Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikkolas
...Feanor is responsible for countless deaths.
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Feanor was an awful, awful person and has no excuse for anything he did. He did more harm to the world than anyone save the Dark Lords.
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It is said of the disposition of the Noldor, not just Fëanor, that Galadriel who, "had a marvelous gift of insight into the minds of others" in Fëanor "she perceived a darkness that she hated and feared". However, "she DID NOT perceive that the shadow of the SAME EVIL had fallen upon the minds of ALL the NOLDOR., and upon her OWN." [U.T., p. 241] It is a stain that has touched the Noldor.
Certainly Feanor was a leader in the uprising of the Noldor, but he was not the lone leader as it is mentioned there were other princes of the Noldor who were leaders, Galadriel for instance who was banned from Valinor. When Melkor spoke of weapons to them it was not just Fëanor who built weapons, nor he alone who had desires of ruling his own kingdom without the overreach of the Valar.
Fëanor's father whom, ""was dearer to him than the Light of Valinor or the peerless works of his hands; and who among sons, of Elves or of Men, have held their fathers of greater worth?" [Sil., ch. 9, p. 88] was murdered. He loved his father most of all. If the murder of Maeglin's mother could have a negative impact on him so could Fëanor's father with himself, "he was distraught with grief for the slaying of his father" [p. 92]. It seems to some degree his father's death snapped Fëanor who thought, "in the madness of his rage and grief that had he been at Formenos his strength would have availed more than to be slain also, as Melkor had purposed." [p. 88]
I think Fëanor used his power to manipulate his people and to urge them on from Aman, "the Noldor were stirred to madness" [p. 92]. However, it was not as if Fëanor was the lone person who had the shadow of darkness on him. As you see others may have seen it in him, but failed to notice it in themselves and everyone else around them. I think the responsibility for the deaths of the Noldor does not fall on Fëanor's shoulders alone because these people chose to go with him and some like Finarfin did not.