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The Men Who Would Be Steward - Page 11

© Michael Martinez

Were Boromir to use the One Ring against Sauron, he would deprive Aragorn of the chance to win popular acclaim. The decision regarding the return of the House of Elendil would be deferred indefinitely. While in his heart Boromir undoubtedly is not pursuing such a plan, the Ring seems to be offering exactly that to him. Boromir's resolve is weakening in Lothlorien, the night before the Company of the Ring bids farewell to the Elves. Boromir suggests it would be folly to throw the Ring away. He also becomes more adamant about persuading the Company to go to Minas Tirith with him, even though everyone knows Minas Tirith lies outside the path the Ring must take. It is an unrealistic ambition, and a faux hope. Nonetheless, the torment of knowing that his people are doomed if the Ringbearer's quest fails, or if it takes too long, must frustrate Boromir. As it becomes more evident with each passing day that no one is really powerful enough to face Sauron directly, despair gnaws at Boromir's mind each day. Despair eventually leads his father to conclude that all is lost, and that there is no further point in living. Despair leads Boromir to believe that he can take the Ring and use it. Only after he fails both the test and to take the Ring is Boromir freed from the torment at last, and he understands what he has done. In fact, Boromir inherits the burden of a thousand years spent waiting for a future no one thought would ever come. The Stewards have become complacent about their situation. They no longer expect a claimant to the throne to turn up. Gondor is theirs, in their eyes, but not theirs to claim. Generations of sons of Stewards must have asked the same question, time and again: "Why are we not the kings, if we rule the land?" The ancient oath of office, whereby the Steward takes up rule of the land "until the king returns", suddenly rings true in Boromir's ears. He has a duty to examine Aragorn's claim, and to present it to Gondor, if it seems to be legitimate. In the end, that duty falls to his brother Faramir, who succeeds Denethor as the last Ruling Steward of Gondor. Faramir needs time to reconcile himself to Aragorn's claim. When he first learns of that claim from Sam and Frodo, he is doubtful. "So great a claim will need to be established, and clear proofs will be required," he points out, before Gondor considers Aragorn's petition. From that time forward, until he is awakened from his illness by Aragorn, Faramir has no opportunity to meet and appraise the man who would be king. And yet, Faramir recognizes Aragorn immediately upon awakening. He has certainly had plenty of time to consider Frodo's story. In fact, Faramir knows Gondor's history better than Boromir. Whereas Boromir casually relays what the common people know or believe about the past for his companions, Faramir gives Sam and Frodo a concise lecture on Gondor's history. It may be that Faramir has had time to think about Thorongil, the mysterious Dunadan warrior who served his grandfather, Ecthelion, for a few years.

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