Arwen-Undomiel.com :: View topic - Boromir, Brave or Weak?

OK, time for me to get into fine fighting form. :-P

Boromir is strong. The Ring was one of his few weaknesses, and we just happened to see that. But think about it. He'd spent years fighting without any hope. How often do you think he cried? How often do you think he said 'I'm giving up?' Not very often. And even with the terrible family relationships, he still fought on. He was stronger than many of us would be in that situation. And if we were tested, would we be strong enough to refuse the Ring? Is it fair for anyone to say 'he was weak; he tried to take the Ring, gave in to temptation.' Can you say with all certainty you wouldn't do the same? (I am not accusing anyone at all of saying Boromir's really weak, far from it, I'm just getting into debating mode)

^ Why do you say that? I'm inclined to disagree with you.
I do think that Boromir was brave, but I also think he was weak. You can be both. He was weak to submit to the will of the Ring and attempt to kill Frodo, but he was brave as well. Not only did he die to defend Merry and Pippin, but he was also brave enough to face the fact that he had been weak and tried to take the Ring from Frodo. Boromir was not a cowardly man, but he did have his weak moments just as all humans do.

Author:	Lady Ella [ August 31st, 2006, 7:31 pm ]
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i think bomire is so brave braver than faramir

Author:	Starlight [ August 31st, 2006, 8:47 pm ]
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^ Why do you say that? I'm inclined to disagree with you. I do think that Boromir was brave, but I also think he was weak. You can be both. He was weak to submit to the will of the Ring and attempt to kill Frodo, but he was brave as well. Not only did he die to defend Merry and Pippin, but he was also brave enough to face the fact that he had been weak and tried to take the Ring from Frodo. Boromir was not a cowardly man, but he did have his weak moments just as all humans do.

Author:	Dumanyu [ September 1st, 2006, 10:40 pm ]
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Boromir was brave, and strong physically, but not weak in mind, so much, as weak in spirit. The years of struggle took their toll on him, and wore him down til he had little hope. He saw the ring as the last ditch effort to save Gondor, and that was his undoing. I believe he found redemption in the battle to save Merry and Pippin, but still had little hope for the future. Denethor was much the same. The Palantir showed him (with the deception of Sauron) that his cause was hopeless, and he turned fatalistic. Faramir struck me as on who looks forward, and is the better man. I don't think he would ever give in and succumb to despair.

Author:	The Nightingale [ October 31st, 2006, 12:30 am ]
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I would say that they're both brave. Boromir stays strong through trial, and realizes what he's done wrong, repents, and then protects. He's got an amazing story. Faramir goes out to save Osgilith, even though he knows he's probably going to die.

Author:	Altariel Frodo [ November 2nd, 2006, 10:19 pm ]
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OK, time for me to get into fine fighting form. Boromir is strong. The Ring was one of his few weaknesses, and we just happened to see that. But think about it. He'd spent years fighting without any hope. How often do you think he cried? How often do you think he said 'I'm giving up?' Not very often. And even with the terrible family relationships, he still fought on. He was stronger than many of us would be in that situation. And if we were tested, would we be strong enough to refuse the Ring? Is it fair for anyone to say 'he was weak; he tried to take the Ring, gave in to temptation.' Can you say with all certainty you wouldn't do the same? (I am not accusing anyone at all of saying Boromir's really weak, far from it, I'm just getting into debating mode) Faramir is probably just as strong. He also had overwhelming things to deal with, and he fought through. He didn't give in to the temptation of the Ring, but of course, he was around it far less than Boromir was. He was of a different personality than Boromir, and was less inclined towards the Ring and its power anyway. So both brothers were, I think, equally strong. They are amazing characters, two of my favorite in LotR. There, I'm done.

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Author:	Laurana [ November 6th, 2006, 2:02 am ]
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I think Boromir and Faramir were both strong. Boromir was strong and defended both Merry and Pippin against numorous Urah-kai and orcs and died doing that. His weakness was the ring but probably more so was that he wanted to please his father and that involved bringing him the ring.

Author:	Firaeya Laisidhiel [ November 28th, 2006, 10:57 pm ]
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I know inside that Boromir is extremely brave, I mean, pretty much everyone except Galadriel, Elrond and Gandalf gave in to the Ring's power, but I can't help but think he's a total loser. I've been trying to convince myself that he ISN'T, but it's kind of hard...

Author:	Aruvale [ December 9th, 2006, 3:42 pm ]
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I think he is very brave. Tolkien portrays him as a very brave and noble man in the book. He seems so much weaker in the movies. ButI think all the time he ahd a weak soul. He didn't really understand that the Ring could only be used for evil until the very end of his life. I think his brother had a stronger soul than him.

Author:	bow_and_arrow [ December 10th, 2006, 4:23 am ]
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Aruvale wrote: I think he is very brave. Tolkien portrays him as a very brave and noble man in the book. He seems so much weaker in the movies. ButI think all the time he ahd a weak soul. He didn't really understand that the Ring could only be used for evil until the very end of his life. I think his brother had a stronger soul than him. I agree with the soul part, and the film definitely portrays him weaker than he appears in the book.

