Denethor

In Tolkien's Middle-earth, Denethor is the first son and third child of Ecthelion II, a Steward of Gondor. He marries Finduilas, daughter of Prince Adrahil of Dol Amroth. She gives birth to two sons, Boromir and Faramir, but dies when they are ten and five years old, respectively. Denethor never remarries, and becomes grimmer and more silent than before. He is a man of great will, foresight, and strength, but also overconfident. Boromir's death depresses Denethor further. Nonetheless he continues to fight Sauron until the forces of Mordor arrive at the gates of Minas Tirith, at which point he loses all hope. In the published essay on the palantíri, Tolkien wrote: while the people of Minas Tirith are sent away to safety. Denethor, grief-struck by the apparent loss of his son, orders his servants to burn him alive on a funeral pyre prepared for himself and Faramir in Rath Dínen. == Analysis ==

Character flaws Denethor's madness and despair has been compared to that of Shakespeare's King Lear. Both men are first outraged when their children (Faramir and Cordelia, respectively) refuse to aid them, but then grieve upon their children's death – which is only perceived in the case of Faramir. According to Michael D. C. Drout, both Denethor and Lear "despair of God's mercy", something extremely dangerous in a leader who has to defend his realm. Sauron drives Denethor to suicide by showing him in the Palantír the Black Fleet approaching Gondor, while concealing the fact that the ships are carrying Aragorn's troops, coming to Gondor's rescue. Alex Davis, in the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia, writes that many critics have examined his fall and corrupted leadership, whereas Richard Purtill identifies Denethor's pride and egoism, a man who considers Gondor his property. The Tolkien scholar Ali Mirzabayati suggests that Denethor has a pathological fear of defeat. In his view, Denethor's understanding of stewardship is superficial, limited to ruling and authority, so he clings desperately to power. This, exacerbated by his grief and mistrust of others, impairs his judgement and ability to defend his people. Denethor vs Théoden The Tolkien scholar Jane Chance contrasts Denethor both with another "Germanic king", Théoden, and with the "true king" of Gondor, Aragorn. In Chance's view, Theoden represents good, Denethor evil; she notes that their names are almost anagrams, and that where Theoden welcomes the Hobbit Merry Brandybuck into his service with loving friendship, Denethor accepts Merry's friend Pippin Took with a harsh contract of fealty. Chance writes that Tolkien further sets both Theoden and Denethor against the "Christian lord" Aragorn. In her opinion, Denethor "fails as a father, a master, a steward, and a rational man," giving in to despair, whereas Aragorn is brave in battle and gentle with his people, and has the Christlike attribute of healing. Shippey makes the same comparison, extending it to numerous elements of the two Men's stories, writing that Théoden lives by a theory of Northern courage, and dies through Denethor's despair. ==Adaptations==

Early versions Denethor was voiced by William Conrad in Rankin/Bass's 1980 animated adaptation of The Return of the King, and by Peter Vaughan in BBC Radio's 1981 serialization. Peter Jackson's films as Denethor in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Denethor is played by John Noble in Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The film portrays Denethor far more negatively than the novel. Tolkien calls Denethor Shippey commented that where Tolkien's Denethor is a cold ruler doing his best for his country, Jackson's is made to look greedy and self-indulgent; Shippey calls the scene where he gobbles a meal, while his son Faramir has been sent out in a hopeless fight, a "blatant [use] of cinematic suggestion". Christianity Today wrote that the films "missed the moral and religious depths" Daniel Timmons writes in the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia that Jackson characterizes Denethor and others in a way "far from Tolkien's text", but that the film version successfully "dramatizes the insidious temptation to evil", and that through "the falls of Saruman, Denethor, and Sauron, we see the bitter fruits of the lust for power and its corrupting influence." ==References==