Boromir's downfall was caused by 🧝Galadriel

[Arvedui]

From The Lord of the Rings, Farewell to Lórien:

'I shall go to Minas Tirith, alone if need be, for it is my duty,' said Boromir; and after that he was silent for a while, sitting with his eyes fixed on Frodo, as if he was trying to read the Halfling's thoughts. At length he spoke again, softly, as if he was debating with himself. 'If you wish only to destroy the Ring,' he said, 'then there is little use in war and weapons; and the Men of Minas tirith cannot help. But if you wish to destroy the armed might of the Dark Lord, then it is folly to go without force into his domain; and folly to throw away.' He paused suddenly, as if he had become aware that he was speaking his thoughts aloud. 'It would be folly to throw lives away, I mean,' he ended. 'It is a choice between defending a strong place and walking openly into the arms of death. At least, that is how I see it.'
Frodo caught something new and strange in Boromir's glance, and he looked hard at him. Plainly Boromir's thought was different from his final words. It would be folly to throw away: what? The Ring of Power? He had said something like this at the Council, but then he had accepted the correction of Elrond.

Yes, Boromir had accepted the correction of Elrond. But somewhere along the way that correction had faded from his mind, and from what had happened to the Fellowship, only one specific occation may have done this to Boromir: the moment when Galadriel looked into the eyes of each and everyone and gave them the choice between their inner dreams coming true, or continuing with their Quest.
Boromir was probably already under the influence of the Ring, and was clearly thinking a lot more of the prestige of Minas Tirith and himself than seeing the whole picture. But the catalyst for bringing him over the edge seem to have been Galadriel.

*waits for all the Elf-lovers to pick up the argument*

 

[Thorondor_]

*waits for all the Elf-lovers to pick up the argument

I am no particular fan of her, but I believe that what she gave him was an opportunity to see certain options ahead, which could have been a last chance to change for the better.

 

[Ithrynluin]

Elhendi, you've been picking on Galadriel far too frequently lately. I hereby declare you my deadliest foe. Misspelling your name on purpose will only be one of my tools for irking you.

I agree with Thorondor_. Galadriel only presented Boromir, and the rest of the Fellowship, with possible paths they may take. Choosing either option consciously was fully Boromir's responsibility.

 

[Wolfshead]

Here's an idea - perhaps she knew he would eventually fall under the spell of the Ring, so by accelerating the process she enabled it to happen before it was too late. Frodo had the chance to get away and complete the task. Perhaps if they had stayed together longer he would have been able to seize the Ring, or let it fall into the wrong hands.

 

[Aglarband]

Here's an idea - perhaps she knew he would eventually fall under the spell of the Ring, so by accelerating the process she enabled it to happen before it was too late. Frodo had the chance to get away and complete the task. Perhaps if they had stayed together longer he would have been able to seize the Ring, or let it fall into the wrong hands.

Or to take this idea further, other members of the Fellowship agreed with Boromir, and there was a split in the group.

 

[Thorondor_]

I think that she tried to be as "neutral" to their choices as she could be:

I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, nor in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be. But this I will say to you: your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while all the Company is true

 

[Corvis]

First of all, good points by Wolfshead and Aglarband. Those are things that I had never thought of before. And in my own opinion I think Galadriel was just testing each member of the fellowship to see if they were true to the mission and Frodo. Everyone had passed except (obviously) for Boromir.

 

[Wolfshead]

First of all, good points by Wolfshead and Aglarband. Those are things that I had never thought of before.

Neither had I, to be fair

 

[Inderjit S]

Boromir's downfall was caused by Boromir-by his own (albeit) latent desires, which would have merely come about anyway-Galadriel was testing him, not choosing his path for him. Even Faramir thinks so.

