Boromir

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Boromir arrived at Rivendell just as the Council of Elrond was commencing. There he told of Gondor's attempts to keep the power of Mordor at bay. He attempted to persuade the Council to let him take the One Ring to defend Gondor, but was told that it would corrupt and destroy its user, and alert Sauron to its presence. He accepted this for the moment. He agreed to accompany Aragorn to Gondor's capital, Minas Tirith, and since their path lay with the Fellowship for the first part of the journey, he pledged to protect the Ring-bearer, Frodo.[T 3]

Boromir accompanied the Fellowship south from Rivendell. Before departing, he sounded the Horn of Gondor, saying he "would not go forth like a thief into the night". On the journey south, he questioned the wisdom of their leader Gandalf. On the Fellowship's attempt to pass over the Misty Mountains, he advised that firewood be collected before the attempt to climb Caradhras, saving them from freezing in a blizzard. In the retreat from Caradhras, Boromir proved his strength as he and Aragorn forced a way through shoulder-high snowbanks back down the mountain.[T 5]

The Fellowship then passed under the mountains through the caverns of Moria where Gandalf was killed, and Aragorn became their new guide.[T 6][T 7] At the borders of the Elven realm of Lothlórien, Boromir was unnerved by the thought of entering, pleading with Aragorn to find another way "though it led through a hedge of swords"; he cited stories of elvish witchcraft, and the "strange paths" they had already taken which had caused Gandalf's death.[T 8] Once in Lórien, Boromir was 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 gave Boromir a golden belt and an Elven-cloak.[T 4]

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 urged the Fellowship to accompany him to Minas Tirith before going on to Mordor.[T 9] As Frodo pondered his course from Parth Galen, Boromir privately urged him to use the Ring in Gondor's defence, rather than to "throw it away". Finally, he succumbed to the temptation to take the Ring for himself, justifying this by his duty to his people and his belief in his own integrity.[T 10]

True-hearted Men, they will not be corrupted. We of Minas Tirith have been staunch through long years of trial. We do not desire the power of wizard-lords, only strength to defend ourselves, strength in a just cause. And behold! In our need chance brings to light the Ring of Power. It is a gift, I say; a gift to the foes of Mordor. It is mad not to use it, to use the power of the Enemy against him. The fearless, the ruthless, these alone will achieve victory. What could not a warrior do in this hour, a great leader? What could not Aragorn do? Or if he refuses, why not Boromir? The Ring would give me power of Command. How I would drive the hosts of Mordor, and all men would flock to my banner![T 10]

After seeing that Frodo was unconvinced, Boromir half begged, half commanded him to at least lend the Ring, and when Frodo still refused, Boromir leaped to seize it. Frodo vanished by putting on the Ring and fled, intending to continue the quest alone. Boromir, realizing his betrayal, immediately repented of his actions and wept. Searching unsuccessfully for Frodo, he told the Fellowship of Frodo's disappearance, though not of his own misdeeds. The hobbits in a frenzy scattered to look for Frodo. Aragorn, suspecting Boromir's part in Frodo's flight, ordered him to follow and protect Merry and Pippin. The Fellowship was then attacked by a band of orcs.[T 10]

Fighting to defend Merry and Pippin, Boromir was mortally wounded by orc-arrows. In Pippin's words:[T 11]

Then Boromir had come leaping through the trees. He had made them fight. He slew many of them and the rest fled. But they had not gone far on the way back when they were attacked again, by a hundred Orcs at least, some of them very large, and they shot a rain of arrows: always at Boromir. Boromir had blown his great horn till the woods rang, and at first the Orcs had been dismayed and had drawn back; but when no answer but the echoes came, they had attacked more fiercely than ever. Pippin did not remember much more. His last memory was of Boromir leaning against a tree, plucking out an arrow; then darkness fell suddenly.[T 11]

Blasts from Boromir's horn alerted Aragorn, but he came too late to prevent the hobbits' capture. As Boromir lay dying, he remorsefully confessed to attempting to take the Ring from Frodo. He urged Aragorn to save Minas Tirith, as he himself has failed. Aragorn reassured him that he had not failed, that indeed "few have gained such a victory". Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas placed 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.[T 12]

Three days later, Faramir, to his and their father's great grief, saw the boat bearing his dead brother floating down the River.[T 13]

Boromir's life and death have been compared to the legendary medieval hero Roland.[2] 15th century painting showing eight stages of Roland's life

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.[3] He is always eager to praise the great deeds of Gondor, including his own.[4] 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.[3] He makes way thereby for Aragorn to become the future king of Gondor, in a manner similar to Virgil's character Turnus.[4] He speaks of using the Ring in the service of Gondor, but his talk of "strength in a just cause" indicates, Tolkien critic Tom Shippey writes, 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.[5]

In Christian terms, Boromir atones for his assault on Frodo by single-handedly but vainly defending Merry and Pippin from orcs,[6] which illustrates the Catholic theme of the importance of good intention, especially at the point of death. This is clear from Gandalf's statement:[6][7] "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."[T 19]

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.[8] 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.[2]

The ship-burials of the seafaring Numenoreans in The Lost Road and Other Writings[T 20] have been compared to those of the Viking age as described in the Prose Edda and in Beowulf; Boromir is similarly given a boat-funeral.[T 12][9][10] 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.[11]

This list identifies each item's location in Tolkien's writings.