood and elven-cloak they folded and placed beneath his head. They combed his long dark hair and arrayed it upon his shoulders. The golden belt of Lórien gleamed about his waist. His helm they set beside him, and across his lap they laid the cloven horn and the hilts and shards of his sword; beneath his feet they put the swords of his enemies. |
Portrayal in adaptationsEdit
In both Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated film and in the subsequent BBC Radio serial, Boromir is played by Michael Graham Cox.<ref name="Beck2005">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Boromir is played by Carl-Kristian Rundman in the 1993 Finnish miniseries Hobitit.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Anchor In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Boromir is played by Sean Bean. His line "One does not simply walk into Mordor" became famous enough for Bean to comment that the "one does not simply" meme (with variant endings) would "probably be my unintended legacy".<ref name="Hooton 2015">Template:Cite news</ref> In a departure from the structure of Tolkien's book, Boromir's death is shown at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), instead of being related at the beginning of The Two Towers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Departure of Boromir" group="T"/>
In The Two Towers (2002), Boromir appears in the theatrical version only briefly during the beginning flashback sequence of Gandalf's fight with the Balrog in Moria. The Extended Edition adds two additional flashbacks: first when Faramir remembers finding Boromir's body and his cloven horn in the elven boat washed up on shore; and in longer flashback (the only scene of the film trilogy where Boromir and Faramir are seen speaking to each other), after Boromir's victory in Osgiliath and before his departure for Rivendell. The two brothers are seen celebrating and laughing before their father interrupts, asking him to go to Rivendell to seek the One Ring. Here Boromir apparently knows that "Isildur's Bane" is the One Ring, and he is chosen by his father, despite his reluctance to go, in response to a summons from Elrond.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Rilstone 2005">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In The Return of the King (2003), Boromir appears in the theatrical version during a brief flashback as Pippin remembers his heroic self-sacrifice. In the Extended Edition of the film, Boromir appears briefly when Denethor looks at Faramir and imagines for a moment that he sees Boromir walking towards him, smiling.<ref name="Rilstone 2005"/>
ReferencesEdit
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SourcesEdit
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