There are many traits that it takes to make a Tolkien hero, including bravery, loyalty, selflessness and honor, and the majority of the members of the fellowship tasked with destroying the one ring in the fires of Mount Doom possess all of these courageous characteristics within them. However, there is one person among them who resides in a little more of a grey area, and that’s Boromir of Gondor.
Boromir is a noble and mighty man, no doubt, and his intentions are good because he wants to help his people, but he is also weak-willed and easily succumbs to the ring, which marks him out as the only member of the fellowship to betray the quest. The portrayal of Boromir also greatly differs from Tolkien’s original books to Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations of him, especially as this extended scene completely changes Boromir’s character to show the weight and the pressure that his father Denethor puts upon him to return to the white city with the ring.
Boromir is often singled out as the one among the fellowship who wasn’t worthy of being among the ring-bearers, and has even been labeled as questionably evil or villainous by some fans, as he is indeed corrupted by the ring at the last moment, and pays for it with his life. Who can say if Boromir would have died if Gandalf had been there? Either way, all of the wiser and more powerful beings in the world knew that he would be the first to succumb, and warned Frodo of just that, long before it actually happened.
Despite his obvious penchant for the ring, whether because he had less of the Numenorian blood of old, or because he had the fatal need to live up to his father’s pressure and expectations, Boromir definitely had some redeeming qualities about him, especially in the film versions. In fact, in the movies, he was the most compassionate member of the fellowship.
There are so many examples during the Fellowship of the Ring where Boromir shows this sensitive and caring empathy in moments when it is so desperately needed, and it’s what makes the man of Gondor truly stand out as a person of genuinely quality and humanity, before the ring takes hold of him. The first scene in which this begins to come into play is the scene in which the group are all sat up on the rocks, before the long dark of Moria.
The scene is most famously known for the Crebain of Dunland, the flying spies of Saruman who approach in a fast-moving cloud above, and then report back to the white wizard on the whereabouts of the group before they can all take cover and hide. But when looking at the scene before the interruption, audiences can see Boromir teaching Merry and Pippin to fight with swords.
This is more than just a way to pass the time, in fact it is because he genuinely cares for the halflings and their safety, and wants them to be able to protect themselves if there ever comes a need. He is not like the other men, for example, Eomer who scoffs at the idea of Merry’s involvement in battle because he doesn’t believe the hobbits are capable of great deeds due to their short stature. Boromir on the other hand, sees the potential within them, and treats them as equals, showing that he holds much more understanding and empathy within him than most.
This doesn’t just extend to the hobbits either, it reaches out to every member of the fellowship. When the group find themselves in the darkened passageways, Gimli comes to the terrible realization that his cousin Balin, as well as many of his kin, have been slaughtered below ground by a terrible evil. Gimli finds his axe in the Mines of Moria, near the grave of Balin, and weeps by the side of the tomb.
During this time, the other members of the fellowship are troubled and concerned by the danger at hand, with Aragorn and Legolas standing guard, and Gandalf reading through the book found in Ori’s lap, but it is Boromir who stands beside Gimli whilst he cries, placing a comforting hand on his companions shoulder and bowing his head in respect for the grief being shown. There is so much compassion at this moment from Boromir, who has also known loss, and is the only person to acknowledge the pain that Gimli feels.
The scene quickly goes from bad to worse when the orcs attack, and the fellowship is forced to flee, and make it to the bridge of Khazad-Dum where Gandalf stands off against the Balrog of Moria. When the grey wizard falls to his death, the hobbits are understandably distraught, and have to be dragged from the mine. The music is one of the most hauntingly tragic pieces in the whole trilogy, and the scene depicts each of them lost in their own sadness and mourning, until Aragorn tells Legolas to get them on their feet, as they must keep moving if they are to get to Lorien before nightfall.
Again, it is Boromir who says “give them a moment, for pity’s sake!” as he can feel the hollowness and the despair that has come over them at the loss of their dear friend. Although Aragorn is right, and they do have to move, it is Boromir who fights for the emotion of others, for the time they need to process and deal with what has happened. Boromir may not be the ultimate warrior for Middle Earth, but he dies an honorable death, having remained loyal to the others even when the ring had its grip on him.
