[Lush]

Guys, I was recently having lunch with one of my more scholarly acquaintances, when the topic of The Silmarillion came up. I don't know how we got on the subject, but we ended up talking a great deal about our least favorite characters, the ones that if you met them in real life, you would want to slap.
Well, surprisingly enough, my friend reserves that dubious honor for Aredhel, the mother of Maeglin. Essentially, he blames her for the fall of Gondolin.
Plot-wise, the fall of Gondolin can indeed be traced to Ardhel's dissatisfaction and restlessness, but should one actually go so far as to name her the root of the evil behind Gondolin's downfall? Was Aredhel's character Tolkien's main tool in creating an example of what a good woman shouldn't be?
Personally, I disagree with this on many levels, but I want to hear what you guys think. Who is Aredhel to you? A selfish brat, a victim of circumstances, or a little bit of both?