Did Gollum deserve death?

Originally Posted by Boo Radley

Nah, it's OK. I sense a puckish sense of humor there, which is very cool with me.

I am glad to hear it - the orc filth was a light hearted joke but somebody evidently didn't think so & removed it. Besides, orc filth has been proven to have some healing powers, in a similar manner to that potion, Miruvor, which Elrond gave to the Company.

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by Mansun

I am glad to hear it - the orc filth was a light hearted joke but somebody evidently didn't think so & removed it. Besides, orc filth has been proven to have some healing powers, in a similar manner to that potion, Miruvor, which Elrond gave to the Company.

Yes. I'm very curious as to why the two posts were removed. Certainly, I didn't sense any kind of threat in the "orc filth" line.
I thought it was funny and quite germane to the topic.
If I had responded by calling you a cad and a bounder, would I have been banned???
Say it aint so, Joe!

[Gothbogg the Ripper]

Gollum didn't deserve death but he needed to die. That was the only way he was going to attain any sort of peace. He was too old, too bitter, too sad to live any normal life. Even if he had never led Sam and Frodo into Shelob's lair and was hailed as a hero there would have been no happy ending. He was doomed from the moment his hands clasped around Deagol's neck.

[Aaron]

Um, no he wasn't. Gollum had plenty of chances to turn back but didn't. He should have been killed ten times over for his pathalogical treachery. Did he deserve death? Well yeah, more than any other character in the story actually because he has the chance for redemption but continuously spurns it.

[Gothbogg the Ripper]

But you have to take into account the fact that he really is a slave to the Ring. It's like some filthy junkie, they'll do anything for a fix. They deserve our pity, not our hatred because they have a severe addiction. I mean, what are you saying? That you'd like to see all drug addicts killed?

[Aaron]

You're right I'd like to see them all killed. You have to stop placing the blame on someone else. If a guy murders his family then where is the justice in saying "It's societies fault"? You have to place the blame where it belongs, on the shoulders of the criminal. Yes, Gollum had problems but he proved his weakness by succumbing to the power of the Ring. Frodo on the other hand resisted its power and so was able to do a great good. Both had similar experiences but it was the moral fibre which seperated them. Gollum lacked any kind of backbone, he was the worst sort of coward and so was justly killed albeit by his own hand.

[Gothbogg the Ripper]

Coward? I think not. Gollum tracked the Fellowship for ages, took on two stronger characters by himself, endured torture and had the strength of will to stick to his convictions and try to kill Sam and Frodo. Sure, it was morally the wrong thing to do but it at least showed that he had some force of will. But I think that we're veering off topic here. The question was not based on Gollum's bravery or lack thereof but rather how deserving he was of death.