Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Last Act
So much has been said about Free Will, but most of that has been concerning the good side of the book if you will. What about the likes of Worm Tongue and Saruman? Both are given the opportunity to repent their evil ways, and both deny this opportunity. Is it in this final or last act of free will that defines them? In the end, is it this solitary choice that makes them evil? Or are they written so one-dimensionally, that they too only have one choice, once again negating free will?
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5 comments:
Perhaps it is not fate that leads them to pursue power or evil, but free will. Yet they are unable to resist their desire for power much like smokers are often unable to resist their desire for cigarettes or nicotine, though many times they have tried to quit. And one would not say that smokers smoke because it's their fate to smoke. Rather, it's their choice.
A good point about Saraman and Worm Tongue but remember they're just chilling for a while- its not over yet. But do the good guys ever really have a choice at all? I would argue that only the bad guys have a choice. Heros are always predictable once you know their code, but villians on the other hand... they may even betray themselves.
it really depends on the character and the persona of the person. If you have seen the a recent movie the departed with jack nicholson, matt damon, and leonardo decaprio. leo's character is so deadset on bringing the mob to justice while as an undercover mob for the cop's matt damon has a change of heart and decides to betray his own mentor for the benefit for his own good.
I don't think tolkien wanted such diversity in the characters in lord of the rings because he wanted to make sure the audience would know who were the bad guys and who were the good guys. the only character in the story to have such a conflicted character is probably to me gollum, yet he is still possessed and tortured by the power of the ring so it really isn't as much free will as worm tongue and saruman
Good points David. I would add to that list of repentant characters Boromir, who, in his own mind sacrafices himself to save Merry and Pippin after betraying Frodo.
Also on a more controversial note I would add Aragorn, who for years has hidden in obscurity while he could have given great help to Gondor and the free people if he had claimed his birthright earlier. Although his peronal motives for remaining in obscurity may not be considered "evil" his actions may have had an evil effect on the kingdoms of the south.
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