[onewhitetree]

Hmm. Did Gollum have mental issues before the Ring? I guess he did, since he murdered his cousin after just a glimpse of the shiny metal.

It rather leads me to believe that he was created evil and twisted in the first place unnaturally. Think about it. In the hobbit cultures, not too many bad apples were bred, and even then, they were not murderers. Ted Sandyman was about as bad as a hobbit gets, and he was pretty pansy compared to Gollum. Perhaps his being naturally perverse leveled out his fate; it made it more fair, so-to-speak.

Unfortunately, he did have that spark of humanity that showed up once in a blue moon, and grabbed the pity of everyone who witnessed his painfully slow demise. Did he really bring it upon himself? I, for one, do not think so. Gollum had a purpose from the moment he set foot in Middle Earth, and the "greater powers," be they good or evil, ruled his fate. Smeagol was just a pawn, played at first by the darker powers, but also played by the better side toward the end of his wretched life.

But still - did he deserve it? Of course, we are all human, all fallible, but what a curse! I don't think anyone, perhaps save Morgoth and Sauron (who really did bring
it upon themselves, having made conscious choices) suffered as much as Gollum.