 

[Lady_of_Gondor]

I cannot see in the original post where Galadriel caused Boromir's temptation. Now forgive me because I haven't read the books in over two years. That's my plan over Christmas break. Galadriel often prophesied about certain things. She had foresight, and was definately a wise character. But, how does that lead Boromir to his destruction. I always thought it was because he was a man of power, because he lacked the humility that can only be found in creatures that know nothing of real power, creatures like hobbits. Because he was next in line to be Steward of Gondor, of course his vision was clouded by the illusion of grandeur. Also, he does not remember what happened to Isildur because he is mortal and has not been around long enough. He is distanced enough from the terrible past to misunderstand the ring and what it can and cannot be used for. If anything, I defend Boromir in saying that he had good intentions, but was trapped by hopes for glory. In that, I cannot understand in any capacity what Galadriel has to do with it.

 

[HLGStrider]

I think I've said this before, but I am in a strange mood that isn't conducive to digging through old threads.

I firmly believe that Galadriel didn't tempt them with anything they weren't tempting themselves with. My main reason for saying this is how most of them look away in shame, as if they were plotting to steal someone else's pillow, I believe it is stated.

If two people are in the line at the bank and one of them leans over the shoulder of the other and says, "Wouldn't it be so easy to knock this place over? We could get a couple hundred grand out of the vault before the teller noticed," you probably would be frightened or upset and maybe tempted (this is an extreme example), but you wouldn't feel shame. You might back away slowly, but you wouldn't hang your head. . .unless you happened to have been planning to do just that and this person just revealed your own thoughts.

I would describe Galadriel's process as discernment followed by revelation. She looked into each member's heart to see what they really wanted beyond the quest (A bit of earth, the ring of power. . .), and she put it before them saying, "And what if I could give it to you?"

Maybe Boromir wouldn't have remembered this desire until a bit later without such prompting, but it was in his heart, and surface enough that it only took a "reminder" of it to end his resistance.

 

[Arvedui]

Funny how most of you overlooked the word 'catalyst' in the first post....

Oh, and Ithy: there is more concerning Galadriel coming, I think.

 

[Edilor]

Chatgpt's answer since I am watching this in 2024 again:
Your perspective on Galadriel’s actions and their influence on Frodo and Boromir is intriguing. Galadriel’s warning about betrayal can indeed be seen as a foreshadowing that influences Frodo’s perception of his companions, particularly Boromir.

In Tolkien’s narrative, Galadriel’s insight into the future is more about offering a cautionary warning rather than conspiring against Boromir. Her foresight is meant to prepare Frodo for the challenges ahead, emphasizing the corrupting power of the Ring and the potential for betrayal among even the closest of allies.

Frodo’s decision to walk alone, prompted by his growing mistrust and the burden of the Ring, can be seen as a protective measure rather than a deliberate act to lead Boromir into darkness. Frodo is increasingly aware of the Ring’s influence and seeks to prevent its corruption from spreading to his friends.

Your interpretation highlights the complexity of the characters' motivations and the intricate web of influence and foresight within the story. It’s a testament to Tolkien’s depth that such varied and rich interpretations can arise from his work.

That's a thought-provoking angle. Frodo's increased use of the Ring indeed makes him more vulnerable and detectable by Sauron's forces, which ultimately leads to the ambush by the orcs and Boromir's heroic but tragic attempt to defend Merry and Pippin.

From this viewpoint, Galadriel's warning and Frodo's subsequent actions can be seen as a chain of events contributing to Boromir's death. Frodo's fear and mistrust, influenced by Galadriel’s vision, lead him to use the Ring more frequently, which in turn exposes the Fellowship to greater danger.

Boromir's death, then, can be interpreted as a consequence of both the Ring's corrupting power and the unintended ripple effects of Galadriel's prophecy. This perspective adds another layer of complexity to the narrative, highlighting how foresight and fear can interplay with the characters’ decisions and fates.

 

[Olorgando]

This looks like a case of thread title and original poster's first post not fitting together well, to me at least from a certain perspective.
Now this may not have been Arvedui's perspective, but by saying Galadriel caused - by her actions and words - Boromir's downfall, then if she had refrained from them, his downfall would not have occurred. But Arvedui's second post points out the importance of the word catalyst in the OP.

But a catalyst - called an enzyme in microbiology - does not cause something out of thin air. By definition, it hugely accelerates a reaction. So there must be at least two things that could potentially react with each other. They might not react with each other at all without the assistance of the catalyst, or at very least very much more slowly without the catalyst present. But without the existence of both of the reactants, the catalyst has no effect at all.

