Back in 2020, I got into the Lord of the Rings living card game, and in one of the packs I got a card of Denethor, he looked vastly different from the Denethor card in the starter set; The starter Denethor card looked weak but weaselly cunning (which is a common portrayal of him), but this other card looked bold, wise, confident and kingly, almost Aragorn-ish. I wondered if this was really the same Denethor? My curiosity led me to search several Lord of the Rings wiki and lore sites, and from those I learned of the Denethor of the books, and his story stuck with me. Since then I have gone through the whole book trilogy, the related appendixes and even sought out the book of Unfinished Tales. Even now, years later, I still find myself thinking about his tragic tale and all that lead to it. So… Let’s talk a bit about Denethor:

If you’re like me and mainly knew of Denethor from the films, I’ll briefly highlight a fair few differences between the Denethor from Lord of the Rings films and the Denethor from the books.

In the movies they focused on Denethor’s depression over the loss of his favored son, and his bitter jealousy; Both which are true to the books, but in the film they also made him painfully incompetent. Meanwhile Denethor in the books was a masterful steward, he lit the beacons as Gandalf and Pippin rode to Gondor (Even sent a messenger to Rohan for good measure), and had the great wall that surrounds all of Palanir fields fully repaired. Further more, instead of sending his son Faramir on a suicide mission to retake a ruined fort swarming with orcs, in the books Faramar and his men were sent to bolster the defense and raise moral. (Still dangerous, but not nearly as vain; As Faramir was very successful (he even started driving the orcs back until the witch king arrived.) Lastly, due to his will, integrity, and right, Denethor was able to use the Palatir without Sauron directly corrupting him. (Unlike Saruman, whom Sauron overpowered.) Denethor’s level of competence and integrity in the books made his downfall all the more devastating, thought provoking, and also… rather sad.


So for this post (though the actor did great), think of Denethor less like this: 

And more like this:

(Illus. Joshua Cairós)

Let’s briefly go over Denethor’s story:

In his younger years when his father Ecthelion was the steward of Gondor; A northerner Denethor’s age came in service to the Steward. The people called the stranger Thorongil, and he was a genius at battle and won the trust and affections of both Denethor’s father and the people of Gondor. Due to the similarities in appearance and much of their skill, the people began to see Thorongil and Denethor as rivals. Denethor himself was valiant, wise, far-sighted, learned in lore, and he loved the people of Gondor, yet he was ever second to the stranger in the hearts of the people and the esteem of his father. Denethor didn’t care for this rivalry nor his rivalry with Gandalf, whom Thorongil talked in favor of. It’s said that Denethor discovered that Thorongil was Aragorn at that time, and he began to assume that Gandalf was aiming to supplant him, but one day Thorongil vanished into the East.

Eventually Ecthelion died and Denethor became the new steward, and he proved to be a masterful one, and was more kingly than many of the stewards before him. He spoke little, and listened to counsel before following his own mind.

Denethor married late to Finduilas and he loved her more dearly than any other, save his eldest son Boromir. Alas, only 12 years after they were married, Finduilas died, and Denethor became grim and silent. He would sit alone for hours in deep thought, foreseeing that Mordor will strike in his lifetime. Realizing this, he sought knowledge, and in his pride he dared to look in the palantir. (A stone once used by the kings of old to survey the land and to communicate with the other kings with the same device) None of the past stewards had dared to do this, for Isildur’s palantir fell into the hands of Sauron long ago. When Denethor used the seeing stone, Sauron tried to bend his will, but Denethor’s will and integrity was too strong to be manipulated. Sauron however, had much control of what Denethor saw, and so he showed him all his might; His vast armies of orcs, of Mordor, and the great armies of his allies.
The contests of will against Sauron aged Denethor before his time, but he learned much; The people marveled at the vastness of his knowledge as he made preparations to defend from Mordor’s attack. Thus pride increased in Denethor along with despair.

Gandalf would often visit Gondor, but was less welcomed during Denethor’s rule, save by the steward’s youngest son Faramir, whom learned all he could from Gandalf’s wisdom, much to Denethor’s bitter annoyance.

The events of the trilogy begin to unfold; Boromir goes to Rivendell, and Faramir leaves on an important errand. Though news of Boromir’s death soon reached Denethor, and thus he began to look in the palantir more often and his despair grew all the more.

Sauron began sending a large force to attack Minas Tirith.
Soon Faramir returned and the next day he and Denethor held a counsel, and it was decided that Faramir would go to strengthen the garrison of Osgiliath, and at first it went well, Faramir even recovered ground all the way to the Audein River, but fresh troops lead by the witch king devastated Faramir’s men, and forced them to retreat and the witch king continued to dog them. Denethor sent out horsemen (and Gandalf joined to ride among them) to cover their retreat and Faramir was brought back to Minas Tirith nearly dead and fading, and Denethor fell into despair.

