Evil in Middle-Earth

[Michael Martinez]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Yes, but people were talking about calling a person evil. I think we can judge whether a particular act is evil or not, but can a person be called evil if they do some evil and some good? I was trying to describe how/when I would call a person evil.[/b]

Tolkien had something to say on the subject:

From Letter 131:

The Second Age ends with the Last Alliance (of Elves and Men), and the great siege of Mordor. It ends with the overthrow of Sauron and destruction of the second visible incarnation of evil. But at a cost, and with one disastrous mistake. Gilgalad and Elendil are slain in the act of slaying Sauron. Isildur, Elendil's son, cuts the ring from Sauron's hand, and his power departs, and his spirit flees into the shadows. But the evil begins to work....

He singles out Sauron (and Melkor before him) as visible incarnations of evil, but they are not evil personified. Sauron and Melkor chose to incarnate themselves in forms which were visibly evil. They were the classic Dark Lords of bad (and good) fantasy literature.

Sauron and Melkor are both free to move throughout Middle-earth, and they deceive anyone who will listen to their lies. But their actions are only their own -- the evil acts committed by others are not transferred to or fully blamed upon Melkor and Sauron. That is, evil is not defeated by defeating either Melkor or Sauron. Evil continues to abide in Ea, and in Middle-earth. Gandalf made that point clear in "The Last Debate":

'Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary....'