The Inherent Incompatability of Morgoth and Sauron

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Sarumian

The question is when. If it happened before Melkor's final downfall, it is unclear why than Sauron did not abandon Melkor.

I just noticed this and wanted to offer an answer while I had it in mind. There's so much discussion of Sauron on this forum I think it's enlightening to have as much material to hand as possible. To quote "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" regarding Sauron's behaviour:

"Therefore when Ëonwë departed he hid himself in Middle-earth; and he fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth had laid upon him were very strong."

Sauron was Morgoth's first lieutenant. That does not, however, change the fact that in the heirarchy of Morgoth's 'realm' (such as it was) everyone apart from Morgoth himself, regardless of rank, was Morgoth's slave. On the other hand, we receive no mention, I believe, of any participation on Sauron's part in the Great Battle. So I think Sauron may have been capable of abandoning Morgoth, but that he was so deeply entrenched in evil that this was only really possible at the point where it was a choice between supporting Morgoth and his own survival. Being evil and serving Morgoth (the individual) were not the same thing by the end of the First Age, which I think might go some way to explaining how Sauron persisted with Morgoth until the time came to strike out on his own. Of course, slave or not, for a being as evil as Sauron, and accustomed to a certain lifestyle, being second in command of Morgoth's realm would probably also have been preferable to indefinite ages of service to the Valar in Aman (even before the Great Battle, I mean).