Hurin and despair

[Aiwendil]

The 'Master of Fate' *never* takes control of his destiny but lets himself be blown hither and thither by Morgoth's malice and his own passions.

But his failing is not like, for example, Hamlet's; it is not inaction. He does not let himself be blown about by Morgoth's malice. Indeed, he knows of the curse and is constantly struggling to escape it. It's just that he makes the wrong decisions toward that goal.

*Had* Turin followed duty and friendship instead of fear and suspicion

I don't think it's completely fair to characterize his two choices that way. It's not a simple matter of duty and friendship vs. fear and suspicion. His reason for going back to Hithlum is in fact a sense of duty and compassion for his family. His decision is not morally wrong; it is merely strategically wrong. Finduilas is the one at risk; she is the one that Turin has a chance to save. But he miscalculates, due to Glaurungs spell, and thinks that it would be more worthwhile to seek his mother and try to help her.

If Hurin could be brought back to reason by Manthor how could Melian possibly fail?

But Manthor did not remove the spell from Turin; he merely reasoned with him. In Christopher's version, Melian does more than simply reason with Hurin - she actually removes the darkness that Morgoth put upon him.

It just occurred to me that in JRRT's version, Hurin's suicide could very well be seen as having a heroic element; for in this way he finally ends Morgoth's control over him and ensures that no more evils will be wrought by him unwittingly. Indeed, he proves his words to Morgoth 28 years before: "Beyond the Circles of the World you shall not pursue those who refuse you."

[ October 15, 2003: Message edited by: Aiwendil ]