Boromir was not stupid, not by any means. He wasn't especially wise, but he wasn't stupid, either. He loved combat, believed in the power of the strong...and in the idea that the strong had an obligation to help the weak. He viewed the Ring through the eyes of a warrior: the ring was an instrument of war to him. He was proud because of his lineage, his upbringing, and his temperment.
He was not doomed to fall beneath the power of the Ring, but his pride kept him from really listening about what was said, even by Gandalf. He felt, I believe, that the Wise were afraid to use the Ring as it ought to be used. He didn't think that the Ring *itself* was evil or corrupting, only the motives of those who used it, and he wanted to use it for the good of Gondor.
The Ring used his pride and naivity. It led him along a series of rationalizations that ended with him trying to take the Ring from Frodo. It was only afterwards, after Frodo had run off and he had time to think of what he had almost done, that he realized the truth, both about himself and the Ring. Then, when many men would've denied the truth or been crushed by it, he fought valiantly and died for two Hobbits, neither of which held the Ring.
Tuor
All of us have been around the Boromir tree many times... which is why, when I poked a bit of fun at him up there, the regulars didn't jump all over me. A couple of months ago, it might have sparked a whole new debate on the subject ;~D
I do know the hot buttons to hit, if you would like to participate in a fresh round, or we could wait a few weeks until the story comes to the natural spot to hash it out one last time!
I really appreciate you comments about Boromir. I read FotR very quickly- trying to finish before the movie left town - that my impression of Boromir was pretty shallow. I loved reading all the Poster's comments, but this morning your comments in this Post were particularly appreciated, and I have decided that I must just re-read the book.
Thanks