Can Evil Be Encouraged?


Chapter 17-22 of The Silmarillion expand upon and add a layer of depth to previous conversations about the morality of orcs themselves, and to what degree they were responsible for the pain and suffering they caused as a collective. While it remains true that the majority of these creatures were created through torture and coerced into following evil, nearly all-powerful leaders, one cannot ignore the sheer amount of pain they caused in some of these most recent chapters. They tortured and terrorized others in the same ways they experienced constantly, seemingly going above and beyond the call of duty even of their evil overlords.  Chapter 20 in particular stood out to me, since in the beginning of this chapter the orcs’ role as sacrificial pawns is made clear when they are sent out in small, hopeless groups to be slaughtered as a distraction. In this moment, we can easily see how they were being used by more powerful, conscious leaders against their will. Even slightly later on, when they are sent out in great numbers to destroy their enemies and succeed in doing so, one could continue to argue that it was war, and in war both the good and evil are destructive and murderous. Nothing up until this point could be used to judge the morality of the orcs themselves. However, after the battle is done and adrenaline and violence are no longer commanding action, the orcs continued to contentedly take part in the further torture of captives, displaying at best apathy to the situation. These conflicting actions make it very difficult and nuanced to try to describe the feelings and thoughts of the orcs in these situations. Almost certainly, those sent out in the earliest waves as a distraction felt nothing but fear and panic from all sides. If they stayed where they were they would be killed by Morgoth, and if they left, by his enemies. After seeing this exchange, it is reasonable to assume that those in the next wave felt more empowered, if not by what they were fighting for, at least by the fact that they had a fighting chance at all. After acknowledging these two perspectives, one can clearly see how things devolved into the cruelty of the aftermath of the battle. Regardless of what they believed or what side they wished to be on, the orcs had won their battle and fulfilled their role. Humans, elves, and dwarves alike have all been known to rally with their brethren of the moment at such times, when group pride and victory overcome all else. 


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