There is a wonderful passage in 'The Steward and the King', RotK, that sums up the problem of killing in war very well. I think Tolkien is giving us his personal opinion when Éowyn answers the Warden of the Houses of Healing:
Quote:
Warden: 'The world is full enough of hurts and mischances without wars to multiply them.'
'It needs but one foe to breed a war, not two, Master Warden,' answered Éowyn. 'And those who have not swords can still die upon them. Would you have the folk of Gondor gather you herbs only, when the Dark Lord gathers armies?'
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth..
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