As I see it, Galadriel did not plant the seed of a thought in Boromir's mind that had not been there before. She recognized what was there, perhaps better than Boromir himself did just after the narrow escape from Moria. And as she knew what had happened to Isildur, though not first-hand at the Cracks of Doom as Elrond had, but had certainly been filled in on the details by Elrond, she knew of the danger Boromir potentially posed to the quest. I don't know if JRRT ever contemplated Boromir actually leaving the Fellowship (with or without companions) to return to Minas Tirith. Over the years he certainly consistently underestimated how much writing he had left to do until reaching the conclusion of the book. In hindsight, the breaking of the Fellowship was necessary to the story, so Boromir as a catalyst to help Frodo reach the decision to go to Mordor alone (to be joined by Sam and Gollum, both pivotal to the success of the quest) also looks necessary - and his death (after repentance) in defending Merry and Pippin practically inevitable.

 

[Tyelkormo the Fair]

If that's your argument, then Fëanor did nothing wrong and it was all Morgoth.

 

[Deimos]

Free will, moral agency; in the end each person is individually responsible for his choices.
I agree that Galadriel's "probing" acted as a catalyst, but she did not cause Bo to [finally] attempt to forcibly take the Ring.
Her actions neither lessen nor increase Bo's responsibility for what he did.

 

[Olorgando]

If that's your argument, then Fëanor did nothing wrong and it was all Morgoth.

Quite the contrary.

In the last part of my post starting with " don't know if JRRT ever contemplated ..." I was speculating on what JRRT as author felt were the needs of the story. Yes, he repeatedly stated that things seemed to come to him without his having premeditated them. Faramir's appearance in Ithilien long after JRRT had written the breaking of the fellowship, as he wrote in a letter to Christopher, is perhaps the clearest case. But he then had to work such matters into a coherent story.

Boromir and Fëanor both carried the seeds of their actions, their weaknesses, within them. Boromir seems to have ultimately been unable to shake his mind-set as a military commander, seeing everything from this narrow perspective. Fëanor had his possessiveness and narcissism which led him to his utterly rash actions. And he was far worse than Boromir, who repented, and confessed what had done, to Aragorn before he died. Compare this to Fëanor just before his bodily death:

"... Fëanor bade {his sons} halt, for his wounds were mortal, and he knew that his hour was come. And looking out from the slopes or Ered Wethrin with his last sight he beheld far off the peaks of Thangorodrim, mightiest of the towers of Middle-earth, and knew with the foreknowledge of death that no power of the Noldor would ever overthrow them; but he cursed the name of Morgoth thrice, and laid it upon his sons to hold to their oath, and to avenge their father."

So he basically knew he was sending his sons to certain death, and many if not all of the exiled Noldor (and others) with them. Fëanor was the Elven Morgoth.

 

[Tyelkormo the Fair]

Fëanor's greed and evil was caused by many factors throughout his life(though not justified), while Morgoth's (Satan) was part of who he was.

 

[Sword&Sorcery]

I wouldn’t say it was even a catalyst. She revealed to Boromir his inner most desire, a desire we saw in him ever since Elronds council. Boromir knew of this peril and was fighting against his lack of faith in the fellowship. In the end, despite his confliction, he was saved from this peril. The actions he took led to a series of events that would eventually allow them to succeed. In the bigger picture he was a sacrifice, one that needed to happen and he died in the way he knew best, with nobility and courage. This was his fate.

 

[Deimos]

I wouldn’t say it was even a catalyst. She revealed to Boromir his inner most desire, a desire we saw in him ever since Elronds council. Boromir knew of this peril and was fighting against his lack of faith in the fellowship. In the end, despite his confliction, he was saved from this peril. The actions he took led to a series of events that would eventually allow them to succeed. In the bigger picture he was a sacrifice, one that needed to happen and he died in the way he knew best, with nobility and courage. This was his fate.

This is exactly where Galadriel acts as a catalyst. Reread Olorgando's post about "catalyst".