Was Sauron Evil?

[danalmsa]

This might seem like a dumb question, but I thought it would give something to talk about:

Was Sauron evil from the very beggining, or was he a decent (good) up until he joined Melkor?

[Jjudvven]

I never though that he wa evil from the very beginning... It was Melkors influence that corrupted him. He was originally good... At least that is what I think. Different opinion, anyone?

[Mankáno]

No, Sauron was one of the Maiar of Aule. And he was one of many (like the balrogs) that were corrupted by Melkor. The wish of power corrupted him I think.

[Maeglin]

Darn! I wanted to say that smilies/wink.gif.
Well wasn't Sauron a Balrog? The King of them or something it says in my Sil.

[Elenhin]

Nothing was evil in the beginning, not even Melkor. He was good, but he turned to evil because he envied Eru and wanted to be like him - he couldn't, so he started to defy him and those who followed his wishes. He was originally the greatest of the Valar, and he attracted many to his service before and after falling to evil. Sauron was among those he corrupted after falling to evil.

Sauron was the most powerful of Melkor's followers, but he was not a Balrog. Balrogs were spirits of fire, which Sauron was not.

[obloquy]

Don't forget that Osse followed Melkor for a short while, but repented and was pardoned. Sauron most likely had the same option open to him early on, or perhaps even later.

I believe it's Osanwe-kenta that contains some fascinating discussion on the topic of Manwe's inability to fathom deceitfulness, and therefore his seeming 'gullibility' with regard to Melkor's suit for pardon.

[Kuruharan]

Sauron had the chance to obtain a pardon (or at least go back to Valinor to stand trial) at the end of the War of Wrath. He refused to go because he could not put up with the humiliation, although he might have suspected that he would not be pardoned but chained like Morgoth and refused to go because of that.

[Carannillion]

Sauron was not a sprit of fire, hence not a Balrog, BUT he was their captain (Melkor's greatest general and so on).

[Frahhamn]

aye. nothing was evil to begin with. Sauron was actually friends with Elves. and that is how he learned to make the One Ring.

he wasn't initially evil, which perhaps makes him even more evil, since (to reach the stage of villainy that he was at in the Lord of the Rings) he would have to have become much more evil than he was originally. kinda like going from a positive number to a negative. he was good, but became evil, which is much worse than starting out evil.

[danalmsa]

Actually, I believe Sauron was already evil when he befriended the Elves and learned to make rings. It was all part of his plan.

[Jjudvven]

That's right. He was already perverted into Melkors service then.