Tidbits of Curiosity

[Urwen]

I never said I like him the way he was written, because his canonical-self dies, and I am not okay with that. You're the ones who like him the way he is written. You're the ones who are happy that he died.

Then again, you do have a point. If he were different, the reasons I started liking him in the first place would be gone. (I like tragic villains, okay?)

However, his death is still something I feel shouldn't have happened. Two sides of me warring over this: one side of me knows it had to have been, while the other side rejects that idea.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Urwen

Then again, you do have a point. If he were different, the reasons I started liking him in the first place would be gone. (I like tragic villains, okay?)

Yeah, that's exactly my point (and I like tragic characters too, you're not the only one ). The beauty of tragic heroes and anti-heroes is the tragedy. You want it to not happen that way, but you also like the story because it happens that way. The joy is in the pain?

But it's not just about the tragic ending. The latest alternative history you propose here still maintains Maeglin's death, it just takes away the tragedy and complexity behind it. It isn't anymore the story of an outsider whose lust lead him to terrible moral decisions, a story of passion and motivation. Instead it's a story of a machine doing its job. If Maeglin was pre-programmed to do everything he's done, as you propose, the tragic aspect - the willingness to send the whole world to hell to get what he desires. He's Terminator, he isn't a person, isn't a complex character.

[Urwen]

And yet, I still didn't want him to die, just as I didn't want Feanor, Maedhros, Aredhel, Turin, Nienor, Tar-Miriel or Urwen to die.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Urwen

And yet, I still didn't want him to die, just as I didn't want Feanor, Maedhros, Aredhel, Turin, Nienor, Tar-Miriel or Urwen to die.

And isn't it great? Some of these characters did terrible things, and yet we still love them and don't want them to die! Doesn't that speak to the depth of these characters and the quality of the story?

[Urwen]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

And isn't it great? Some of these characters did terrible things, and yet we still love them and don't want them to die! Doesn't that speak to the depth of these characters and the quality of the story?

Yes, but you forgot one little detail: they still died even though we didn't want them to die.

[Urwen]

So I recently stumbled upon a site which has a lot of alternative names for characters. Some I have unearthed:

Maeglin - Morleg, Glirhuin
Eol - Eor, Alvar
Aredhel: Rodwen
Earendil: Gaerdil, Aradamir, Horvendill, Orentil
Saeros: Orgof
Tuor: Eladar
Gwindor: Galweg
Turin: Gormagli

[Urwen]

I just had a thought: Aredhel was the original 'Ar-Something' title user, and the Ar- kings of Numenor were emulating her and things relating to her. Think about it:

1. She couldn't have died of old age, which is why they wanted immortality
2. She had a controlling husband, which is why the women of Numenor took a backseat in the days of Ar-kings (*leers at Phary*)
3. Said husband killed both her and himself, as Phary's actions caused the deaths of himself and his wife.
4. Her son was in love with his first cousin (*leers at Phary some more*)

You get the idea...