Sauron seemed to be rebuilt at the end of the first season.
“Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again. […] His plans are far from ripe, I think, but they are ripening. […] The Enemy still lacks one thing to give him strength and knowledge to beat down all resistance, break the last defences, and cover all the lands in a second darkness. He lacks the One Ring.”
Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings: The Shadow of the Past
Gandalf gave a pattern by which we may discover how Sauron rebuilt himself in the Second Age. There was a defeat, there was a respite, he took another shape, and grew again. He had plans that were not yet ripe, but were ripening nonetheless.
“I’ve got my own plans, Elf” (Sauron, 1×02).
According to the pattern, he lacked something that would give him strength and knowledge to beat down all resistance. He made the One Ring with his own power, so what would have given him necessary strength and knowledge before the One Ring?
Someone asked a question in response to Sauron Unchained, which I would like to thoroughly investigate:
The Lúthien incident surely wouldn’t have gone unpunished! But could Morgoth afford to permanently ban him? Physically enslave him and risk turning Sauron against him?
The risk becomes greater when you consider Sauron’s subsequent aversion to Morgoth, implied by the enmity he exhibited each time Morgoth was mentioned in the first season. Of course, we know the end from the beginning, but Morgoth did not. Would he have taken the risk?
Would it have even mattered? Morgoth was defeated, but Sauron, in all his bitterness, did not sever his attachment even in later years. As he sought his own supremacy, he convinced Númenor to worship Morgoth instead of himself.
Let’s examine the nature of Sauron’s attachment to Morgoth.
“While Morgoth still stood, Sauron did not seek his own supremacy, but worked and schemed for another, desiring the triumph of Melkor, whom in the beginning he had adored.”
Morgoth’s Ring: Part Five: Myths Transformed
Sauron adored Morgoth in the beginning. However:
…Evil, defiantly chosen, can no longer imagine anything but itself.
W.H. Auden (the quote that Charlie Vickers has referenced a few times)
His devotion would have lost all good components associated with adoration. He first defiantly chose evil in the beginning of Arda when he allied himself with Morgoth. Some may say he was not entirely evil at the end of the First Age; but it was then that he immediately chose evil in defiance for the second time. “Nothing is evil in the beginning,” but that was not the beginning. How long had it been since the actual beginning, when he was Aulë’s apprentice?
Ages.
It is difficult to determine exactly how much time passed between the two instances of Sauron’s defiance. The first was before Time itself, before the creation of Arda, before the First war, and many ages before the Battle of the Powers.
The Battle of the Powers
Long before the Great War, before the darkening of the Two Trees, before the Elves ever came to Valinor, Morgoth and his servants lost in a war against the Valar. The events of the outcome were almost exactly like the War of Wrath.
“The lands of the far north were all made desolate in those days; for there Utumno was delved exceeding deep, and its pits were filled with fires and with great hosts of the servants of Melkor. But at the last the gates of Utumno were broken and the halls unroofed, and Melkor took refuge in the uttermost pit. Then Tulkas stood forth as champion of the Valar and wrestled with him, and cast him upon his face; and he was bound with the chain Angainor that Aulë had wrought, and led captive; and the world had peace for a long age.”
Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor
In Sauron Unchained, we established a difference between slaves and servants—the slaves were Elves and Men who emerged from deep prisons after the War of Wrath. But in this war, the Battle of the Powers, notice that the pits were filled with “the servants of Melkor,” instead of slaves. The Elves knew nothing but rumors about the Battle of the Powers. Morgoth had taken many of them captive to be tortured and twisted into Orcs, but we do not read of any emerging; they remained wherever they were.
Sauron would once again be in the deep pits of his master’s stronghold, but not as a prisoner this time. He was working, free to engage in the fight, and free to escape the Valar if necessary.
“Nonetheless the Valar did not discover all the mighty vaults and caverns hidden with deceit far under the fortresses of Angband and Utumno. Many evil things still lingered there, and others were dispersed and fled into the dark and roamed in the waste places of the world, awaiting a more evil hour; and Sauron they did not find.”
Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor
Morgoth was imprisoned in the Halls of Mandos for three ages before he was permitted to sue for pardon again. Sauron, who had a part “in all the deeds of Melkor the Morgoth upon Arda, in his vast works and in the deceits of his cunning,”* had ample time to reflect on the many evils he committed since the beginning, which were no insignificant acts. After all, it was he who accomplished the worst:
*The Silmarillion: Valaquenta
“This it may be was the vilest deed of Melkor, and the most hateful to Ilúvatar.”
Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor
“We may assume, then, that the idea of breeding the Orcs came from Melkor […] The details of the accomplishment of this wickedness were, however, left mainly to the subtleties of Sauron. […]
“When Melkor was made captive, Sauron escaped and lay hid in Middle-earth; and it can in this way be understood how the breeding of the Orcs (no doubt already begun) went on with increasing speed during the age when the Noldor dwelt in Aman;”
Morgoth’s Ring: Part Five: Myths Transformed
Sauron hid for three ages after Utumno was overthrown. And instead of suing for pardon, what did he do?
“It was Sauron, also, who secretly repaired Angband for the help of his Master when he returned; and there the dark places underground were already manned with hosts of the Orcs before Melkor came back at last, as Morgoth the Black Enemy, and sent them forth to bring ruin upon all that was fair.”
Morgoth’s Ring: Part Five: Myths Transformed
The War of Wrath
The Battle of the Powers and the War of Wrath are so similar, and Sauron had so much time to think about repentance when Morgoth was chained, why did he continue Morgoth’s work?
In both cases, rather than honestly seeking to turn away from all his dark deeds, per se, perhaps Sauron noticed he would be screwed if the Valar caught him. He fled after the Battle of the Powers, but was unable to do so after the War of Wrath. Here is why:
Sauron was not a prisoner during the first war, so he was free to escape unseen. But if he was a prisoner during the second war, he could not escape. Why?
Because Eönwë was right there.
“…out of the deep prisons a multitude of slaves came forth beyond all hope into the light of day, and they looked upon a world that was changed. For so great was the fury of those adversaries that the northern regions of the western world were rent asunder, and the sea roared in through many chasms, and there was confusion and great noise; and rivers perished or found new paths, and the valleys were upheaved and the hills trod down; and Sirion was no more. Then Eönwë as herald of the Elder King summoned the Elves of Beleriand to depart from Middle-earth.“
Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath
Then…
“…Sauron put on his fair hue again and did obeisance to Eönwë, the herald of Manwë, and abjured all his evil deeds. And some hold that this was not at first falsely done, but that Sauron in truth repented, if only out of fear, being dismayed by the fall of Morgoth and the great wrath of the Lords of the West. But it was not within the power of Eönwë to pardon those of his own order, and he commanded Sauron to return to Aman and there receive the judgement of Manwë.”
Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
Think of Eönwë’s perspective for a moment. Sauron, being captive among those enslaved Elves as punishment for his crimes, would be in a very pitiful state (one reason to use that tale to garner sympathy from Galadriel; and Eönwë would have witnessed Sauron coming out of those prisons). Unable to retreat, Sauron decided to kneel at the feet of Eönwë and ask for forgiveness.
We can pull direct parallels from Morgoth, such as the below excerpt of his plea before Manwë, after his release from a prison. Additionally, we see an exchange in episode 3 of season 1 that potentially echoes Sauron’s plea to Eönwë, after his release from a prison.
“Before the gates of Valmar Melkor abased himself at the feet of Manwë and sued for pardon, vowing that if he might be made only the least of the free people of Valinor he would aid the Valar in all their works, and most of all in the healing of the many hurts that he had done to the world.“
Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor
Sauron: “I will shovel coal if needs be. I’ll splinter wood. I will shape a sea anchor for you, free of charge. Sturdier than anything you have ever seen. How’s that? I’m here to start anew. Lend me that chance. Please” (1×03).
