Denethor
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This article is about the Steward of Gondor in the time of the War of the Ring. For the king of the Laiquendi, see Denethor (First Age). For the first Steward of Gondor of this name, see Denethor I.
Denethor II is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Return of the King. In the novel, he is the 26th and last ruling steward of Gondor. He succeeded his father, Ecthelion II, at his death in T.A. 2984.
Denethor was an able ruler, but the War of the Ring (and, especially, the deaths of his wife and his son Boromir) drove him into despair and, eventually, insanity.
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[edit] Denethor in the book
Denethor is known to have secretly used a palantír to probe Sauron's strength. The effort aged him quickly, and the knowledge of Sauron's overwhelming force depressed him greatly. Sauron used the palantír to drive him mad with despair.
As stated in the early chapters and the Appendices of The Return of the King, he was widely considered a man of great will, farsight, and strength. However, he was disappointed in being placed second in the hearts and minds of the people to Aragorn, an outsider who served Denethor's father with great renown. As a result, Denethor refused to trust Aragorn's advice. He hardened his heart when he discovered that Aragorn was of Isildur's line, the legitimate but powerless heir of Arnor and Gondor.
In 2976 he married Finduilas of Dol Amroth (2950–2988), daughter of Prince Adrahil of Dol Amroth. She gave birth to two sons: Boromir (2978–26 February 3019) and Faramir (2983–F.A. 82), but died relatively soon. Denethor never remarried, and became more grim and silent than before. He began using the palantír shortly after.
The danger of his madness is that it seems to follow a certain logic. Sauron does have vastly superior forces, all of which he has shown to the Steward in the palantír. His actions, however, do not immediately proclaim his insanity. The warning beacons of Gondor were indeed lit, and forces were called in from all of Gondor's provinces. The civilian population of Minas Tirith was sent away to safety. As war seems imminent, he has the Red Arrow sent to the Rohirrim, although he does not expect their help. Denethor ordered Gondor's forces to the outer defences of Osgiliath and the great wall of the Rammas Echor, wanting to make a stand since the defences had been built at great expense and not yet been overrun. His son Faramir and the other commanders objected due to the Enemy's overwhelming numerical superiority and preferred instead to defend the city itself but Faramir nonetheless obeyed out of respect for his father and late brother. Faramir's apparently lifeless body was returned during the retreat, as the capital city was under siege by vastly superior forces. This broke what little remained of Denethor's spirit.
Denethor committed suicide on March 15, 3019, having ordered his men to burn him alive on a pyre prepared for him and Faramir. He took the white rod of his office and broke it on his knee, casting it into the flames, symbolizing the end of his stewardship and the end of the rule of the Stewards. He laid himself down on the pyre and so perished, clasping the palantír in his hands. He also attempted to take the grievously injured and apparently dying Faramir with him, but was thwarted in that by the timely intervention of Peregrin Took with the aid of the guard Beregond and Gandalf the White.
The Stewardship passed to Faramir, who remained in the Houses of Healing for a time, although the command of the city fell to the Prince of Dol Amroth during the remainder of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
[edit] Portrayal in adaptations
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.
In Peter Jackson's live-action movie trilogy, Denethor was played by John Noble. In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, his role is somewhat expanded; he refuses to light the beacons of Gondor to call for the aid of Rohan (Gandalf has to persuade Pippin to light the city's beacon). He raves about Théoden's "betrayal" when the latter does not appear — despite never having called for him in the first place. He sends his remaining son and all of his cavalry on a suicidal mission to enemy-captured Osgiliath. He calls for the abandoning of the city when he sees the invading Orc army, but Gandalf hits him with his staff and takes command of the defence.
Later, instead of dying on the pyre, Denethor runs out of the pyre chamber — consumed by flames — and off the top of Minas Tirith during the siege.
Tolkien's version of Denethor portrayed a wise though haughty man who does rational things to defend his city, and is only driven mad after seeing the arrival or the Corsairs' ships in his palantír. He does order the beacons of Gondor lit (which are set upon hills rather than mountains, and serve to alert Gondorians, not allies outside its territories), and despite his pride he has enough wisdom and sends the Red Arrow to enlist the aid of King Théoden of Rohan. Denethor sends Faramir on a dangerous but more sensible mission — to defend the crossing of the Anduin at Osgiliath, holding back the forces of Mordor from the Causeway Forts. Denethor also argued that the Rammas Echor surrounding Minas Tirith have been built at considerable expense.
In 2003, Robert Allen portrayed Denethor in the Clear Stage Cincinnati production of The Return of the King, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Denethor was not included as a casted character in the 2006 Toronto musical adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Denethor at The Thain's Book
| Preceded by: Ecthelion II |
Stewards of Gondor | Succeeded by: Faramir |
