The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The Inherent Incompatability of Morgoth and Sauron

mhagain · 01-01-2014, 02:56 PM

I'm inclined to view Sauron as being more Lawful Neutral than Lawful Evil, at least at the start, and not in the Moorcock/Balance sense but rather in the "I'm looking after my own skin here" sense.

It's definitely the case that he was quite content to sit out the end of the First Age as a boogeyman in Taur-nu-Fuin after Luthien whupped his ***, and his repentance after the War of Wrath indicates that he was prepared to switch sides according to what suited his purpose.

It's really only after the Rings were created that he went fully down the Evil path, IMO. Up until then he's more of a free agent who just happened to side with Melkor because that seemed to be where the smart money was (at least from the perspective of him meeting his goals for order/etc).

01-01-2014, 02:56 PM	#5
mhagain Wight Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The best seat in the Golden Perch Posts: 219	I'm inclined to view Sauron as being more Lawful Neutral than Lawful Evil, at least at the start, and not in the Moorcock/Balance sense but rather in the "I'm looking after my own skin here" sense. It's definitely the case that he was quite content to sit out the end of the First Age as a boogeyman in Taur-nu-Fuin after Luthien whupped his ***, and his repentance after the War of Wrath indicates that he was prepared to switch sides according to what suited his purpose. It's really only after the Rings were created that he went fully down the Evil path, IMO. Up until then he's more of a free agent who just happened to side with Melkor because that seemed to be where the smart money was (at least from the perspective of him meeting his goals for order/etc). __________________ Then one appeared among us, in our own form visible, but greater and more beautiful; and he said that he had come out of pity.