Can't resist adding, maybe Eru Iluvatar allowed Melkor to turn some of the elves into orcs deliberately? I ask this because the elves had so many gifts. They were all beautiful and wise and super strong and had magic and could travel backwards and forwards from valinor. Maybe orcs emerged to balance out all of the elves advantages? Otherwise, they would've been trapped in a sort of cage with gilt bars? They wouldn't have been able to exercise their free will or learn wisdom?
The very worst crime that Melkor committed was stealing the free will away from the orcs. In the rings of power I liked how they raised the question of orcs having a more human side to them. If I'd been Tolkien, I would've done it differently though. For example, if elves choose to do evil, they turn into orcs. Or orcs created by Eru Iluvatar deliberately to maintain the balance between good and evil - the orcs are more akin to spirits, the traditional fairytail goblins rather than originating from tortured and degraded elves. After all, Tolkien's orcs were evil through no fault of their own. It's a pity by the 4th age, Eru Iluvatar didn't step in and do something to right this wrong, like turn them back into elves and give them their own Numenor, and without that silly ban. As for forgiving the orcs, there would also be the small matter of justice for the orc's many victims. Moreover, if they have no free will and are hardwired to always do evil, then forgiving won't make any difference if they continue doing others harm.
Very well done.
Can't resist adding, maybe Eru Iluvatar allowed Melkor to turn some of the elves into orcs deliberately? I ask this because the elves had so many gifts. They were all beautiful and wise and super strong and had magic and could travel backwards and forwards from valinor. Maybe orcs emerged to balance out all of the elves advantages? Otherwise, they would've been trapped in a sort of cage with gilt bars? They wouldn't have been able to exercise their free will or learn wisdom?
The very worst crime that Melkor committed was stealing the free will away from the orcs. In the rings of power I liked how they raised the question of orcs having a more human side to them. If I'd been Tolkien, I would've done it differently though. For example, if elves choose to do evil, they turn into orcs. Or orcs created by Eru Iluvatar deliberately to maintain the balance between good and evil - the orcs are more akin to spirits, the traditional fairytail goblins rather than originating from tortured and degraded elves. After all, Tolkien's orcs were evil through no fault of their own. It's a pity by the 4th age, Eru Iluvatar didn't step in and do something to right this wrong, like turn them back into elves and give them their own Numenor, and without that silly ban.
As for forgiving the orcs, there would also be the small matter of justice for the orc's many victims. Moreover, if they have no free will and are hardwired to always do evil, then forgiving won't make any difference if they continue doing others harm.