Aredhel the bad girl?

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

I'm answering the question posed at the beginning of the thread:

Who is Aredhel to you? A selfish brat, a victim of circumstances, or a little bit of both?

I gave my opinion of Aredhel, which is, I grant you, quite harsh. Others are as bad or worse, but to my mind that doesn't make her any better. As for Turgon's decision being wrong, I'd accept it as an argument if Aredhel had demonstrated that she was in favour of a general evacuation, or that she had some foreboding about staying in Gondolin. As it was she wanted a luxury and she was going to have it, whatever the cost. Her decision was selfish and moronic; ergo she is a selfish moron. It's as simple as that. Of course that doesn't preclude other characters being more selfish or more moronic, but this thread is about Aredhel, not them.