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And Gollum's acts during the main narrative are just icing on the cake. Already in Chapter II Gandalf himself affirms that Gollum deserves death, in the key passage under discussion here. Make no mistake: Gandalf is distinguishing between what Gollum deserves, and whether he should get it. 'Mercy', the key word in the passage, is precisely the act of witholding *merited* punishment.
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