Evil

[Zebedee]

Tolkien shows evil as a force to be resisted. The ring is evil, a force of its own, not just an abscence of good.

[Legolas]

Tolkien shows evil often as the desire to take God's place (whether on a large or small scale)...in Morgoth and Sauron, for example, this principle is taken to maximum magnitude in the thought that one has the capabilities to supplant the Creator and still be able to sustain the world he created. Aule does something similar but apparently less offensive when he thinks he can create his own lifeforms apart from Eru's children.

[Lhunardawen]

Originally Posted by Avie

I have always wondered about the Elves....willing to offer good will and best wishes but not actually involving themselves in the fight for Middle Earth (at least in the Third Age conflict). For that reason I never have particularly liked Elves. Elrond knew the way to Mount Doom...he'd been there before...but did HE offer to take the Ring there?If not why not? what had he to lose? Nancing over to the Havens and abandoning ME to it's fate is the evil of omission...not intentional but wrong nevertheless.

As a Peredhel myself, I would like to defend my kindred.

Yes, it does seem unfair that the Elves are not being very directly and physically involved with resisting the Enemy. That's at least what most see as they read LotR. But looking at the Appendix, we can see that the Elves had their share of the fighting in the War of the Ring. They did not march out to meet with them, but as Legolas said in RotK, the Enemy marched out into their lands, or something. Three times Lothlorien was attacked as Gondor and Rohan were, and they had to stay there to defend themselves. And earlier in the Third Age, the Wise had attacked Sauron at Dol Guldur.

But if we will look at it, they have fought more wars than anyone had. Most, if not all, of them have been around in the First Age, when they strove against Morgoth and the might of Angband. Whereas what has been left for the people in the Third Age is merely his servant, Sauron. They deserve whatever rest they can get in Middle-Earth after their long toil against the Enemy's predecessor. But even so, they still did their part in the War, insignificant though it seems (but certainly not so). And though they had the choice to leave ME earlier on, they chose to stay and continue what they have begun.

[Son of Númenor]

Evil in Tolkien's world seems to me, ultimately, to be the act of setting one's self up in direct opposition to the will of the Creator - or to be knowingly subservient to one who does this. In the former category we have, as Ulmo said, Sauron and Morgoth - and, I would posit, Saruman as well. In the latter, examples that spring to mind are the Balrogs, orcs, Gríma Wormtongue, et al.

In defense of Elrond, - and, for that matter, all the Elves of the Third Age besides Legolas - it seems a truth universally acknowledged by the 'good guys' in Lord of the Rings that the Elves were 'declining' - that it was the time for Men (and, as Elrond says in the "Council", for Hobbits) to take the proverbial reigns. The Eldar, after all, had battled Sauron and Morgoth for ages, and had grown weary of fighting - and of mortal lands. What better way to pass the torch than to lend guidance and help to Men at need, (without seeking to dominate or interfere) during the battle that could prove definitive of Men's 'time' as the stewards of Middle-earth?

[Boromir88]

Yes, I think just the presence of Elladan and Elrohir at Pelennor fields helped "men" out a good deal, and as Son of Numenor puts it "not seeking to dominate or interfere," the presence of Elladan and Elrohir show that. I mean as the best orc fighters in the third age they help out a great deal, but yet its not a "dominating" presence.

[HerenIstarion]

You might find it interesting to look at the following:

Shadow of the Past
Tolkien and Monsters

cheers

[HerenIstarion]

Originally Posted by Avie

but did HE [Elrond] offer to take the Ring there?If not why not?

I suppose because:

Originally Posted by Gandalf to Frodo

Behind that there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that maybe an encouraging thought

Fate (or Eru). In The Shadow of the Past, link provided above.

Besides, see The Role of Fate in Middle-Earth

cheers