[Anguirel]

Excellent comparison, Lalwende. And of course, Faramir had several advantages over Grima by virtue of his birth. He was a Numenorean of the highest blood, handsome and tall, and in a culture where it was thought perfectly acceptable to be a master of lore rather than weapons. When pushed to it, he was also a natural leader-a better one, as far as we can tell, than his brother-and physically strong enough to fight for his country. And as the son of the Steward he was already at the centre of power-and, critically, learned to be wary of power, knowing it had led to his mother's waning.

Grima did not even conform to the physical standards of Rohan, with his dark hair. He was born into a minor warrior nobility, where war and the practice of arms was everything. He was as far from power as possible, armed with only his wits. The urge to get there, to beat the great fighters, must have been his driving force throughout his early life. And not an unadmirable one. For though he always sought to serve himself, in the beginning he meant to do so by serving King and country as best he could. He was no good in battle-why not a spot of administration? But in the end his pride would take him into murkier waters.