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[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by MatthewM

Of course, but I only put the first part of the description in because I thought you were referring to looks, so being proud wouldn't apply to that. The way you wrote it made it sound like you were referring to appearance, which wouldn't be a correct assumption as Boromir was good looking.

It's a matter of how one reads the passage.

Originally Posted by Tolkien's description of Boromir in Council of Elrond

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.

If "proud" were the third item in this list of Boromir's characteristics, there would be, as I read it of course, a comma separating "proud" from "stern of glance." But there is no comma between "proud" and "stern of glance". So we have two coordinate phrases linked by "and", "dark-haired and grey-eyed" and "proud and stern of glance."

So "proud" does not this time describe his emotional or psychological nature, but instead modifies "glance." Thus I read this last characteristic as a qualifier of that "fair and noble face"; it is part of the characteristics of Boromir's face, which is overcast, if you will, by Boromir's "proud and stern" glances. That is, his physical features are marred by this manner of looking around him. His attractiveness is overwritten by this intimidating manner of looking at people.

Pardon the focus on grammar--which can be tedious to many--but it is why I would include "proud and stern of glance" in any consideration of how attractive Book Boromir's face is/was. He ain't just a good-looker; there's something else more ominous in that face.

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