Tolkien and the Monsters

[Mithalwen]

While I alas, have very "little Latin and less Greek", and apologise to any Classicists I would say that malevolence meant "ill will" or "wrong/evil intention" - so I would say that malevolence required mens rea...... so a psychopath may be evil and do evil things without being malevolent - it requires a degree of rationality and awareness that I would say preclude something from being born malevolent - I think it is something that one becomes. There may be a predispositon but wheter it is developed would depend on environment. However I think it is possible for something to be born evil - but then I may be allowing the fact that I think of "Village of the Damned/Midwych Cuckoos" every time I see my god-son warp my judgement on this one....