Lindale:
Quote:
|
Whatever could a poor Elf do to resist the charms of such a sprite, even if he did see the Light of the Trees prior to meeting her? All other loyalties forgotten for a great love, this is a recurrent theme in JRRT. Thingol and Melian. Beren and Luthien. Beren and Felagund. And arguably, Aldarion and the Sea. The list goes on.
|
I too can't really criticize Thingol for his abandonment of the Teleri. Doesn't it specifically describe him in
The Silmarillion as being "enchanted" by Melian? I don't think he had any will left in the matter. If not for her, Thingol would almost surely have returned to the West, leading his people. I
would argue against Aldarion's inclusion in your examples, though.
skip spence:
Quote:
|
I'm willing to defend him partially in the treatment of Beren too. Look at it from Thingol's perspective. Here comes this ragged but prideful Man, knowing next to nothing about the world and it's secrets; a Man who've walked the earth just a few fleeting, sorrowful moments and is soon to depart again (unlike Luthien who will remain) yet lays claim to his own daughter with haughty words.
|
I would have thought Thingol might have some special understanding of being under the spell of a love that could not be denied. As
Morthoron mentioned, it seems pride was the real reason for his treatment of Beren, "baseborn mortal" and such.
skip spence:
Quote:
|
Later Luthien says, 'forget about the Silmaril and we'll live together in the Woods', but oh no, Beren rather drags her into the deepest pits of Angband than retracts his stubborn and hasty promise, one which already has been the death of Finrod Felagund and all his companions. What a selfish bastard he is! And Thingol is made out to be the fool. Jeez!
|
I know this isn't really Beren we're discussing here, but he went to such lengths to fulfill Thingol's conditions because: 1. Obeying the wishes of the potential bride's father in such matters was apparently the way things were done in that time, and 2. Beren did not desire her to live such a rustic and rude existence, wishing her to have the station that befitted her. Aragorn, much later, fulfilled his own bride's father's prerequisites for marriage for, I think, the same reasons.