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The Men Who Would Be Steward - Page 6

© Michael Martinez

It would seem that Boromir had to be a very compelling man, perhaps a very charismatic man. His people loved him, including his stern father, his scholarly brother, and the brave men who served under him in war. Aragorn seems to have respected Boromir's opinion enough not to argue with him. And perhaps Aragorn was himself a bit intimidated by Boromir, who was after all the heir of the ruler of Gondor. Aragorn was the rightful King of Gondor, but his right had not been recognized by Gondor. Boromir seems a bit tyrannical at times, but it may be that he was simply being himself -- a leader of men, making decisions swiftly and reasonably (within the bounds of his experience). He did give pretty good advice, on occasion. For example, it was Boromir who suggested the Company of the Ring take bundles of wood up onto the mountain. For his part, Aragorn was deferring to Gandalf's leadership while Gandalf traveled with the company. But he may also have been winning Boromir's trust. Boromir would have been in a position to sway the people of Gondor toward Aragorn's claim, but why should he do so? When Frodo told Faramir (in Ithilien) that Boromir was satisfied of Aragorn's claims, Faramir pointed out that Boromir and Aragorn had not yet become rivals in Gondor's wars. Aragorn needed to be Boromir's friend. He needed Boromir to trust him, at least to the point where Boromir might say nothing when Aragorn pressed his claim. Were Boromir to denounce Aragorn after reaching Minas Tirith, things would not have gone well for Aragorn. But Boromir, for his part, had accepted Aragorn's companionship on the road. Furthermore, he recognized his obligation to let Aragorn make his case to Gondor. After Elrond introduced Aragorn to Boromir, Aragorn asked him bluntly: "Do you wish for the House of Elendil to return to the land of Gondor?" Boromir immediately denied any such request: "I was not sent to beg any boon," he replied, "but to seek only the meaning of a riddle." Nonetheless, he quickly added: "Yet we are hard pressed, and the Sword of Elendil would be a help beyond our hope -- if such a thing could indeed return out of the shadows of the past." Boromir's concession is very grudging at best. He is not saying, "Yes, you are the heir of Elendil, come and make your claim to the throne." Rather, he is saying, "The throne awaits the return of a true king, as it has for a thousand years." Boromir does not yet believe that Aragorn is really Elendil's heir. He knows Elrond is an ancient lord among the Elves, but Elrond's words just cannot ring quite true to a man whose family has awaited the return of a king merely as a formality for so many centuries.

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