[Nar]

Excellent question, piosenniel, especially since this wouldn't be the only LotR story that repeats a Silmarillion story: Beren one-handed and the Silmarillion / Frodo nine-fingered and the ring. Pride was certainly the downfall of both Melkor and Boromir. Boromir redeemed himself by defeating a greater evil. There's no opportunity like that for Melkor in these stories-- he's the worst thing around. (Assuming Ungolient did consume herself. Anyway, killing her would hardly be enough.)

I personally could never forgive Melkor for turning elves, who have hope, into orcs, who have none. (Maybe the orcs will develop some post-Sauron.) As far as I remember, Melkor is coming back through the Door of Night for the final battle at the end of time-- are you thinking of him repenting then? or afterwards? That would be amazingly anti-epic and post-mythic, if this final battle at the end of time turned out to be a matter of Melkor wrestling with his conscience; in that case the role of Turin, who was to assist in the battle, would be to reproach Melkor, represent all his victims and trigger this attack of conscience. I had envisioned more of a vengeance-fest for Turin. I can't say I think it's impossible, but what could a Valar learn out in the Great Darkness that would give him a chance of realizing the value of goodness? He'd already been shown his part in the plan, before he ever committed a single crime. Well, no, he committed all his crimes twice, didn't he, first in song and next in deed.

piosenniel, I liked your explanation of the case for Melkor's redemption very much:
'Iluvatar, in his harmonious design, already includes the discordant theme of Melkor in his composition. In a sense, Melkor is already redeemed through this grace, but has not yet chosen to realize it. We could say the redemption is the easy part; the long hard part of it will be his atonement.'
This makes me think of Gollum/Smeagol much more than Boromir. As Frodo state in RotK:
'But for him ... I could not have destroyed the Ring. ... So let us forgive him! For the Quest is achieved, and now all is over. I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things ...'
Gollum died unrepentant, but Frodo forgave him because the quest was fulfilled by the manner of his death. Frodo is a child of Illuvatar, so on the principle of 'like son, like father,' Illuvatar could say the same of Melkor, after his death, if he dies 'useful.' You're saying that Melkor's lifetime of evil was useful to the creation-quest. I agree. However, Melkor's atonement could still be his separation from Illuvatar into spiritual dissolution, just as Gollum is separated from Frodo and cast into the fire. Gollum's forgiven, but he's still gone, my preciouss. Now Gollum's Illuvatar's problem, my goodness! I'd love to see that meeting! Fan fiction, anyone? I suppose what will decide between Melkor's dissolution or transcendence is the part he plays in final battle. It seems to me from reading Tolkien's description of it in HoME 5 (which is as far as I've gone in reading that series) that he does not expect Melkor to pull up and repent.

Sil, I liked your thinking on 9 being an odd number-- that's a unique approach! Pairs centered around a single number: Frodo, Manwe.
'However I found "impair"/ uneven ( translation?) numbers choice very interesting. It seems that in Tolkien's vision there could be : an unique supporting by the others, even numbers, at each side to create a power balance, the one making the difference.' The only difficulty with the 'oddness' idea is that Melkor's problem was not so much with Manwe but with Illuvatar, and Illuvatar, being the creator of all, is un-numbered-- the origin, you might say.

Piosenniel-- just read your latest post, and I see that you place an emphasis on quiet thinking throughout eternity as the means of redemption/enlightenment for Melkor, in contrast to my focus on a final battle. Clearly, you're operating on a more civilized level than I have been. The model in Tolkien's work that corresponds to this sort of spiritual change is Niggle's experience in purgatory in Leaf by Niggle. Niggle is an artist who loved his own creation too much and his fellows not enough, and he reaches his own enlightenment through 'complete rest, in the dark.' --Including guidance from voices that debate the state of Niggle's soul. I could see this as a model for Melkor's enlightenment after everything is done-- but only if the orc-souls get the same chance.