Theoden, weak.. or just not powerful enough ?

[EG]

King Theoden reigned over Rohan from the age of 32.  He rememeberd his grandfather and was just five when his father became King of Rohan.

He honourably took under his wing, his two orphaned nephew and niece...

and yet this honorable, traditional, man, Lord of the Mark, born into tradition and honour...  allowed himself to be overtaken by the cunning and wile of a wizard...

This man, who when released from Saruman... became one of the stronger campaigners in Gondor.... was also one of the weakest during the Third Age...

Do you not think that someone with such obvious history and background strength, should not hvae given in so easily to the wile of Saurman   He did not give in so easily to the deviousness or suggestion of any other .... (and it cant just be because Saruman was a wizard ..............)

[Lessa]

well Grima had been his advisor for years and so had the opportunity to drip feed Theoden a load of insidious lies. He also isolated the king from others so giving him no access to better advisors.

[Taurendil]

Plus it didn't happen at once. I believe he was being overthrown during a long period of time.

[Lessa]

yes it happened over several years

[Taurendil]

And yes, he's not very powerful. As we all perfectly know, he is what is called of lesser men, not of the three houses of men and not a Numenorean. I suppose he's not more powerful than hobbits.

[Athelas]

  We don't know exactly how Saruman&Wormtongue were able to exert such control over Theoden. Maybe he was drugged, hypnotised or bewitched in some way - certainly, there was a time when he might have entertained Saruman at Edoras, before Saruman revealed his true colors (no pun intended).
Saruman was able to sway some of the men listening to him for the first time after the Ents trashed Isengard, so who knows what he might have achieved if he had access to Theoden over a long time?

[Theo]

  Forgive me for doing this, but...

  In the movie it appears as though Théoden was bewitched somehow and when Gandalf finally broke the spell was he able to grow strong again and wise again..

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