I would suppose it was to show that she was not afraid to die and for him to find if the spirit of Rohan was strong enough to help him.

Why would Aragorn fight Eowyn in the first place. He needed the Rohirrim to help save Gondor. I am pretty sure had he killed Eowyn, his standing in Rohan would have diminished greatly and the Rohirrim wouldn't have rode to his aide..;):)

Muhammed not a warrior???? Better re-read your Haditha. Muhammed was a brigand and caravan raider long before his 'revelation', and spent most of his subsequent life killing and conquering people...all in the name of Allah, of course.

Uhhh.... I think we're getting off the topic here, we were talking about Aragorn and Eowyn.

Everything comes down to how you see it ---- what is your slant on things .... your perspective. I see the Eowyn/Aragorn scene as this: Eowyn is being serious while Aragorn is being a bit playful and indulging her. Not for one minute, and not until this very thread, did I ever entertain the idea that Eowyn was auditioning or trying to better Argorn. I probably have seen that film at least 25 times including theater and home DVD and never saw it as anything but a cute and poignant moment between the two.

I have seen this film at least 25 times and truthfully never ever ever saw Jackson as suggesting that Eowyn was trying to kick the behind of Aragorn. But again, its all in perspective and everyone is entitled to their own.

But if it wasn't something more, Aragorn could have simply just walked by nodded and went about his business. He did not have to stop and 'play' with Eowyn if she was nothing more than a silly girl playing with a sword. They were testing each other, plain and simple, not as enemies but to see each others stregnths.

If I were Aragorn I would want my better angles to follow me into battle. Maybe he knew Eowyn was the 'no man' that would best the Wiki and needed to know if she had it in her. Maybe Eowyn needed to know that the people of Rohan, if they fell, would have a place in Gondor. This is how these things are tested. Neither wanted the first warrior to crack going to war with them. They wanted someone who would stand up and fight, not run away in fear.

So even if Aragorn could best Eowyn he knew that he had her and the Rohirrim as allies. And vice-versa.

Quempel ... you could be 100% right about this. I simply never saw it that way at all. I think if you look at the first post by Folwren in this thread, it is very understandable that a young woman - such as Folwren - would view this scene far differently than a middle aged man like myself ... or even Peter Jackson. We all see things differently based on our life experience and the position we occupy at this time in the world.

Aragorn perceived no threat whatever. He was handling Eowyn with a combination of good natured play, a tiny bit of flirtation, and a healthy dose of admiration. He also wanted to understand her which I think is why he asked the questions of her.

I do not think this was a test for him. For Aragorn, it would be like a veteran driver of 25 years having to take a routine drivers test that he could do in his sleep. I think you read far too much into a rather simple scene.

But that does not make me correct or make you wrong.

And thats how you see it. Funny as a bit older woman I see things differently.

To each his own.

Oh, lol, StW! You continue to surprise me...but this time, it's with your apparent naivety. I never use the terminology I did above...I may safely say this is the first time I have ever used it, and I thought for sure that you, who has taught and been around kids and young people, would know what it meant. Oh well.

Well... it is good to keep them wondering. ;)

Having been away from the classroom for a solid two years now, I (hopefully) have left all the slang and youth verbage behind forever.

I agree; Mohammed wasn't a warrior at all. He was a common highwayman.

To say that Eowyn could have beaten Aragorn with any kind of weapon is nonsense, despite all her girl power and intense emotions concerning the matter. In that particular scene, however, one did get the sense that Eowyn had perhaps gotten the drop on Aragorn - but only because he wasn't really fighting.

Were he trying to kill Eowyn, there would be nothing easier, being superior to Eowyn in almost every way imaginable. Aragorn was in his prime, and had been leading armies into battle before Eowyn was born, gosh darn it.