A Probably too Sympathetic View of Gríma

[Silver Dragon]

But are there other examples of repentance in Tolkien? Mercy/pity yes...but whole-hearted repentance? In the Silmarillion Maeglin was supposed to have repented the ways of his father and all but in the end he wound up betraying Gondolin to Morgoth making him if anything worse than the dark elf Eol.

[Encaitare]

I can't really think of anything offhand, except for maybe the Dead Men of Dunharrow, since originally they refused to aid Gondor and then they realized that the only way to end their curse was to help Gondor out in the war. However, I don't think this is really repentance, just a means to finally get to rest.

Since I can't think of any example of true repentance, I'm just going to say that even though Grima didn't truly repent, per se, he and most others who have been corrupted had the potential to repent. I think that his killing of Saruman showed that he wasn't entirely evil, as has been suggested by a few.

Interesting. I like this idea. I still think he's evil, by all means but I think that's a good idea. Nice thinking.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

Originally posted by Encataire:
"I can't think of any example of true repentance"
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Maedhros several times shows specific instances of repentence, but granted can't go the whole nine yards because of his slavish adherence to his oath.

Grima at the end seems to really be sick of being a bad guy and what he's done and may wish to repent, which makes the last evil deed of Saruman all the worse.

" 'Wormtongue!' called Frodo. 'You need not follow him. I know of no evil you have done to me. You can have rest and food here for a while, until you are stronger and can go your own ways.' Wormtongue halted and looked back at him, half prepared to stay. Saruman turned. 'No evil?' he cackled.".....

[Encaitare]

Exactly, the examples of Maedhros and Grima are pretty much what I was talking about. They may want to repent, and they may show signs of this desire, but they don't follow through with it all the way.

Yeah, Saruman was quite evil to poor Grima there...

[Elianna]

Saruman says he goes out and looks at the stars. "Even when he sneaks out at night it is only to look at the stars." Hmmm, looking at the stars...what a very Elvish thing to do. Surely, with the Elves being so famously enthralled by the stars, Tolkien wouldn't have said this about Gríma without cause, or something behind it.

The other thing is actually nothing to do with the book, but the movie. Look at Gríma's knife. Leaf shaped blade, a very graceful looking weapon. Fits the movie's motifs of Elvish blades.

[Encaitare]

I got the impression that Saruman was saying that sarcastically:

'Wormtongue!' called Frodo. 'You need not follow him. I know of no evil you have done to me. You can have rest and food here for a while, until you are stronger and can go your own ways.'

Wormtongue halted and looked back at him, half prepared to stay. Saruman turned. 'No evil?' he cackled. 'Oh no! Even when he sneaks out at night it is only to look at the stars.'

It seemed to me that Saruman was mocking what Frodo said, suggesting that when Grima sneaked out at night it was not at all to look at the stars, but to do eviller things. He's probably lying and just making a bogus claim to belittle Grima even further, like he does when he suggests that he ate Lotho... I hope that he was lying then, at the very least!