Nonetheless, Eomer remains a difficult character to pin down throughout the rest of the saga. There are times when he shows his heroic and loyal side, charging into battle in Pelenor fields to defend Gondor. And yet, there are other times when he seems irritatingly high and mighty, looking down his nose upon others like Eowyn and Merry, deeming them unworthy of riding into war beside the men. His views are often belittling, old-fashioned, and rash, despite his good intentions. Many fans of the franchise feel that he is a character that sits uncomfortably in the fine line between genuine hero and misogynist.
RELATED: What Are The Silmarils Made Of?
Whether they love Eomer or loathe him, one question that many fans have asked is why he didn’t take Eowyn with him when he was banished from Rohan. It is clear in the moment that he is banished, that he knows it is a trick, and that his uncle has been deceived and manipulated by Grima. This is especially clear in the films, in which he has the confrontation with Wormtongue, who snidely shows him the decree “signed by Theoden” to have Eomer removed. During this exchange, Eomer asks Grima:
At this point, Wormtongue’s gaze drifts longingly to Eowyn. Here, realization dawns on Eomer that if Grima’s plan is to succeed, he will finally get to fulfill the lust he has held for Eowyn since she was a young girl. Eomer is rightfully disgusted, and retaliates:
This begs the question: if Eomer knew the vile intentions that Grima had towards Eowyn, why would he leave her in the kingdom to be vulnerable to his clutches? There are three possible reasons. The first is that he was physically unable to do so, because he was forced out of the gates and barred from entry before he had the chance to see her, and to tell her what had happened. This scenario is complex, because although that seems very likely as the audience sees him dragged out of the hall by the guards, he also appears much later in his riding gear, with his horse. If he had time to gather these things and his band of loyal men around him, it’s strange that he would not have had time to collect his sister and take her away with him.
The second reason, and probably the least likely, is that he thought she was capable of defending herself. Eowyn is a shield maiden of Rohan, after all. She has been practicing with a blade since their parents died when they were children, just in case the need ever arose to use it. There is a very small possibility that Eomer trusts his sister to be able to handle whatever is thrown her way, even if that includes a lecherous man who has tricked the entire kingdom and manipulated the king into the evil powers of the white wizard. Eowyn is never entirely defenseless, because she has her sword and her remarkable courage for one so young and inexperienced. However, Eomer would still be taking a great risk in leaving her without his protection and his guidance. Half of Eowyn’s battle is feeling like she is alone, and like the “walls are closing in around her” rather than a lack of physical skill and ability.
The third reason is that despite knowing Grima’s greed for Eowyn, and the peril she is in as Rohan falls into the hands of Saruman under the ailing king, Eomer still believes she will be safer there than out in the fields with him. This belief could stem from his experience fighting raids of orcs in the fields, and feeling like this is dangerous in itself and no place for a woman. It could stem from laws about what women are and aren’t allowed to do in his society. Or it could stem from a genuine desire to keep her safe in the kingdom where she might have allies to look out for her, rather than out in the wild where he can’t guarantee that he alone could keep her safe.
MORE: Star Trek: The Unexplored Pieces Of The Timeline
