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Old 07-25-2004, 08:21 PM   #7
Son of Númenor
A Shade of Westernesse
 
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Join Date: May 2004
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Wormtongue is an interesting character, in that he is unlike most other evil beings in Middle-earth. He is not desirous of omnipotence, as are Melkor, Sauron and Saruman. He was not forcibly subverted to the will of a powerful evil being, like the orcs were. He is more like Sharkey's ruffians, Sauron's mercernaries and even Melkor's Balrogs, in that he is corrupted (not by torture, like the orcs, but by persuasion and false promises) to the service of a true evil, and is mainly in it for personal gain. I think Tolkien saw a distinction between characters like Master Wormtongue and the 'greater' evils. Grima, I think, was still capable of repentance, and he did repent, to an extent, in killing Saruman. I do not think he was ever wholly 'fallen', and I do not see why he could not have loved Eowyn. He may have lusted after her, but lust does not necessarily supersede true affection. Perhaps he was greatly conflicted: wanting her for himself, wanting her to be happy, and being ensnared by Saruman, from whose scheme he could no longer escape and, being corrupt, no longer had a will to try. Sounds like quite a sad predicament.
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