Sauron: “And I knew, if ever I was to be forgiven, that I had to heal everything that I had helped ruin” (1×08).
Perhaps Eönwë did pity Sauron, but there was nothing he could do.
“But it was not within the power of Eönwë to pardon those of his own order, and he commanded Sauron to return to Aman and there receive the judgement of Manwë.”
“You have a stout heart, lad. But until you’ve earned your guild crest, you can’t forge steel in Númenor” (Smithy, 1×03).
“Then Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, it might be, of long servitude in proof of his good faith; for under Morgoth his power had been great.”
As previously stated in Sauron Unchained, Sauron had just escaped prison, and Manwë would be able to perceive what was in his heart. He knew he would not be pardoned, and he did not want to return to another (possibly more severe) form of captivity, for an even longer sentence.
“Therefore when Eönwë departed he hid himself in Middle-earth; and he fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth had laid upon him were very strong.“
Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
Circle back to our original point.
Sauron’s Attachment to Morgoth
An effective inverse comparison for Sauron and Morgoth is the relationship between Elrond and Galadriel. Sauron adored Morgoth on account of his ability to accomplish things quickly.
“Though of immensely smaller native power than his Master, [Sauron] remained less corrupt, cooler and more capable of calculation. […] He thus was often able to achieve things, first conceived by Melkor, which his master did not or could not complete in the furious haste of his malice.”
Morgoth’s Ring: Part Five: Myths Transformed
He said this about the same trait in Galadriel (Morgoth’s mirror image, in this comparison):
“As much as I admire your habit of charging at every obstacle in your path like a colt in full gallop…” (1×04).
The direction of his admiration is consistent. But like Morgoth, Galadriel’s haste was chaotic, rendering her unable to accomplish certain things, and she found herself in compromising situations. Sauron was a much more calculated being. He wanted Galadriel at his side because:
I can use you to get what I want and effect my designs faster.
Now that he would be in charge, he would more easily quell Galadriel’s storm, as he did with Morgoth, and demand patience. He did this a few times in the first season when she charged forward.
Elrond (Sauron’s mirror image) adored Galadriel, but his admiration was fueled by love and friendship. In the afore section, we saw that “evil, defiantly chosen, can no longer imagine anything but itself,” and the gap spanning several millennia would not have changed the fact that Sauron’s admiration for and attachment to Morgoth lost any wholesome element (if it ever existed).
It appears from The Silmarillion* that the attachment was a very strong bond that Morgoth (more or less) afflicted upon Sauron.
“Only blood can bind” (Adar, 1×05).
Sauron’s adoration led him to irreversibly bind himself.* Thus, he was the most loyal and devoted servant, and even after the relief of Morgoth’s defeat, he fell back into evil, “into the folly of imitating [Morgoth], endeavoring to become himself supreme Lord of Middle-earth.”*
“Be careful, Elf. The heir to this mark is heir to more than just nobility. For it was his ancestor who swore a blood oath to Morgoth” (Sauron, 1×03).
* “…[Sauron] fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth laid upon him were very strong.” * Waldreg is similar. In the beginning, he truly adored Sauron and wanted to serve him. But he bound himself to Adar in desperation, believing him to be Sauron. Since his oath was by blood, where will his loyalties lie when he meets Sauron? *Morgoth’s Ring: Part Five: Myths Transformed
QUICK SIDENOTE: I believe that line has more meaning than it first appeared, because Sauron never lied. He has no ancestor. He would be the one to swear the oath.
He spoke of “the heir to this mark” in the third person—an early hint that the heir to whom he referred was not himself (Halbrand). Galadriel said: “The last Man to bear your crest died over a thousand years ago. He had no heir.” But Sauron, whose knowledge of the history of the Southlands would presumably surpass Galadriel’s, mentioned the heir in the present tense. This implies that there was a living heir; but it was not Halbrand. Look at the grammar.
