Quote:
I will criticize Manwë's decision because if they held Melkor as a prisioner for ever, as they did after the War of Wrath, a lot of hurt could have been prevented.
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quite true, but false at the same time, since
Morgoth is cast out into the Void, not
Melkor. The change of name imposed by Feanor signifies more than may meet the eye at the first glance. The spirit of Melkor is irredeemable only after his killing of threes and Finwe, and with the name he looses his status of a Vala, which is physically expressed in loss of ability to change the shape, i.e. bodily clothing. So, to say it shortly, there was no sound argument to cast Melkor into the Void until he became Morgoth and no one could deny him opportunity to repent by forcible action. Or, even more shortly, freedom of will is a gift of Eru not to Eruhini only, but to Ainur as well (or maybe even in the first place, since Ainur exercise it before time in making the Great Music)