As the wall around Pelennor Fields fell at multiple points Denethor looked into the palantir seeking hope, but Sauron showed him even more of his might, of the army still in Mordor, of the incoming fleet of pirate ships (but not that Aragon controlled them), and also of a short man that was caught in Mordor, whom Sauron assumed was a Gondor spy. (Though Denethor realized it must be Frodo, and now feared Sauron had the ring.) With everything he saw, Denethor lost all hope. As he left the room the guard waiting outside was stunned to see that he looked decades older than he did just a few minutes ago.

Without hope, Denethor made the decision to burn himself and his son on a pyre, lest they might be imprisoned or killed by the orcs. Fortunately Pipin, a knight (Beregond), and Gandolf barged in. As Gandalf retrieved Denethor’s son, Faramir called to his father in a fevered dream; Hearing this, Denethor for a moment came to his senses and silently followed them outside, all while looking at his son. Gandalf told Denethor that he’s still needed, and that there’s still much he can do. Alas Denethor in his bitterness laughed and he revealed the palantir, claimed to know more, called Gandalf’s hope ignorance, and told of incoming armies of Sauron that he saw through the seeing stone. Gandalf tried to reason with him once more, but Denethor claimed that even if they somehow won, Gandalf was planning to subplant him and that he rather end it all than see Aragorn on the throne. Denethor grabbed a torch from one of his knights and set the pyre ablaze, and while clutching the palantir, he set himself on the pyre. Saddened and horrified, Gandalf turned away and closed the door, and then there was a loud yell, and then silence, and so passed Denethor. It is said afterward, that anyone of weaker will that tried to use that palantir would see only two burning, writhing hands.

—

Quite the story, it struck a myth-like quality for me.

A masterful Steward, brought down by jealousy (Of the people’s love for Aragorn and of Gandalf’s wisdom and knowledge), pride (to not ask Gandalf for advice, but to seek it from another source), and finally loss of hope. (That Sauron slowly chipped away by controlling the narrative of what he saw in the palantir. What Denethor saw was real; the pirate ships were real, the armies were real, but it wasn’t the full picture.)

As I revisit this story, I am starting to see the jealousy and pride aspects more than before, but what first took the spotlight for me (and in many ways still does), was how Sauron warped the narrative and how it affected Denethor.
Gandalf summarizes it as such:

‘In the days of his wisdom Denethor would not presume to use it to challenge Sauron, knowing the limits of his own strength. But his wisdom failed; and I fear that as the peril of his realm grew he looked in the Stone and was deceived: far too often, I guess, since Boromir departed. He was too great to be subdued to the will of the Dark Power, he saw nonetheless only those things which that Power permitted him to see. The knowledge which he obtained was, doubtless often of service to him; yet the vision of the great might of Mordor that was shown to him fed the despair of his heart until it overthrew his mind.’

I don’t like comparing stories to world events, I much prefer keeping it to personal applications and observations, but alas, I first came across Denethor’s story in 2020, and couldn’t help but see similarities to real life. A lot of people were addicted to the news, either through traditional means or social media. Some people were giving into despair and cutting their lives short. Most held onto hope but were depressed to varying degrees, and very few were fully aware but undaunted. I know I myself got depressed and stressed from what I read online.
In a way, the news didn’t seem so different from the palantir. Not saying gaining knowledge of what’s happening was wrong, after all Gondor would have suffered great loss had Denethor not prepared, but had he gotten it from Gandalf he likely would have lived. It made me think of where the info is coming from, who’s providing the narrative of that information and why?

But most of all, are they worthy? Worthy of influencing hope? I found myself pondering these thoughts and Denethor’s story ever since.

—Addendum

I originally ended the post there, but I came across an interesting connection;
All the way back in the first book at the council of Elrond:

‘Thus we return once more to the destroying of the Ring,’ said Erestor, ‘and yet we come no nearer. What strength have we for the finding of the Fire in which it was made? That is the path of despair. Of folly I would say, if the long wisdom of Elrond did not forbid me.’

‘Despair, or folly?’ said Gandalf. `It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy!

You may recall the line Gandalf says in Return of the King:

‘There never was much hope,’ he answered. ‘Just a fool’s hope, as I have been told…’

There he was referencing Denethor, who a couple pages ago called the quest folly.

‘What then is your wisdom?’ said Gandalf.
‘Enough to perceive that there are two follies to avoid. To use this thing is perilous. At this hour, to send it in the hands of a witless halfling into the the land of the Enemy himself, as you have done, and this son of mine, that is madness.
‘And the Lord Denethor what would he have done?’
‘Nether. But surely not for any argument would he have set this thing at a hazard beyond all but a fool’s hope, risking our utter ruin, if the Enemy should recover what he lost.’

“folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope.” What was the false hope Denethor held onto? That he’d save Gondor by his own power? That things would return to as they were before? To rule Gondor in peace and then have the rule of Gondor continue in his line?
As for despair; Denethor didn’t truly see the end beyond all doubt, but in his pride he claimed to have seen it.