Good and Evil and polarization

[Ruinel]

From afar, many people, especially those that have not read Tolkien but rather seen the movies, find Tolkien's stories to be polarized, Good and Evil, and nothing inbetween.

However, there are many situations in which both Good and Evil coexist in an individual.

Gollum. It is obvious that here was a creature that was torn between Good and Evil.

Melkor. Most people believe Melkor to be pure Evil from the start. However, Melkor was made by Eru. If Melkor was pure Evil, then he was made so by Eru. Therefore, Evil does come from Eru (as well as Good). I think that Melkor was not originally Evil, he was proud and he was ambitious. Traits that were not given to the other Valar. He was set up to go his own way.

You may add your own examples, and discuss what is written here or explain your own examples.

 

[Lhunithiliel]

Whenever a character displays bilaterality it can be considered a complex one.
It is my personal opinion that not too many are those types of characters in Tolkien's world, considering the vast majority of characters that exist in the whole legendarium.
No wonder!
Tolkien's Legendarium was supposed to be the English mythology, and as it is in each mythology, a character is usually as strictly as possible either good or bad.
Therefore, in the BoLT and further - in the Silmarillion, most of the main characters are not of this kind.

In the "Hobbit" and in the LotR-books such complex characters are to be met more frequently, though still, few are those, who display too much depth.
Again, no wonder! Because even in the Ages of the coming of Men into rule over ME, the mythological roots are still deep and the past ages of Gods and fairies still have a strong influence. And, if not a pure myth, it is still a heroic epic. And in such sagas/tales/legends characters are also expected to be not too much complex, but rather either good or bad. For they convey certain ideas and thus, they are rather symbols than individuals. And a symbol cannot and should not be biphocal.

However, as Ruinel rightously pointed out, Melkor is one of the rare "exceptions", which makes this character one of the more debated, discussed and considered from the gallery of characters in Tolkien's world.

Gollum - too, yes, I agree.

But I would like to add Feanor. Because IMO this is one of the most complex characters Tolkien created. I still cannot find out why the author took this character "off stage" so soon! But the fact is, that even present for a very short time in the overall story, Feanor's character has an immense impact and is one of the unforgettable characters in the Legendarium precisely because of its complexity that is so well displayed. In this character the two opposite "poles" are in a violent clash which makes him not only tragic, but also extremely deep in its complexity, and this is hard to witness in many other characters ... except for Boromir, perhaps.

The last line above introduces one more of those "complex" characters - the Gondorian Boromir, son of Denethor, brother of Faramir.

I cannot forget about Aldarion and equally Erendis - the Numenoreans.
Another one deserving to be included in this list, is Eowyn.

In fact, as further into the Third and Fourth Ages we go, the more of such characters are to be found.

However, not even all of these display too much of a multy-layered character.