Denethor From Lord of the Rings: When a Steward Pretends to be King

In The Lord of the Rings, Denethor is a steward of Gondor, the great kingdom of men. He comes from a long line of stewards who have ruled Gondor as temporary lords while the kingdom waited for the next true king to return, the heir of the ancient king, Isildur. Yet, once Denethor discovers that the king has returned and is on his way, he succumbs to jealousy and pride, choosing to guard his own power instead of fulfilling his role by laying it down.

I am Steward of the house of Anarion. I will not step down to be the dotard chamberlain of an upstart. Even were his…