Just say 'no,' Faramir

[Elianna]

Why do you think Faramir was able to resist the temptation of the Ring?

My thoughts: (1)He had said before he would not "pick it up if it laid by the highway" so he was bound to his word, (2)and he would not see Minas Tirith as a queen among slaves, even a 'kind queen among willing slaves'; he knew Minas Tirith didn't need the kind of power the Ring offered.

Now I wonder if another factor could be added to the list: (3) because he knew what it had done to Boromir. Of course such a smart guy like Faramir would learn from other's mistakes, but there's also the fact that Faramir didn't think there was anyone in Gondor who could best Boromir, and so if Boromir fell to the Ring, how could he possibly weild it?

Boromir would also have had the first two reasons why not to take the Ring. An honest Man of Gondor wouldn't try to steal, and would want to see his city in all its past glory. But since Boromir obviously didn't have the third caution to go on, you think should I perhaps be nicer to Boromir?

[Morsul the Dark]

well i think farimir resisted the ring because he was the stringer sin. Remember faramir considered gandalf's praises above denetor's while boromir was much like his father and was more easily corrupted although this is what happens in the book (holds up shield for protection) i liked how in the movie he brings frodo to gondor.(ducks for protection.

[Boromir88]

To start off Faramir was more of the Numenorean decent then Boromir was so that right there just might contribute to Faramir being able to resist the ring more.

"while boromir was much like his father "
That is incorrect Boromir was the very opposite of his father, that's why Denethor liked him so much. Denethor was a fighter yes, but Boromir was a much better fighter and he cared nothing for lore only victory and battle. Faramir was more like Denethor, Faramir was a capable warrior but he was very wise in lore and studied the ring and learned of Gandalf, similar to his father Denethor who was wise in lore and a wise all around man. Denethor liked Boromir because he was his first born and he thought Boromir was Gondor's last hope. Boromir was the best warrior of Gondor at the time and Denethor knew he needed someone that could fight.

The 2 answers I can come up with are Faramir had more Numenorean blood in him then Boromir and he was much wiser in lore he knew what the ring was capable of. I do agree, I think Faramir learned from the mistake of Boromir.

[Phervasaion]

To start off Faramir was more of the Numenorean decent then Boromir was so that right there just might contribute to Faramir being able to resist the ring more.

Huh? Never heard that Faramir was of numenorean decent, where did you find that information?

Well... Im not sure about it but you could be right.

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

This has always been an interesting aspect of the book to me. Faramir was indeed of 'purer' blood than Boromir in his descent from the Men of the West (genetics can do weird things -- my sister and I are more different than you would believe ). We're also told that he took after his mother, while Boromir took after his father (so what does that tell us about Denethor?)

I find this interesting, because the 'pure' blood that is Faramir's comes from his mother; he is also a good fighter, but not a big military hero like his brother, not so consumed with glory and thoughts of battle. What's more, his primary function (thematically) in the book is to be passive -- to let Frodo and Sam go, to NOT kill Gollum, to get hurt by the Nazgul so Aragorn can heal him, to spend time in the Houses of Healing with Eowyn.

The more you look at Faramir, the more feminine he becomes to his brother's masculine. Is his more easy renunciation of the Ring associated with femininity??

[Mister Underhill]

Is his more easy renunciation of the Ring associated with femininity??

Heh! Some theories just won't stay buried. See the classic thread, The One Ring, for feminine-Ring-resistance speculations.