Character Analysis Thread

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by MatthewM

Ibrîniðilpathânezel, I do not have enough knowledge of genes and science to take you up on this, but I must say that Gandalf must have been talking metaphorically. There's no way Boromir and Faramir didn't share the same blood.

All siblings share the same blood - but that doesn't mean they must be identical twins. Ibrin is 100% right - genes may be expressed or not. Genotype is one thing, phenotype is another: thus brothers can be (and often are) very unlike, both in appearance and in character. And even the Numenoreans from the line of Elendil were not all alike: we are told in UT that Aragorn most resembled Elendil himself, as well as Isildur’s son Elendur, while Boromir was much alike to Earnur the last King and to Boromir I, Steward of Gondor.

Boromir was a great man - we see him only as a member of the Fellowship, but he was first and foremost the Captain of the White Tower, military commander of Gondor, loved and respected by everyone in Gondor - and the future steward.
And it was not only for his personal benefit that Boromir wanted the Ring, but mostly for the good of his country.

It looks like Gandalf and the Wise failed to realize that by his position and his personality, Boromir would be in grave danger from the Ring's lure. Aragorn would have been even more susceptible, but for his training: I think Elrond and Gandalf made it abundantly clear to him over the years that Isildur his ancestor was wrong to take the Ring and why. Boromir has never heard about the Ring before the Council and I don't think that he ever understood WHY the Ring should not be used against Sauron. In a way Boromir's fall is the fault of the Wise.