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Was Boromir Evil?

The correct answer ---> Yes and no. Everyone is a little bit of both. Not pure evil or niceness. sorry about that. If we're talking about the one bit of that Fellowship Of The Ring book where he tried grabbing the One Ring, I would still say that he wasn't pure evil. He was messed up in the brain. Couldn't help it very well.
 
I agree. He wasn`t evil. He was just human and didn`t have the strongest will.
 
Boromir was not evil.

He only did one evil thing trying to take the Ring from Frodo, but:

1. he was under the power of the ring - he himself was not evil, the Ring was evil and it controlled him

2. he wanted the Ring for doing good, for helping his land and people - can someone who wants to do good be evil? Confused, mad, thoughtless - yes, but not evil.

I'm not evil if I make one mistake, do one evil thing, especially when I'm under the power of some mighty black-magic item, confused, and when I intend to do good.

Doing one evil thing doesn't make you evil!!!

Doing evil things constantly might make you evil, but even that depends on why you behave that way...
 
-The Ring did not controll him. It influenced him. It tempted him... If someone you knew had a Trillion Dollars and was out to destroy it, and you tried to take it from him, you'd be Evil, because you knew this Trillioin Dollars HAD to be destroyed.

-After all of the wisest people in ME repetadly told him it can't be used for good...

-You bring up a good point about not being evil for doing one act, but the question is.... Was Boromir Evil? Yes, he WAS, for those few minutes when he tried to stop the quest, and being so ignorant to the smartest people in the world.
 

But you do agree that he wanted the Ring for doing good?

And someone who wants to do good CAN'T be evil. As simple as that.

And, when you're doing something evil doesn't necessary mean that you are evil, it even doesn't mean that you're evil at the exact time that you're doing the evil thing. He was confused, mad, but not evil!
 
You don't seem to understand...

An evil person is someone who commits an evil act, correct? Boromir tried to stop the Ring from being destroyed, when he knew it could not be used for good. Sure, he tried to convince himself otherwise, but that's just stupidity. If you've got the last High Elf King of ME and the wisest Maia in Arda telling you that it can't be used for good, you're just plain dumb if you believe otherwise.

Which brings us to another age-old question...
Are you guilty if you don't know any better?

I think yes, of course you are. Sure you may be numb to everything, but you still commited the evil act, which makes you evil for that moment
 

You don't seem to understand...
I'm telling you, committing an evil act does not make one an evil person. No, it doesn't. Especially when that person wants to do good. Yes, he was a little stupid not to understand that the ring can't be used for good, but it was because he really wanted to use it for good, he really wanted to do good.
I'll say it again, someone who wants to do good can't be evil.

Oh, and thanks for this friendly debate I was already beginning to think that you have given up
 
I'm begining to finaly see what you all see in Boromir... I understand what you're getting at! But did you understand what I was getting at?
 
Originally posted by BlackCaptain
I'm begining to finaly see what you all see in Boromir... I understand what you're getting at! But did you understand what I was getting at?
Click to expand...

Well, what I understand is that different people understand the meaning of the word "evil" or "evil person" in different ways. You think that an evil person is someone who commits an evil act and from that point of view Boromir really was evil. But in my mind an evil person isn't just someone who does something evil, but who has done a lot of evil because he wants to do evil and that's why I think that Boromir was not evil...
 
Well no... Boromir is not an evil character, but the question was 'Was Boromir Evil'. Remember, the LotR did not happen in our world! I can't really explain it, but i guess what I'm saying is that Boromir was an evil character at one point in the LotR time period.

Dang I just can't explain it right...!

You'll just have to trust me that I have some level of sanity here....
 
You're right... he didn't know that. But he chose not to know that. He chose to ignore and be anal to the wisest council in ME
 

I think I'm beginning to understand which way you see this thing...

And maybe you're even right. For one moment Boromir just wanted to have the ring. I said that he couldn't be evil for he wanted the ring for doing good, but on that moment when he wanted to take the ring from Frodo, he might have not been thinking about what good he can do with it, but he just wanted to have it.

And maybe on that moment, when Boromir wanted to take the ring from Frodo to just have it and own it, he was evil...

Anyway, don't worry about your sanity, we are all a little crazy here, at least I am
 
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