[Gothmog]

What you say is true Lalaith, but remember what happened when the same opportunity rose in the real silm? Only Maedhros and Maglor remained of the brothers and Maglor hesitated but

Yet he yielded at last to the will of Maedhros, and they took counsel together how they should lay hands on the Silmarils

That last twitch of evil from Maedhros side has always confused me. To this point, Maedhros has always been the restraining power among the brothers. He has been the one to keep his brothers from doing rash things, but now he's the one speaking for the stealing of the jewels. Why this change? Has the struggle finally made him give up his norms in life? Many questions but few answers. Almost the material to a new thread if one work on it a while... But the fact remains: in the end Maedhros is the driving force behind the stealing of the Silmarils AND they're making themselves guilty of more kinslaying as the guards were killed. He's most responsible for that too.