[rightwingreligiousfanatic]

he is blinded by his desire to help his country (any maybe just a little warrior pride - desire for glory).

Yes, this is basically what I am saying about him. And these traits, honorable as they may be in certain contexts, work to his destruction due to his lack of vision for the bigger picture.

But this is reason to pity him, not hate him. He is like a lot of us in America today....

[HairOfTheDog]

He is very much like Americans today... Though we don't see it, and Tolkien could not have predicted it.

[RosieCotton]

I don't HATE him. He's not my favorite character, but I don't think he's evil, either - just flawed, as all the characters are in their own way. (Part of what I like about Tolkien - none of them are really perfect!) And he redeemed himself in the end.