Melian among the maia

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Again I see a parallel in Galadriel vs. Sauron: Good more easily comprehends evil, than the reverse. Melian and Galadriel gain a fair amount of understanding of their more innately powerful adversaries, while the latter remain relatively blind.

Given how often this is the case, it's interesting that at the highest level the opposite was true, by which I mean the case of Manwë in judgement of Melkor: "For Manwë was free from evil and could not comprehend it, and he knew that in the beginning, in the thought of Ilúvatar, Melkor had been even as he; and he saw not to the depths of Melkor's heart and did not perceive that all love had departed from him for ever." (The Silmarillion p.65-66)
Of course by a later time in the First Age Morgoth's ability to conceal his thoughts from others may have been diminished. However, considering that Manwë was "free from evil" does the insight of characters like Melian convey a reduced freedom from evil with a "know thine enemy" connotation? But I suppose another parallel with Galadriel might be useful; she knew evil but rejected it, and perhaps knowing evil was not always a bad thing when it came to fighting evil, as long as it didn't go too far (as in the case of Saruman). That would seem to fit with Professor Tolkien's recurring theme that evil ultimately contributes to good, that Arda Healed would be greater than Arda Unmarred for having been Marred.