It appeared that Sauron referred to himself as the heir, since we instinctively connect “The heir to this mark” to “I am not the hero you seek.” He is Morgoth’s Successor. However, the subject of the second clause in the first sentence is not “the heir,” but rather “his ancestor.”
“…it was his ancestor who swore a blood oath to Morgoth. I am not the hero you seek.”
Is he the ancestor…?
At length, we can infer that a blood oath was the reason Sauron had no hope of leaving, denouncing, or escaping Morgoth even if he wanted to; even if he was sometimes frustrated by Morgoth’s desire for utter destruction.
Conclusion
Would Morgoth risk imprisoning Sauron?
Thanks to the blood oath, he would not have been concerned. He did not know the end from the beginning, but he would have known that Sauron was ultimately unable to be free of him.
As far as being able to afford Sauron’s absence: imprisoning him would not be without its benefits. As we read in the case of Húrin, Morgoth had no pity towards anyone, but would feign pity to use a person to his advantage.
“When therefore [Morgoth] judged the time to be ripe, he released Húrin from his bondage, bidding him go whither he would; and he feigned that in this he was moved by pity as for an enemy utterly defeated. But he lied, for his purpose was that Húrin should still further his hatred for Elves and Men, ere he died. Then little though he trusted the words of Morgoth, knowing indeed that he was without pity, Húrin took his freedom.”
Of the Ruin of Doriath
Morgoth would not even pity his own Successor. The prisons were in the deep mines. Sauron, a smith, a former apprentice of Aulë, a sorcerer of dreadful power, would be very useful in them. Morgoth could certainly take advantage of Sauron’s abilities while making him suffer for his crimes.
Sauron is remarkably intelligent. The complexity of his plans match that of his character, so my effort to uncover the details of his designs required upwards of 30,000 words. Nevertheless, the very existence of this post proves that it was not in vain.
The following is an attempt to unravel the mysteries of Sauron’s past. His designs begin to branch in two paths around the time of Finrod’s death, so I have created two parts: Part 1 broadly covers his intentions regarding mithril and all peoples, while Part 2 specifically relates to the dagger and Galadriel. The clearest lens through which to study Sauron’s character is, unequivocally, the tale of Beren and Lúthien.
Table of Contents
Introduction
2
Part 1: The Dam
¶ 1: A Wandering, Solitary Outlaw
3
¶ 2: Chased from His Homeland
4
¶ 3: His Southward Journey Long Was He At Work The Burden of Those Who Lead Give Them a Means of Mastering It Regroup
Just a quick warm-up before the beast that is Sauron: The Perfect Inverse of Beren. There is a lot to talk about here, so instead of analyzing everything on the topic of Sauron’s sincerity right now, we will cover the basics to establish our analytical point-of-view.
I think the deception is layered, and it all depends on how you view the season. He’s spending time with Galadriel, and he’s saying, “I want a fresh life. I can be good. I can start again.” So, if you view it under that guise, of repentance, then… you can interpret it that way, I guess. The other way, though, if he is manipulating her, you can view it from the point of view as to… maybe this is all something that he’s constructing. So, when she says to him, “Come with me to Middle-earth,” and she says, “You’ll not find your peace here,” I think that’s his way out.
The question of repentance is really important because it’s whether it’s genuine or not. And I had an answer to that, but I think it’s best left open for people to interpret because that completely colors whether or not he is deceiving her, or whether he’s telling the truth.
In Sauron’s case, sincerity does not mean “care or regard for others.” If he believed he was doing good, it only went so far as to say, “I will give people what I think they want, but my desires take precedence. “
“It darkens the heart to call dark deeds good. It gives place for evil to thrive inside us” (Galadriel, 1×07).
