In The Lord of the Rings, there are forces of good yet the forces of evil would seem to far outnumber those of good. Good may be seen as Christian virtues of mercy, forgiveness, sacrifice, courage, loyalty, service and selfless love. Many of these virtues are demonstrated by characters in the film trilogy, including Bilbo Baggins, Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Sam. Doing good enables the will and creates freedom. When motivated by good, people come together in a commitment to destroy evil.
Tolkien believed that sin was a distortion and perversion of Good. In The Lord of the Rings, the Evil is symbolized by the Ring, which represents power. Evil can never completely destroy or undo good and is enslaving rather than freeing. While good may unite people, as is shown in the films when all the races of Middle Earth unite against Sauron, evil cannot form a fellowship. The films show evil characters, such as the Orcs, often fighting among themselves.
Many may call The Lord of the Rings a “good versus evil” story but the roles of good and evil are never clear cut. Evil perverts, tempts, and misleads those that are good. Sauron was not initially evil but became evil because of his desire for power. The Black Riders were once mighty men who fell under an evil power.
There is a battle between good and evil within each of us yet we may be at the mercy of stronger forces that influence our fate. Frodo realizes that he is chosen for his mission but expresses concern about this (To listen to Frodo and Gandalf, click the button below.)
