today I want to take a look back at what I believe to be one of the healthiest depictions of masculinity ever put on screen it is of course Vigo mortensen's depiction of Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings chapter one the Ranger versus the soldier it's first off important to realize that Aragorn is introduced to us not as a great Soldier a warrior but as a ranger now anyone who knows tolkien's world knows that Aragorn led many great military triumphs years before he met Frodo and the other Hobbits but this is not something that the
hobbits know to them and to us the audience he is ostensibly a keeper of the land his day job is not to close ranks and destroy the enemy but to preserve Scout and protect a threatened environment it's fair to say that he is more Shepherd than Soldier [Music] why is this important in terms of masculinity because it means that the man who will be a great leader of men who the first instinct to preserve and not to destroy a situation in which power will be wielded for good and not violence violence sake [Music] chapter 2.
stoicism there is an interpretation of stoicism in the modern world which suggests that to be a stoic is to show no emotion and arguably even to feel no emotion this is a notion which if taken seriously in fact leads to psychopathy rather than stoicism in his book The obstacle is the way Stone philosopher Ryan Holliday outlines what a more appropriate approach to stoicism would be saying no one said you aren't allowed to feel take a moment to cry if necessary cast aside false masculinity real strength lies in domestication of one's emotions not in pretending that
they don't exist and control of his emotions is exactly what Aragorn displays at Gandalf's death as we can see other than Frodo Aragorn is the one who takes the longest Moment In the initial aftermath it's a process what has happened he is the one who is most struck by it emotionally by following this upon recognizing the danger that is present he is also the first to encourage the Hobbits to their feet give them a moment for pity's sake my night for all these Hills will be swarming with Orcs he must reach the words of Love
Gloria get them up on your feet he takes a moment to feel but doesn't let emotion get in the way of making a vital call chapter 3 humility and courage [Music] as often said that courage is not a lack of fear but acting in spite of it again the modern interpretation of stoicism would have us believe that fear is something men ought not to feel but Aragon constantly recognizes his shortcomings he is full of humility such as when he signals to Arwin that he doesn't know if he can take the place of the king why
do you feel you are a sealed over there not a sealed or himself you are not bound to his faith the same blood flows my veins indeed as a man raised by elves he is surrounded by a race that is Immortal and has skills that are beyond the capabilities of most men and yet in spite of this fear he pushes through he knows that if he does not stand up no other man will although it's a long journey to power he ultimately seizes his Birthright and lives the life that belongs to him chapter 4 language
there's an absurd notion in modern culture that men who are interested in poetry and literature are lacking in masculinity like modern interpretations of stoicism this stems from a belief that poetry language and song are so heavily intertwined with exploring one's emotions and that doing this is an imasculine thing to do Aragorn however turns this notion on his head he speaks several languages he is articulate and able to defend his actions effectively and he engages with his emotions rather than hiding from them as he demonstrates in his love of song and poetry [Music] [Music] epilogue Vigo
Mortensen I'd like to end on a note about Vigo Mortensen for many of the people who've fed in love with the Lord of the Rings from the 2000s it was his performance that stood out indeed he embodies many of the qualities that Aragorn has himself he speaks at least six different languages fluently he stands up for what he believes in but does so stoically these qualities and the qualities that Aragorn displays throughout the books and the law of Middle Earth make for a male role model that embodies the best masculine qualities while rejecting the more
toxic elements of what it means to be a man
