Boromir, Gollum and Eowyn

[mark12_30]

davem wrote:

In other words, no-one in Middle earth is 'evil' per se - ie, evil in their essential nature, because Nothing is evil in its beginning.

There is a big difference between "Nothing is evil in the beginning" and "nothing is evil."

Thinlómien: Are you saying that Smeagol was forced to do all those things? The corollary would be that Bilbo was forced to spare Gollum; Bilbo would get no credit for sparing Gollum.

But he does.