Tolkien and the Monsters

[The Saucepan Man]

Just a quick point on the following:

Shelob is evil because of her desire to consume the created world.

I accept that it is said of Ungoliant that she had an all-consuming desire to consume. But is this actually said of Shelob too, or are we imputing it to her by virtue of her ancestry? Isn't Shelob simply hiding away in a mountain lair, keeping herself to herself and consuming only what she needs to survive? The again, she is a sentient being and has the capacity to choose who/what she consumes and who/what she does not. Perhaps that counts against her. Maybe the question depends upon what was agreed between her and Gollum. Did she know that Frodo and Sam were two good little Hobbits, or did she simply view them as small Orcs?