The Sloth of Lord Denethor II (7DS, E7)

Sloth, perhaps better known today as laziness or idleness, is unique in that it is not defined by evil actions, but rather by inaction. A slothful man may well be aware of the harm being done to his family, friends, community or country, yet will ultimately refuse to do what is needed to bring about change. Because of his belief that he can do nothing to fix the problems around him, he allows fear and vice to be his masters. Perhaps most horribly of all, a slothful man refuses to offer his strength to a world that desperately needs it. One of literature’s most striking examples of Sloth is Lord Denethor, a character featured in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterwork The Lord of the Rings. When he experiences a great loss, he becomes so overwhelmed with his own emotions that the city he leads grows more and more vulnerable to the greatest evil of the age. 

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