Temptation of Boromir

[Farael]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I would think that it might be because Aragorn knew the history of the Ring too well; he knew what would happen if he'd left himself to be tempted. Also, Aragorn's love for Gandalf and Elrond might have been a reason. Besides, I think his heart was different from Boromir's. (Can't explain how.)

Originally Posted by Letter #246
Sauron would not have feared the Ring! It was his own and under his will. Even from afar he had an effect upon it, to make it work for its return to himself.

And I'm missing one quote, that has been quoted many times before... Only Gandalf, of all the powerful elves/humans/ainur had any hopes of mastering the ring and fighting Sauron for dominion (even if he was doomed to fall to the tempation of the ring and become another Dark Lord).

As Thinlomien smartyle explained, many of the characters in the council of Elrond would have not taken the ring, or would have taken it and guarded it until the end... but Boromir was different. Not only he would have taken the ring but he would have used actively to puruse victory on the battlefield... which, we are lead to think would have been ill-advised, as he would not have been able to master the Ring to its full potential and would have been ultimately overthrown and given Sauron the very thing he meant to keep away from him.

So why does Boromir feel more temptation than everyone else at the council or any other of the nine walkers? I've always thought that it was because the ring knew that Boromir was his best bet to get back to Sauron soon.

Choose Elrond and you'll be hidden and guarded until the very end (when the ring would not really be THAT necessary anymore). Choose Aragorn and it is the same scenario. Choose Gandalf and Sauron might be overthrown, and the ring being a part of Sauron himself I'm sure it didn't really want that to happen. Choose a hobbit and the ring will probably be lost in the middle of nowhere, it's easier to have it on the battlefront where a good sword or even a lucky arrow might do the trick. Think of anyone else and what that character is likely to do... and so far, I find that Boromir (in spite of his noble intentions) would have been the one to surrender the ring sooner than the rest.