Boromir's death represents imo his ultimate triumph over himself, he has redeemed himself by his selfless defence of the hobbits, his pride is crushed by losing the fight with the orcs, (never mind that he was vastly outnumbered).
He says to Aragorn that he tried to take the ring, and also that Merry and Pippin are taken, 'I have failed'
Aragorn's reply is that 'No you have conquered.' implying that Boromir has conquered himself, and overcome his faults.
I agree that if he had not died, more problems would have arisen in Minas Tirith, if only that he would have told his father all about the quest and then Denethor would quite likely have looked in his palantir and reavealed, possibly without realising it, the entire plot to Sauron, thus dooming the ringbearers and all the hopes resting upon them.
|