Are orcs actually evil? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Tuor of Gondolin · 05-30-2006, 06:01 AM

I like to think orcs had the potential for redemption,
as JRRT suggests in Letters . And he specifically
notes that elves "were not entirely in the right"
in that same book. The classic conflicted elf, to me, is Maedhros.
The surviving Third Age elves had both learned to temper their
arrogance, and also most of them were basically "refusenik"
elves who had declined to go to Valinor.

One example of orcs showing companionship and
cameraderie was Rosenkrantz and Gilderstern (Gorbag
and Shagrat), who seem in the past to have been
fairly successful entrepreneurs---and perhaps their
quarrel was as much due to the baleful influence of the
Ring as orc testiness.

05-30-2006, 06:01 AM	#4
Tuor of Gondolin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pennsylvania, WtR, passed Sarn Gebir: Above the rapids (1239 miles) BtR, passed Black Rider Stopping Place (31 miles) Posts: 1,548	I like to think orcs had the potential for redemption, as JRRT suggests in Letters . And he specifically notes that elves "were not entirely in the right" in that same book. The classic conflicted elf, to me, is Maedhros. The surviving Third Age elves had both learned to temper their arrogance, and also most of them were basically "refusenik" elves who had declined to go to Valinor. One example of orcs showing companionship and cameraderie was Rosenkrantz and Gilderstern (Gorbag and Shagrat), who seem in the past to have been fairly successful entrepreneurs---and perhaps their quarrel was as much due to the baleful influence of the Ring as orc testiness. __________________ Aure Entuluva!