Imagine No Redemption

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I disagree certainly concering Saruman, and even Sauron. They were both given the chance to repent (even Melkor did, for that matter, after his chaining - he was released. Had the Valar been utterly unmerciful, just as the same thing with Sauron after the fall of Angband, and cast him into the Void, the whole suffering of Silmarillion would have been averted. But they didn't, and that's the whole point). Saruman was given the chance several times. First, right after his proposal of alliance with Sauron, Gandalf rebuked him. More importantly, when Gandalf and Théoden and co. arrived into ruins of Isengard, Gandalf offered Saruman to accept him. Saruman said no, Gandalf cast him out of the Order. Yet still he did not completely throw him away. When the company of Gandalf, Galadriel and the hobbits overtook Saruman on the way to Rivendell, they were still pretty nice to him. He could have joined them. He had missed his chance to join them while still keeping his dignity - that chance he had had at Orthanc - but he could have still refrained from his further plans. After this, there was nothing left for him but the Scouring of the Shire. And that's not, of course, to speak of the unlikely, but imaginable possibilities that Saruman would sometime on his own accord realise his own failure and come to the White Council begging their forgiveness. Even Sauron could at any point decide to repent, of course. Theoretically speaking, of course. Neither of them probably would (well, after all, they didn't). But the point is that if they did, they would be still accepted. Until the final ruin.

I seem to have not made my point clear. I don't disagree. Indeed, I would think the fact that the failure to embrace the chance at repentance is what led to the final judgement on Sauron and Saruman.