Episode 140 Summary

Tony Meade

Active Member
SESSION 140

On the scornful names of countrymen:
  • How much bitterness or scorn is in Aragorn’s statement about Butterbur? Aragorn seems to speak of Butterbur with some affection, and some respect for his willingness to help Frodo.
  • Strider had told Frodo that he didn’t think any ill of “old Butterbur”, which is a statement of affection, which means that he thins that Barliman has his heart in the right place.
  • Since Strider calls Butterbur by his first name, this implies a certain familiarity and warmth.
  • Why does Aragorn talk about Butterbur as a “fat man” and of the foes surrounding him? This is mainly for the benefit of those who would know about whom he is speaking, such as Frodo.
  • Strider did call Butterbur “fat” to his face, with no thought of offending him, like a friend.
  • Note: Fat jokes in Middle-earth don’t carry the same charge that they do in our world. Fat people are not ashamed of being fat, nor offended by the use of the word about them. From Bombur to Fatty Bolger to Barliman Butterbur, there is no shame, but a sign of prosperity. In Bombur’s case, the joke is the juxtaposition of a fat dwarf on a treasure hunt, which is absurd.
  • The most important aspect of Butterbur’s fatness is his comfort and safety, provided by the protection of the Dúnedain. This will also be applied to Will Whitfoot’s fitness for being mayor.
  • Note: When Fredegar Bolger is released from the lock-holes after the Scouring, his lack of fatness will be a sort of allegory for what has happened to the Shire over the preceding year.
  • People like Boromir will not understand the reference to Butterbur, but it still serves as an illustration for the scorn of the Rangers and the results of their efforts.
The task of Aragorn’s kindred:
  • As Aragorn uses the present perfect tense in “That has been the task”, he is saying that this task has been completed as of this present moment. From now, they have a different task.
  • He switches to present tense alone to describe the current state of the world and shows that the things that are happening now are setting the course for the future.
  • The fact that battle is “at hand” acts as a transition between present and future tenses.
  • For Boromir, Isildur’s Bane just appeared, so Aragorn declares this as the moment it is found. He is not referring to its discovery by Bilbo or Frodo’s journey to Rivendell but showing it here.
  • The fact that the Sword shall be reforged is contingent on the previous statements of fact. It was possible to have reforged the sword at any time in the past, but it wasn’t yet time to do so.
  • Aragorn is emphasizing that what is happening now will change the world in an age-ending way.
  • His coming to Minas Tirith is the logical consequence of all these previous statements.
  • This is also a shift from when Aragorn asked Boromir if he would have the house of Elendil return to Gondor. Now, Aragorn is stating this as his intention, regardless of Boromir’s answer.
  • He had not asked for Boromir permission or for an invitation, but because he wants Boromir to consider the meaning of his return. This declaration here is about Boromir’s intentions.
  • However, Aragorn is not making any political statements about the kingship in this promise.
  • Note: For re-readers, who know how the book ends, it is easy to read into this an intention to take the kingship, but Aragorn is precisely not talking about that in his statements, however much it might be on his mind. He has talked of taking up Elendil’s mantle in terms of leadership and sacrifice in the war against Sauron, but not in terms of Elendil as High King.
  • Aragorn will act as their king first, in terms of his duty to save Gondor from its peril before anyone acclaims him as their king in the political sense.
  • Note: Aragorn will follow through on his promise in a dramatic way, coming as a eucatastrophe to rescue the city at its moment of greatest danger. This makes his question to Boromir pointed.
  • This moment feels like one of foresight on Aragorn’s part. He doesn’t just declare his intention, but rather as a statement of fact of what will definitely happen in the future.
  • Note: In terms of the kingship, Aragorn will avoid coming into the city until he is acclaimed later.
  • It’s possible that Aragorn came to this conclusion while speaking, while using strong rhetoric.
  • The message of Boromir’s dream seems to be final confirmation for Aragorn that the hour has come for the Sword to be reforged, including that it is delivered by the son of the Steward.
  • It’s also likely that Aragorn feels that this message was also intended for him secondhandedly.
  • Note: We are told later that Aragorn views the dream message as a summons for him. It is for this reason that Aragorn is so torn at Parth Galen between following Frodo into Mordor and going to Minas Tirith, as he had promised in his statement here. In the end, he chooses to do neither, but ends up fulfilling his foretelling by a different route.
  • It’s possible that he began understanding that this hour was coming since Gandalf had opened up about Bilbo and the Ring and he began protecting the Shire, but the hour is now here.
  • What was predicted was a public enactment of this moment, which Aragorn has now declared.
  • The secondary audience for the message was not just Aragorn, but the members of the Council in general. This message is also about and for Frodo, as he is the halfling mentioned in it.
  • Note: As narrator of this portion of the text, Frodo remains distant from the events and we are not privy to his thoughts. This is a deviation from Tolkien’s usual technique of narrating from the point of view of the least knowledgeable character, such as when Pippin’s point of view is used to describe the trip with Gandalf to see Denethor, including his personal perspective on it. Also, there’s no reason to think that this is not an accurate recollection of the speeches, in terms of theme and style, if not the exact recording of their words, as rhetoric was an important skill.
(continued below)
 

