The 7 deadly sins vs. The 7 heavenly virtues.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I will freely admit that I do not see these things as laws that everyone must follow... more as general guidelines that God likes to see us adhere to. You're not cast into eternal damnation if you succumb to pride, for instance, but you should try like heck to not over-indulge. That sort of idea. That said, when I read your post, Boromir88, the following occured to me:

The Deadly Sins reflect Boromir.

Pride

And seated a little apart was a tall man with a fair and noble face, dark-haired and grey-eyed, proud and stern of glance. (The Council of Elrond; page 269)

He ceased, but at once Boromir stood up, tall and proud, before them. (The Council of Elrond; page 275)

"I was not sent to beg any boon, but to seek only the meaning of a riddle," answered Boromir proudly. (The Council of Elrond; page 277)

Without continuing, I am sure you see my point. Boromir was very proud.

Envy
Boromir envies Aragorn the position of leader of the Fellowship, just as he envies Frodo the job of Ringbearer.

Gluttony
I'll admit to not being able to find any examples of gluttony. Proceed directly to lust. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Lust
Here's a biggie: Boromir's lust for the Ring, and for power (which translates to greed). This insatiable desire resulted in attacking Frodo (not something you should do to a friend) and trying to steal the Ring (a religious/moral no-no).

Anger
Angry that Frodo wouldn't fork the Ring over, Boromir attacked him.

Greed
See my response to Lust.

Sloth
As with Gluttony, I did not find an immediate example. Such is life, but this was a quick thought, not a greatly researched theory.

The Heavenly Virtues seem to describe Sam quite nicely.

Faith
In my copy of Webster's New World Dictionary, the fourth part of the definition of 'faith' is this: loyalty. If that doesn't describe Sam, I don't know what does.

Hope
Even when Frodo has lost all hope,

"Maybe not, Sam," said Frodo; "but it's like things are in the world. Hopes fail. An end comes. We have only a little time to wait now. We are lost in ruin and downfall, and there is no escape." (The Field of Cormallen; page 253)

Sam is still pretty hopeful:

"Well, Master, we could at least go further from this dangerous place here, from this Crack of Doom, if that's its name." (The Field of Cormallen; page 253)

There is absolutely no reason in the world for Sam to believe that they might make it out alive, and yet he still keeps going.

Charity
Leniency in judging others. I immediately think of his dealings with Faramir:

"You took the chance, sir... Yes sir, and showed your quality: the very highest." (The Window on the West; page 665)

This is after, I might add, Faramir finding out about the Ring, scaring the bejeezus out of Frodo and Sam, and putting Frodo on the spot in front of lots of armed and dangerous rangers seated in a semi-circle (although not in that particular order).

Fortitude
Courage? Do I need to cite quotes in order to show Samwise's courage?

Justice
I'd say Sam's treatment of Gollum is pretty just, if not all that nice.

Temperance
Moderation... hm... foodwise? That doesn't much work with hobbit-nature. Let's ignore that part, although there is Sam giving up his portions to Frodo during the last legs of the adventure.

Prudence
Careful conduct. Common sense. This fits Sam to a T. He's a hobbit, and he doesn't do things for stupid reasons. He has no incentive, really, to make stupid choices, and his decisions are even more thought-out when he is taking care of others (read: Frodo's nanny).

Now, I'm not entirely sure what my point was at all. Just, I guess, that two of my favorite characters, Boromir and Sam, seem to portray the sins and virtues quite nicely. Just my thoughts,

Fea