Boromir was definitely very important! Here's why:
"Boromir may actually do some good by confronting Frodo. At the very least, he forces a decision. It is characteristic of The Lord of the Rings more general that bad events are turned toward a good end through some coincidence; here, Frodo's indecision is delaying the company and Boromir's action (though deplorable) forces the hobbit to act immediately. Moreover, it forces Frodo to make what his heart tells him is the right decision. He knows that he must head for the Cracks of Doom, but, as Sam correctly observes, he is simply afraid--afraid of Mordor but also afraid that if he goes back and tries to convince the others to go to Mordor, they will talk him out of his decision. This shows Frodo's deep honesty of character; he could not live with himself if he took the easy way out, even if it seemed reasonable. It is Tolkien's view, rooted in Christianity, that evil will in the end defeat itself. Thus, Boromir's treason against the Company, even though it breaks the Fellowship, has the ultimate good effect of moving the Ring further toward the Land of Shadow."
I got that from Sparknotes. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]
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