Was Melkor Bipolar?

[Ren the Unclean]

Originally Posted by Sarumian

We are talking not about someone evil but about the one who begot evil.

This is a really powerful insight. I think it describes, in one statement, who Melkor was. He's not just a character who became evil. He's the original architect of evil.

And I think you guys are right - Tolkien's writing should be interpreted in moral terms rather than medical, as tempting as it is to view his world through scientific eyes. (I like technology. I like machines. I'm guessing I shouldn't try to pick up a Silmaril.)*


Continuing to ask, "What is the nature of evil?" I'm beginning to believe that power itself is a big part of the nature of evil. By which I mean, my guess is that an ordinary person, if he were suddenly given great power, would have a very hard time *not* being evil.

Mildly negative traits that aren't so terrible in an ordinary person could become sources of great evil in a person having significant power. If an ordinary person with character traits not normally considered dangerous (anger, selfishness, impatience, being controlling, etc.) became extremely powerful, all of a sudden their actions, resulting from their character and temperament, could have a lot more impact and a lot more potential for harming others.

Power is a multiplier, and it seems to multiply the dark side more than the light.

This thought has given me enormous respect for the characters who are powerful and are *not* evil, Elrond and Aragorn for example. But I remain most in awe of Manwe. His power is staggering, yet he's got to be the nicest guy around. How does he do it? I'm no longer assuming it's easy.



*joke, refering to Tolkien's model of "English countryside = good", "technology & development = evil"