LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 07 - The Pyre of Denethor

[Formendacil]

Before thinking about my reread, in response to the ancient questions above about Gandalf's authority to put Imrahil in command, it seems to me that the context of their conversation is missing: Gandalf doesn't have to convince Gondor that Imrahil is in command, just Imrahil. As noted above, Imrahil is disposed as "a good person" to trust Gandalf--and in case we have any doubt that this new, minor character is a good person, we just saw him (albeit in what will be his future) effectively saving Eowyn and being leagued with Aragorn and Imrahil.

So if Gandalf convinces Imrahil to take command, I think he's all set. Argue, if you will, whether it would be within the scope of the prince's authority to take charge of Gondor's military, but I don't think there's any doubt that he would be obeyed if he gave orders--unless someone arrived with the Steward's authority to gainsay him, and the Steward has been AWOL for days. "The Siege of Gondor" shows that when Denethor abandons care for the defences that it's Gandalf and Imrahil going about motivating the troops. Quite apart from that, however, he's the highest ranked noble in the city and brother-in-law to the Steward (and I think we can say that his presence in the city's hour of need--as the Lord of Belfalas--is telling when Gondor's south is so threatened, and thus so unable to send significant numbers--is telling of his close loyalty to the Steward).

As for the reread... "The Pyre of Denethor" is a favourite chapter of mine. The tragedy of the House of Denethor is one of my favourite bits, engaging in its own right and a perfect answer to anyone who says Tolkien wrote only in black and white.

Beregond's dilemma and choices are equally grey, even if his own character is far more clear-cut. Following orders is not a minor matter for a soldier in war and slaying the doorwarden is as murky a moral.choice as anything Gollum does.

[Zigûr]

I always assumed Gandalf "gave" Imrahil command fairly informally; Imrahil seems to have been wise enough to have recognised Gandalf's good sense, and as Formendacil has said, he alone needed to be convinced, perhaps even just informed; Imrahil was (by position at least) possibly the second most important man in Gondor after Denethor himself.

(Prince of Dol Amroth seems to have been one of the highest positions in the realm; his ancestor had been "chief" of Cirion's companions at the swearing of the Oath of Eorl, and one of only four men (along with Cirion and Eorl themselves, and Eorl's own Chief Captain Éomund) who decided on the boundaries of Rohan.)

It was probably Imrahil's responsibility in the chain of command to take charge at that point, and simply needed someone better-informed than himself at that time, who he respected, to tell him that he needed to take on that role.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

I agree; Imrahil was the Senior Surviving Officer, both given the elevated status of the Principality of Dol Amroth as the premier peerage of the realm, as well as his being Denethor's and Faramir's nearest living kinsman

Gandalf just had to elbow him in the ribs to remember his cue (in part because Imrahil was expecting Aragorn to step up on the spot).