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I don't disagree with the simple fact that Orcs are cowardly, vicious, cruel, verminous, & all the rest. Its the absence of noble enemies that intrigues me most. The heroes never face a noble opponent, are never faced with killing an 'equal'.
Or let's pursue Child's line - could there possibly have been 'brave', self-sacrificing Orcs? Or Dunlendings, Southrons, Easterlings? Men who fought heroically, laying down their lives for their comrades... they may have been on the wrong side, but their deeds proved worthy of a song? Or let's consider a combat between Aragorn & an Haradrim warrior on the Pelennor - one who goes down fighting, or one who puts himself between a group of Rohirrim & his Lord.
Or do the 'rules' of Tolkien's world make such a thing a logical impossibility? And how would we react? What about a f'rinstance - a young man from Harad is swept up by tales of war in the North West, his lord is going to fight for his Master (Sauron), & the young man swears an oath of service & rides off proudly to fight the 'evil' Gondorians. On the battlefield he comes face to face with Aragorn or Eomer, fights to defend his fallen lord & is slain.
Is that possible in Tolkien's world, or must Haradrim all be evil, stupid, deluded & of a kind who if they fight courageously it is only for their own survival? Can we imagine such a warrior as I've described - or would that 'break the rules'? And can we imagine that young man being mentioned with respect not, obviously, for the cause he fought for, but for his heroism in defence of one he loved? Can we imagine one of our heroes praising his courage, or the courage of his comrades for standing in the face of the Rohirrim's charge? Or maybe there were such courageous individuals among the enemy, but they were not 'mentioned in dispatches' by the Bards & so their heroism & self sacrifice were forgotten
And if we can't, if all the enemy are cowards, & the heroes are merely taking part in 'vermin control' does that in any way 'lessen' them?
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