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suicide?
http://www.arwen-undomiel.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11984
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Author:  Ashwise [ November 14th, 2007, 5:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: suicide?

ethelfleda wrote:
something that's always had me a little confused is the manner of aragorn's death. in the story of aragorn and arwen as told in appendix a, it says that aragorn "felt the approach of old age" and so went to the house of the kings, laid himself down and "fell into sleep".

it could be that he just knew he was gonna die so decided to do it in the house of kings, but i'm not so sure - it says arwen "knew well what he intended" and aragorn says "if i will not go now, i must go perforce", suggesting that its a deliberate decision of aragorn's to end his life at that moment before it is taken from him.

i'm not saying he actively killed himself, but it seems he had some strange control over his own death and surely that's a form of suicide.

any thoughts?


That's an interesting thought.

Author:  FRODOFAN [ December 3rd, 2007, 5:07 pm ]
Post subject: 

I'm kind of surprised that this is even being debated.

The same for Lúthien and Arwen's death. Not wanting to live anymore and dying because of it isn't really suicide. If it was, you could say that anyone who died of heartache (where they didn't want to live anymore without their lover and were so sad that they died) comitted suicide as well.

If they didn't intentionally take their own lives, then it isn't suicide.

Author:  Guard of the Citadel [ December 15th, 2007, 12:41 pm ]
Post subject: 

Appendix A states: Aragorn says to Arwen: "Take counsel with yourself, beloved, and ask yourself whether you would indeed have me wait until I wither and fall from my high seat unmanned and witless. Nay, lady, I am the last of the Numenoreans and the last King of the Elder Days; and to me has been given not only a span thrice that of Men of Middle-Earth, but also the grace to go at my will, and give back the gift. Now, therefore, I will sleep........"Estel!, Estel!" she cried, and with that even as he took her hand and kissed it, he fell into sleep. Then a great beauty was revealed in him, so that all who after came there looked on him in wonder, for they saw that the grace of his youth, and the valour of his manhood, and the wisdom and majesty of his age were blended together. And long there he lay, an image of the splendour of the Kings of Men in glory undimmed before the breaking of the world.

Author:  Larael [ February 16th, 2008, 10:31 pm ]
Post subject: 

^ I think that pretty much ends this discussion. We've got a straight up quote that says it was not suicide. Sure you could interpret it that way, but I don't think that's something Tolkien would like to include for one of his more heroic characters.

Author:  Culúrien [ March 14th, 2008, 7:08 am ]
Post subject: 

Amen.

(Sorry, I don't mean that in a religious way; I mean that as, "Yes I agree, full stop." )

Author:  maxx [ March 25th, 2009, 4:13 pm ]
Post subject: 

Frodos-Guide wrote:
I think rather than calling it suicide, you could just say that Argorn felt that it was his time to go and join his decendants. The fact that he feels the approach of old age informs us that he felt as though his time on earth was over, and the fact that Arwen knew what it was he was to do simply tells us that her instinct told her that Aragorn was to join his decendants and leave Middle-Earth.

Take it literally.

Err, you mean ancestors, right?
Joining his children by dieing would be weeird.

Author:  [ m e m ] [ March 25th, 2009, 11:05 pm ]
Post subject: 

People Die. It is a part of living.

Author:  glorfindil3 [ October 20th, 2009, 8:36 pm ]
Post subject: 

Aerandir wrote:
Aragorn is a descendant of the Edain, the three houses of men who allied themselves with the Elves during the War against Morgoth, and who later became the Numenorians. Those kings always could tell when it was their 'time' and would let themselves die, accepting it, because it was also the time their sons were in the prime of life normally, too. So, I don't think it was really "suicide"...it's more of letting yourself die, instead of fighting it to live as long as possible.
I agree completely

Author:  Manveru [ December 14th, 2009, 10:30 pm ]
Post subject: 

I would agree in saying it was not suicide. I think he was simply letting himself die instead of trying to die. There is a fine line there.

Think of this in a real-life situation. If someone was near death and could be saved by life support but refused it, is that suicide? Some people would say it is, but to me this is a parallel to Aragorn's choice. In both cases the person is not so much choosing to die as choosing to not fight to live.

Author:  Aragorn Elessar [ August 9th, 2012, 5:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: suicide?

I wouldn't say he suicided himself. He just past away by sleep. But everybody has a different opinion but I say that it wasn't a suicide.

Author:  Felarof [ August 13th, 2012, 11:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: suicide?

If you've read The Silmarillion, it says that the kings of Numenor, from which Aragorn is descended, could choose the time of their death to a certain extent. Those who clung to life, like Ar-Pharazon, only died more quickly. Aragorn knew it was his time, and chose to go peacably, instead of fighting.

Author:  Felarof [ August 13th, 2012, 11:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: suicide?

I don't think that Luthien or Arwen committed suicide. They both chose mortality, and once everything they had was gone, it was time for them to die.

Author:  Ariele [ April 23rd, 2013, 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: suicide?

I think maybe that it was just that he could tell that he was gonna die soon, I dunno it might be some weird ability to know when he was going to die. But somehow I don't think he committed suicide because it just isn't like how I and probably some other people picture him.

Author:  Nienor Níniel [ January 26th, 2014, 6:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: suicide?

I haven't thought that before.. But now, he might have done a suicide. It make's sense, 'cause otherwise it would be just a bit odd. Aragorn is heir of Isildur and all those kings of Númenor have done suicide. Or how else you explain the giving up life and lying someplace and just die there things in Númenor's tale? Well, not all of the kings, but most of them.

And then, did Tuor's mother do a suicide as well? 'Cause she went to the Haudh-en-Ndeng and died on it.

Author:  Synariel [ February 21st, 2015, 2:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: suicide?

Rather than take his life, he went to sleep and let himself be taken by the God's who were in control of his life and death.

So it wasn't suicide. :)

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