[obloquy]

Tolkien didn't think of the Numenoreans as mere victims. Here's some stuff from Letters (interesting that Letters contains so much information on the Numenoreans!):

The Downfall is partly the result of an inner weakness in Men – consequent, if you will, upon the first Fall (unrecorded in these tales), repented but not finally healed. Reward on earth is more dangerous for men than punishment! The Fall is achieved by the cunning of Sauron in exploiting this weakness. Its central theme is (inevitably, I think, in a story of Men) a Ban, or Prohibition.

So the Numenoreans were at least partly responsible.

Here's another interesting point a little bit later in the same letter:

They became thus in appearance, and even in powers of mind, hardly distinguishable from the Elves – but they remained mortal, even though rewarded by a triple, or more than a triple, span of years. Their reward is their undoing – or the means of their temptation. Their long life aids their achievements in an and wisdom, but breeds a possessive attitude to these things, and desire awakes for more time for their enjoyment.

Here it says that even in "powers of mind" (will? perception?) the Numenoreans were nearly on par with the Elves (Eldar?). So we could conclude that they were just as culpable for their Fall as those Elves in Eregion would have been, had their error been as fully realized as that of the Numenorean rebels. The last two sentences also apply to another recent thread that pointed to the Elves' immortality as their bane. This quote was speaking specifically of the Numenoreans, but we know that Tolkien considered the concept and may have applied it to the Elves as well.

Here's just a bit more pertinent information from the same letter:

There are three phases in their fall from grace. First acquiescence, obedience that is free and willing, though without complete understanding. Then for long they obey unwillingly, murmuring more and more openly. Finally they rebel – and a rift appears between the King's men and rebels, and the small minority of persecuted Faithful.

Gotta go stand in line for seats! Hope these quotes help. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]