Morality Of Vengeance In The Hobbit By J. R.

The morality of revenge is often difficult to evaluate, and the struggle to determine whether it is the path to justice or evil subtlety permeates through J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. In the novel, the morality of vengeance does not fall into the clearly set lines between good and evil. This grey area is a hallmark of Tolkien's background, for his religion and academic studies have conflicting stances on revenge. His faith criticizes revenge and promotes forgiveness, yet he was a scholar of Anglo-Saxon literature which portrays revenge as the noble route to justice. Since these two aspects of Tolkien's life greatly influenced his writing, he did not eliminate the existence of vengeance from the minds of his indignant characters. Instead, the

If the reason for characters to seeks revenge is out of vice, their plans will go astray and they will not be satisfied from justice. This idea is directly related Thorin, Smaug, and Gollum, who pursued revenge based on greed, pride, and hunger for power. These emotions are sinful because they are about the individual instead of the community. A central theme in Tolkien's works are that people belong to one another and must take care of each other in order for humanity to flourish. By focusing on their own benefit, Thorin and Smaug are deconstructing the fraternity central to virtue and life. Conversely, if revenge is conducted in an altruistic manner, there will be no complications and a sense of satisfaction will be retained. In this category is Beorn, who killed the goblin and Warg for the sake of his ancestors that once lived in the mountains. Beorn's relatives were forced out by the goblins, but he will not give up the fight as he growls “The day will come when they will perish and I shall go back!” (Tolkien 136). Beorn's bitter grudge against the goblin race stems from his respect for his lineage rather than selfish desires, so he is exempt from grim consequences of revenge. By the frequency of egocentric revenge over selfless revenge, Tolkien suggests that vengeance is predominantly driven by sinful