I Hate Feanor

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Ivriniel

Yes. In fact, there was less that divided evil and good in the distinction between the 'evil' in the way Morgoth was caste and as Feanor was, in personality. Feanor was extremely narcissistic. His motivational processes lacked a capacity to empathise and forgive. The commitment to covetous behaviour ('my Silmarils'--really 'my Precious') to justify kinslaying, deception, greed and his capacity to dismiss others' emotional experience in exchange for his own.

That's pretty seriously a problem.

Aye, but despite that, I wouldn't classify Feanor as evil. Why? Because of the intensity of everything that happened in and around him, and his fiery spirit, and his madness, and for god's sake because he's a tragic hero (or anti-hero, as Lotrelf nicely put). Because neither Jason or Medea are villains, or Paris or Menelaus or Odysseus. And neither is Feanor. Because good tragedies aren't written about Ingwes. Because in a tragedy, even though physically it may be someone's fault, but it's no one's fault and no one truly wanted it, and that's why it's a tragedy and not a moral fable of why it's bad to do so-and-so in such-and-such cases.

Originally Posted by Ivriniel

We think, for example, that Gothmog (the First Age one, not the one on the Pelennor) was a *child* of Morgoth and some troll thing. That's a *child* of a *god* and part of the order of existence.

Wait, what? He's Morgoth's son? When does that happen?


By the way, welcome to the Downs! I don't believe I've said this yet to you. Please don't be scared off by my rant on my beloved tragedies.