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(continued)

A bright ring in the Halfling’s hand:
  • Boromir only acknowledges with any certainty that he has seen the Ring in Frodo’s hand. Everything else that has been said is up for debate and only based on the learning of the Wise.
  • This opens an opportunity for Elrond to return to his prepared agenda for the Council.
  • Does Frodo put the Ring away after showing it to everyone? It seems so, since Boromir uses the phrase “have seen”, meaning that he is not currently able to see it.
  • How skeptical is Boromir in his questioning of their conclusions? His question is a reasonable one, given that this is the reason given for the declarations of intent that Aragorn has made.
  • He is not challenging any of the lore that has been presented, but he doesn’t understand how it could have ended up with the hobbits before coming here, but not actively resistant to it.
  • The word “his” is referring to Isildur, not Sauron, and Boromir is focused the path from him.
  • The use of “bright” is a clue as to Boromir’s tone and intention, as the rest of it is neutral. The fact that he attaches an adjective describing the beauty of the Ring is a tell concerning Boromir.
  • Boromir is almost certainly unaware of the how he is giving away his admiration for the Ring.
  • He may be implying, by referencing the time gap between Isildur and the present, that the Ring does not look old enough to be the same Ring, by conventional measures.
  • While the Ring is gold, and gold is known for the fact that it doesn’t tarnish, this Ring is different.
An appeal to “the Wise”:
  • By inserting the phrase “you say”, Boromir is bringing back one of Aragorn’s premises to be examined, but he also shifts from the second to the third person to be diplomatic.
  • He is not challenging Aragorn’s claim about the Ring, as it wasn’t his claim, but rather Elrond’s.
  • Who is counted among “the Wise”? The published text never makes any defined list, though there are some that we assume, like Gandalf, Elrond, Saruman, and Galadriel, among others.
  • Though “the Wise” is not equivalent to the White Council, there is overlap. Gandalf also refers to “the Wise” in the abstract, though he is one of both groups.
  • It is probably a deliberately vague term, such as an undefined “they” or “the powers-that-be”.
  • It’s possible that Boromir means something different by that phrase than Gandalf or the Elves.
  • Note: Earlier, Gandalf referenced the “elven-wise” of Rivendell, which is more specific, but this use as a noun is different from the use as an adjective to describe Lúthien in the poem, and also about Aragorn in the appendices.
So strange a messenger:
  • Until this moment, Boromir has never heard of Hobbits, as they are not known in Gondor. This is the reason that the poem’s words about “the halfling” would be so hard for him to understand.
  • He is also referring to the fact that a halfling would not be the kind of person expected to have the Ring of Power. While he is just as unfamiliar with the Elves, he might expect one of them.
  • Note: The unexpected nature of the Hobbits is one of their virtues in the war with Sauron.
  • Note: In both Rohan and Gondor, people will assume that Hobbits are like children and treat them as such. Therefore, Frodo might appear to Boromir like a much younger person.
  • It seems that, like Legolas was among the Elves, Frodo and Bilbo are set apart in the Council.
  • While Aragorn described in detail how the Sword passed down to appear in the Council, and that explanation made logical sense, how the Ring could have come down here isn’t obvious.
  • Note: There is a different sense between the future tense words “will” and “shall”. “Shall” is used of events that happen regardless of intent, while “will” is used about people’s choices. Elrond is using the passive voice, meaning that he will not be the person to tell about the Ring.
  • It is notable that Boromir avoids the topic of Aragorn’s coming to the aid of Gondor and focuses on the provenance of the Ring instead. He has no answer for Aragorn at all, and changes subject.
  • Boromir is certainly not going to reveal how he feels about Aragorn’s return, whether from a practical or political point of view, or any awe from the mythic perspective of the past.
  • He may also want to bring the discussion back to the smaller and more practical matters of the Ring, which he thinks of as Isildur’s ring, and which might be claimed by someone else.
  • Whatever lore Boromir has heard about the Ring, he clearly doesn’t understand its nature.
  • Note: This notion of a rightful claim will be used as a rationalization by Boromir later with Frodo.
  • Boromir’s statement seems to be driven by awe rather than resistance, and he wants the details about this lore that everyone else takes for granted. Galdor will ask similar questions later.
  • The neutrality of Elrond’s response reveals that Boromir is not being aggressive in his questioning, but rather asking reasonable questions given his knowledge.
END OF SESSION
 

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