Humility & Heroes

[Boromir88]

Anyone wonder why the arch villain doesn't just shoot the hero right in between the eyes? Instead he always has to lock him in some inescapable (yet somehow escapable) contraption, not take away the hero's handy utility belt, tell the hero he will be leaving for a few hours so outside is a completely inept guard to make sure he doesn't escape? One word - ofermod.

An overmastering pride, an extreme arrogance in your own abilities. You are the super genius, you think you can't be beaten. Though, it's always these guys that get foiled.

I don't want to get into what Tolkien believed ofermod meant, and what it actually does mean (possibly), because I don't think that's important to this discussion. Seeing as we are talking about Tolkien's story here, I think it's quite acceptable to use and apply the word to his characters. (If you disagree - tough. ) As Lalwende brought to my attention many moons ago:

Apparently, Tolkien was preoccupied also with defining the limitations of heroism. His translation of ofermod clearly implies a distinction between the bold and the foolhardy, high spirit and excessive spirit.

For the full essay go here.

Or let me just put it this way...Gandalf doesn't need to talk a big game, he would just do it. If he were to theoretically lay a beatdown on Saruman, he wouldn't brag about how he could kick around Saruman until he's black and blue, he would just do it. The kicker is, if he couldn't he would say so...

"I am Gandalf the White, but Black is mightier still."~The White Rider

What's really interesting is White ends up mightier in the end anyway...or does it really?