Warning: Contains spoilers for The rings of power Season 2, Episode 7.
Sauron states in season 2, episode 7 of The rings of power In conversation with Celebrimbor that Morgoth (Sauron’s master since before the First Age) tortured him into slavery, which implicitly drove him to his path of evil. However, as convincing as the story sounds, there is more to it than meets the eye. Being a master of deception, Sauron’s motivations and backstory need to be considered to fully understand his relationship with Morgoth, and to see if it really was Morgoth that turned him to evil.
Sauron was created as a Maiar by Eru Ilúvatar (the ultimate creator in Tolkien’s lore) to assist the Valar with their assignment to rule the world. Morgoth was the most powerful of the Valar before turning on Ilúvatar. Sauron then went to worship Morgoth Until Morgoth was cast out after the War of Wrath, after which Sauron began to employ his own dark plans of conquest. Clearly, the connection between the letters goes back a long way. However, closer inspection reveals that Sauron’s claims about his evil deeds do not hold true.
Sauron lies about how Morgoth forced him to serve
Sauron is driven to evil by his own nature and a consuming desire to bring order to Middle-earth. And unless some lost text of Tolkien’s is discovered that expressly states that Sauron was tortured into submission by Morgoth, Sauron’s words to Celebrimbor cannot be trusted. Never in Tolkien’s lore does Morgoth torture Sauron. Some moments can mean such an act, such as in The Silmarillion Where it is mentioned that Morgoth would have, if victorious, destroyed even the beings that followed him. But Morgoth was not victorious and would not have benefited from bringing destruction down on his followers earlier.
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Sauron was Morgoth’s most trusted servant, given the title of chief captain and command over Angband, one of Morgoth’s strongholds. Sauron even preached his message to Ar-Pharazôn (Who is played in The rings of power by Trystan Gravelle) in The Silmarillion When he says that Morgoth is “Lord of all“and”Giving of freedom.” Although Sauron was actively deceiving Ar-Pharazon, “Giving of freedom“Is not a title that would be given by someone tortured into submission, especially when there is no evidence of said torture.
Are the Rings of Power trying to humanize Sauron too much?
The rings of power is clearly trying to make Sauron more relatable than the straightforward evil presence in Peter Jackson’s movies. Audiences often prefer a villain they can relate toAnd whose motivations are, on some level, understandable. It is only natural that The rings of power would follow this strategy to deepen Sauron’s character, even if it is accomplished in a way that is different from Tolkien’s.
… Tolkien’s Sauron is complex in his motivations (these motivations are also brought to light in The rings of power During Sauron’s conversation with Celebrimbor.
Tolkien’s Sauron is not complicated when it comes to his capacity for good or evil. Sauron is a fallen being given over to his own evil desires. However, Tolkien’s Sauron is complex in his motivations (these motivations are also brought to light in The rings of power during Sauron’s conversation with Celebrimbor). Where his master Morgoth is driven to destroy all life, Sauron is driven by the desire to reorganize and rule Middle-earth He seems abandoned by his own creators.
While Sauron cannot escape his own nature as a being of darkness, his motivations are where his complexity lies. So, though The rings of power is trying to redeem and humanize a part of Sauron through the torture narrative, it should instead focus solely on the complexity of his motivations. Sauron is driven to evil, not by Morgoth, but by his own intricate and seductive desires.