Author:	Princess of Ithilien [ December 19th, 2006, 9:06 pm ]
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Altariel Frodo wrote: OK, time for me to get into fine fighting form. Boromir is strong. The Ring was one of his few weaknesses, and we just happened to see that. But think about it. He'd spent years fighting without any hope. How often do you think he cried? How often do you think he said 'I'm giving up?' Not very often. And even with the terrible family relationships, he still fought on. He was stronger than many of us would be in that situation. And if we were tested, would we be strong enough to refuse the Ring? Is it fair for anyone to say 'he was weak; he tried to take the Ring, gave in to temptation.' Can you say with all certainty you wouldn't do the same? (I am not accusing anyone at all of saying Boromir's really weak, far from it, I'm just getting into debating mode) I can't imagine Boromir crying. That gave me so many ideas...Boromir crying...huh. Tinuviel's Tears wrote: ^ Why do you say that? I'm inclined to disagree with you. I do think that Boromir was brave, but I also think he was weak. You can be both. He was weak to submit to the will of the Ring and attempt to kill Frodo, but he was brave as well. Not only did he die to defend Merry and Pippin, but he was also brave enough to face the fact that he had been weak and tried to take the Ring from Frodo. Boromir was not a cowardly man, but he did have his weak moments just as all humans do. I don't think he's weak to succumb to the Ring. I imagine most people would. Gandalf, Galadriel, Aragorn, and a whole bunch of people would try to the use the Ring but end up using it for evil. They didn't attempt to take it with brute strength like Boromir, true, but think--"I ask only for the strenght to defend my people!" Boromir's was entrusted to protect his Gondor and he's been told by his father that the Ring can do that. I know he went to the Council of Elrond and all, but he and his father are very close and it's more likely that he trust Denethor than trust foreign elves [elrond].

Author:	Lothiriel [ December 20th, 2006, 6:08 am ]
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I don't think that Boromir was only brave or only weak. He was both. By giving in to the will of the ring he proved that he can be as weak as the next person but by giving away his life to save the hobbits he proved that he is brave. Some might say that Boromir gave in to the temptation of the ring but he wasn't the only one. And I agree with Princess of Ithilien with the Denether part.

Author:	silfa [ December 24th, 2006, 4:16 am ]
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He was brave. I mean, come on! Isilder, the guy who cut the ring off Sauron's finger, fell to the ring's power! Just because he had one moment of weakness doesn't mean he's weak or bad!

Author:	Poison Ivy [ January 5th, 2007, 7:05 pm ]
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I consider Boromir to be brave. Yes, he succumbed to a weakness he shouldn't have, yes, he made a few mistakes, but who doesn't do those things at least once in their life? Besides, he was able to wake from his weak spell, realise what he did wrong, and try to set things right by attempting to tell Frodo he was sorry and trying to save Merry and Pippin [it must've been crushing for him to see them taken away after he tried to protect them]. He also loved and protected his brother, and tried to be a good son for his father. Those qualities in themselves are noble.

Author:	*Eruraina* [ January 6th, 2007, 3:05 pm ]
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I do think Boromir was strong. He had a weakness for the ring, but i just think that it's something that many people would have got if they were in his place. Isildur and Galadriel for instance, they had a weakness for the ring too, and they are considered strong people. No i do not think Boromir was weak.

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Author:	Drew's Destiny [ January 9th, 2007, 6:07 pm ]
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Well, I think that Boromir was strong and brave and stupid and maybe even weak depending on which part you were reading at the time. In a sense. He was strong because he protected members of the Fellowship and Gondor and other countries. He was brave because he went out and protected all those places and people and was a part of the fellowship even though he knew that those tasks might have claimed his life. As for him being weak as others have said the fact of the matter is that he tried to take the ring...he gave into the ring's power. That was weak of him. Then I've noticed that nobody so far that I have seen (granted though that I haven't read all 7 pages) has yet to reffer to him as dumb, stupid, or foolish. However I think that those adjectives could apply to him quite well. Him thinking that the ring would make a good weapon for him and that taking it from Frodo was a good idea in my opinion seems very stupid of him. After all that had been said at the Council of Elrond in my opinion he should have known better. Overall I like him in the book. The reason being because though stupid and weak at times it was he did have good intentions and in His case I can give sympathy to him. I felt sorry for him all he really wanted to do was "have the strength to defend his coutry" and to get to go home. That being said I think that also overal he is best describbed as stupid, brave, but with good intentions. l As for who was stronger Faramir of Boromir...I think that I shall stay out of this one for awhile....

Author:	laurel [ January 13th, 2007, 1:14 pm ]
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I guess yo could really go both ways with this topic. He was indeed a brave person but it really matters about what you consider brave, he lead an army before the fellowship, he confronted his father. He was also weak the he let his little brother suffer years of abuse when he could have stopped it among other things. Like most newbie when I was first starting to like lotr I hated him but after a while I started to cry when I died in the movies or the book. I think hes both.