Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Notes

Title: Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Notes
Rating: Teen
Warning(s): discussion of mature concepts
Summary: Denethor is one of the most-criticized characters in Tolkien fandom. Movie-inspired fanons have certainly not done him any favors, but he is disliked and even hated by fans who had read the books long before the movies came out. In this essay I attempt to address some of the most common criticisms against him, and develop a biography of what his life might have been like.

(Read other parts here.)

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( Footnotes )

( Supplemental Notes )

Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part V

Title: Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part V
Rating: Teen
Warning(s): discussion of mature concepts
Summary: Denethor is one of the most-criticized characters in Tolkien fandom. Movie-inspired fanons have certainly not done him any favors, but he is disliked and even hated by fans who had read the books long before the movies came out. In this essay I attempt to address some of the most common criticisms against him, and develop a biography of what his life might have been like.

(Read other parts here.)

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V. CONCLUSION: IMRAHIL'S FINAL WORD

( Read more... )

Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part IV

Title: Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part IV
Rating: Teen
Warning(s): discussion of mature concepts
Summary: Denethor is one of the most-criticized characters in Tolkien fandom. Movie-inspired fanons have certainly not done him any favors, but he is disliked and even hated by fans who had read the books long before the movies came out. In this essay I attempt to address some of the most common criticisms against him, and develop a biography of what his life might have been like.

(Read other parts here.)

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IV. DENETHOR DURING THE WAR OF THE RING

( Denethor and the Palantir )

( Denethor and Boromir )

( Denethor and Faramir )

( The Council Meetings in 'The Siege of Gondor' )

( Faramir's Injury and the Pyre of Denethor )

Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part III

Title: Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part III
Rating: Teen
Warning(s): discussion of mature concepts
Summary: Denethor is one of the most-criticized characters in Tolkien fandom. Movie-inspired fanons have certainly not done him any favors, but he is disliked and even hated by fans who had read the books long before the movies came out. In this essay I attempt to address some of the most common criticisms against him, and develop a biography of what his life might have been like.

(Read other parts here.)

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III. DENETHOR'S CHARACTER STRENGTHS AND FLAWS

( Denethor as Lover of Lore )

( Denethor's Greatness )

( The Problem of Politics )

( Denethor as a Numenorean )

Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part II

Title: Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part II
Rating: Teen
Warning(s): discussion of mature concepts
Summary: Denethor is one of the most-criticized characters in Tolkien fandom. Movie-inspired fanons have certainly not done him any favors, but he is disliked and even hated by fans who had read the books long before the movies came out. In this essay I attempt to address some of the most common criticisms against him, and develop a biography of what his life might have been like.

(Read other parts here.)

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II. DENETHOR: THE EARLY YEARS

( Childhood )

( Denethor and Thorongil )

( Denethor and Finduilas )

Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part I

Title: Pride and Despair: A Defense of Ecthelion's Son - Part I
Rating: Teen
Warning(s): discussion of mature concepts
Summary: Denethor is one of the most-criticized characters in Tolkien fandom. Movie-inspired fanons have certainly not done him any favors, but he is disliked and even hated by fans who had read the books long before the movies came out. In this essay I attempt to address some of the most common criticisms against him, and develop a biography of what his life might have been like.

(Read other parts here.)

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I. INTRODUCTION

"Authority is not given to you, Steward of Gondor, to order the hour of your death. And only the heathen kings, under the domination of the Dark Power, did thus, slaying themselves in pride and despair, murdering their kin to ease their own death." (Gandalf, "The Pyre of Denethor," The Lord of the Ring)

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