Sauron is the main antagonist in J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and one of the most iconic villains in fantasy literature. But what made him turn evil? And how did he become so powerful?
Sauron was once a good wizard, but he turned evil. Why did he turn evil? What made him turn evil? These are the questions that must be answered in order to understand why and how he turned evil.
Sauron is portrayed as an ambitious adversary in The Lord of the Rings, a three-part epic fantasy tale, who seeks ultimate power and dominion over everything. Sauron’s malevolent presence is felt strongly in the tale via his burning disembodied eye, notwithstanding Tolkien’s concealment of his form. But how did Sauron grow so wicked, and why?
From the beginning, Sauron had a characteristic of orderliness. With time, he grew obsessed with this characteristic and demanded that everything be done according to his wishes. This devotion drew him to Morgoth, the Dark Lord, who, like others, poisoned his soul.
Despite the fact that Sauron was not always wicked, it’s likely that he harbored some evil deep inside him. How would the neutral characteristic of orderliness attract so much evil if it didn’t? This essay delves further into how and why Sauron in The Lord of the Rings became wicked.
Was Sauron always a bad guy?
As formed by Eru, Sauron was initially good and heavenly. Mairon was his name, which means ‘The Admirable.’ The Maia of Aule the Smith, according to the Silmarillion, was primarily responsible for assisting the Valar in the creation of Arda. He stayed in this position until his ambition overtook his good nature and drove him to wickedness.
He was a perfectionist who enjoyed putting things together. His reasoning was that everything should be done in the sequence he specified so that there would be no misunderstanding or needless friction. This preoccupation led him to think that if everyone listened to him and obeyed his instructions, there would be peace and ease of operation.
As a member of the Arda development team, his aversion to imperfection may have gotten stronger, and he wanted everything to be done in a systematic way. It goes without saying that everyone has their own idea of perfection, which is likely to differ significantly from Sauron’s.
Unlike Morgoth, who despised everything good and thrived on destroying it, Sauron simply desired to reign over everything. His need for order and perfection turned into a weakness, which Morgoth exploited.
What Caused Sauron to Turn Evil?
Sauron was formed good and uncorrupted, as previously stated. Sauron, on the other hand, became evil and dedicated himself to a new master, Morgoth. Morgoth was the Dark Lord at the moment, and he could do anything he pleased.
Morgoth despised everything good, and his strategy was to seduce ambitious souls like Sauron and corrupt them into becoming like him. This would aid him in his plan to undermine and destroy the kingdoms of the planet.
Sauron’s yearning for order in the world drove him to want Morgoth’s ability to do anything he pleased. Others would revere Sauron and follow his orders if he could get such power. That implies everyone would obey his orders and everything would be done in unison.
Sauron could only get this power by joining Morgoth and serving beneath him. There may have been other options, but Sauron believed his approach would not hurt the people. Morgoth had already enticed and corrupted others at this time. As a result, Sauron would take the same route.
Why Did Sauron Become Corrupted?
Morgoth exploited Sauron’s yearning for beauty and orderliness as a loophole to tempt him to evil. Sauron had no intention to destroy people like Morgoth from the start, although he would have liked to have Morgoth’s power.
Despite the fact that Sauron’s goal of gaining power was noble, Morgoth viewed it as a chance to add another strong member to his army. In the First Age, he required a large army to battle and win over the Elves and Men.
Sauron’s desire was so strong that he didn’t care what route he took to get there. His ultimate ambition was to be the most powerful person on the planet.
What Happened to Sauron After He Became Evil?
When Sauron first arrived at Morgoth’s camp, he began to serve him and learn his ways. His name could no longer identify him as “the admirable,” therefore he was given the new moniker “Sauron,” which means “the awful.” He was no longer admired, and everyone despised him for his wicked deeds.
Sauron’s growth was apparent over time as he continued to rise in the demonic ranks, outperforming those who had been under Morgoth for longer than he had. He was talented in every aspect, and his desire drove him to learn more quickly. After taking up Gorthaur the Cruel’s mantle, he became Morgoth’s second in command.
Sauron succeeded his master as the general ruler and the second Dark Lord when Morgoth was destroyed. For him, this was a dream come true, and he was ready to put his rule into action. Sauron, unlike his lord, was concerned with preserving order, as he had always desired. Even while he was served under Morgoth, he never lost his objective.
Analysts believe that, despite Tolkien’s portrayal of him as the main adversary, his motives were not malevolent. His egoistic nature and unbridled desire with order drove him to do terrible acts.
He didn’t care how he got there; all he cared about was ruling without opposition and establishing peace via order. He may have gone to Morgon’s camp since he could see Morgon doing it.
Following his victory against Morgoth, he felt compelled to wage war against Middle Earth in an effort to conquer it. As he utilized the One Ring to control all the other ring bearers, he came dangerously near to achieving ultimate power. The Elves, on the other hand, remained implacable because he had failed to corrupt and dominate them.
A massive war broke out, culminating in the formation of the Last Alliance. Later, Sauron came to Middle Earth to reclaim the Fortress of Dol Guldur and assemble his army. Samuran had joined him at this time and was assisting him in marshalling the troops. He took on the Eye form as a metaphor of piercing awareness and the profound horror of evil at this point.
His wicked characteristics had grown to the point that the author described him as the “closest anybody has ever been to pure evil.” As he followed his master’s path until he was totally destroyed, his diversion was not far behind.
When did Sauron become a tyrant?
You already know that Sauron was not born evil, but he was tainted by Morgoth along the road. Because Tolkien does not tell us when he initially became corrupted, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly when it occurred. I can only guess and draw conclusions from there.
However, I can give you a handful of these examples from which you may estimate the period of Sauron’s corruption.
1. Before Arda – At Ainur’s Music
During the music, Morgoth interrupted the songs, and many of the Maiar sang along with him. He interrupted the melodies, according to the Silmarillion, by luring them to alter their tunes to his and then sing with him.
One of the Aulean Maiar joined Morgoth and became a member of his camp as a result of this incident. Because the identity of this Aulean Maiar is not apparent in the text, and we already know that Sauron was one of the Aulean Maiar, I can only assume that he is Sauron.
2. The Valar Were Creating Arda
Morgoth tried to destroy or corrupt the Silmarillion on numerous occasions, according to the Silmarillion. He corrupted additional slaves at this period as he left and abandoned Arda. If Sauron was not corrupted in the Music of Ainur, he may have been among the corrupted at this time period.
Even though Morgoth had already departed Arda at this point, the infected soldiers might have remained as spies. Morgoth had hidden allies and spies among the Maiar who had converted and supported his cause, according to the Silmarillion.
3. Arda’s Spring
This was after Arda’s sculpting was finished. This would be the moment for Sauron’s corruption if he hadn’t already been corrupted in the previous two episodes. However, Sauron’s name is removed from most Silmarillion passages. This may imply that he has already arrived at Morgoth’s camp.
The setting in which Sauron would have been corrupted during the spring, on the other hand, is still unknown. As a result, the most likely period is during the spring preparations.
If Sauron hadn’t switched sides at this point, he may have done so later. It may have happened in Valinor before Morgoth’s imprisonment or during the destruction of the lights. It may have happened after Morgoth was kidnapped. Sauron would have had ample time to study Morgoth’s power maneuvers and want to wield as much power as he could.
Sauron’s demise was inevitable, just as Morgoth’s was. He rose like a shadow of Morgoth and a ghost of malice, and went after him on the same destructive road down into the Void, according to the Silmarillion.
The eye of sauron is a question that has been asked for years. This article will answer the question and provide some other interesting facts about Sauron in Lord Of The Rings.