LOTR: The Potential Real World Cause Of Denethor's Mental State

gamerant.com:

Denethor is one of those characters in the Lord of the Rings series who has definitely split the fans into lovers and haters. Many see him as an out-and-out villain, pushing his son Faramir almost to death, trying to burn him alive, and then taking the cowards way out of running from war and battle rather than trying to stand by and defend his friends. But others see him as a once noble ruler who is trying his best in a failing age, surrounded by the darkness and evil of Mordor, influenced by the Palantir, and grieving for the loss of his son Boromir, which is enough to drive anyone mad.

However, a shocking new theory has risen to light about exactly why Denethor is the way he is. Perhaps his delusions, paranoia and terror are not down to him being too proud to ask for help, but rather because he is suffering a terrible fate that caused many to go mad in human history: Lead poisoning.

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To delve into this theory further, it is important to understand the context of lead poisoning, how it affects the body and mind, and how it brought down an entire civilization on earth in real-life history. Many archeologists believe that a contributing factor in why the Roman Empire failed, despite being one of the most advanced societies of its time, was due to the physiological and neurological effects of lead poisoning. The Romans used lead in everything, from their plates to their pipes, to incorporating it into their medicine, and eventually it took a toll on their population, especially their children who were unable to grow and develop properly under the effects of the terrible deficits it caused.

First of all, lead poisoning causes havoc in the homeostasis systems of the human body. It has