(edited for length)
It was like any pretense, any guardedness or shield that he had put up was gone. And below is someone with good intentions, but to the viewer, probably quite dark intentions to rule and to dominate. And for me, as an actor, it’s just an absolute thrill to play it, and I’m fully nerding out in being able to talk about it all for the first time.
For me, as I was performing it, it was about accentuating the subtle differences. Not being too obvious with either manipulation or overt conflict like, “I really want to be a good man.” I think I would try to walk the line.
Charlie Vickers’ performance made Sauron’s character (in my opinion) by far the most unsettling and terrifying villain in fiction. He did not have to play two people at once, even after he learned he was playing Sauron before filming episode 3. The sympathy and sorrow he conveyed on screen deceived even the audience because the actor (as Sauron) fully embodied the character he crafted, down to his emotional responses. So, why did he maintain his emotional response when Galadriel’s back was turned?
Here is Charlie’s answer:
I always like to think that in shape-shifting, the best way to deceive is to fully take on the form of what you’re trying to portray: thinking, feeling, living, breathing as a human man. Only through a wholehearted embodiment of his form could he deceive these massively influential figures. This is even when he’s by himself, because the gods are always watching. And we know that he fears the gods; we know that he’s scared. Because Tolkien says that explicitly.
(In the video below, pay attention to Sauron’s subtle shift in demeanor as Galadriel opens the door to leave—he drops his arm and relaxes his expression, and as Galadriel closes the door, he looks at the pouch. He is completely alone when he looks back up, and the scene transitions to Adar.)
He can use Galadriel as a tool. She knows the right people. She gets into the right rooms. […] So I made a decision as the best way for me to approach it, to make it real for me. And let people interpret it as they will.
As Galadriel listed the recent unfortunate events in her life, was Sauron taken aback because he had not realized how much pain he caused her for centuries? I highly doubt it. Not only did he have plenty of opportunities to realize that fact before this moment, but what of the countless others he tortured and murdered for millennia? Did he feel any shock or remorse for what he did to Gorlim in the First Age?
No.
“Now Gorlim would have drawn back, but daunted by the eyes of Sauron he told at last all that he would know. Then Sauron laughed; and he mocked Gorlim, and revealed to him that he had seen only a phantom devised by wizardry to entrap him; for Eilinel was dead.
“‘Nonetheless I will grant thy prayer,’ said Sauron; ‘and thou shalt go to Eilinel, and be set free of my service.’ Then he put him cruelly to death.”
Of Beren and Lúthien
Sauron’s mockery of Gorlim was the same as his mockery of Galadriel as he revealed that she ran fast and blind into a trap. And like Gorlim, Galadriel was daunted by his eyes, and Sauron found her fear and anguish amusing.
He cornered her, infiltrated her mind, took the form of her brother whose death he is responsible for, and used her own words against her to manipulate her into joining him. But at least I would give you what you want by making you a Queen.
To top it all off, he tried to make her despair when she said no, and…
I think he sends her into the water to drown her. I’m not necessarily thinking that he thinks she’s going to live, although he probably has a strong idea.
In Tolkien’s world, when it comes to repentance, there are three traits that do not go well together: fear, envy, and hatred. Sauron fears the Valar, envies the Eldar and the Edain, and hates pretty much everyone except himself (most particularly those three groups).
“…Sauron was ashamed, and he was unwilling to return in humiliation and to receive from the Valar a sentence, it might be, of long servitude in proof of his good faith; for under Morgoth his power had been great.”
Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
Galadriel’s speech in the forge about peace had a double meaning.
She spoke about Middle-earth, but another term for Valinor is the land “across the sea.” It connected to what Elrond said:
“Only in the Blessed Realm can that which is broken in you be healed” (1×01).
Whether Sauron goes to Aman to receive judgment from Manwë, or he goes to Middle-earth to rule, he is taking a great risk. This is a manifestation of his fear of long servitude:
“There is no peace to be found for you here, and nor for me. No lasting peace in any path, but that which lies across the sea” (Galadriel, 1×05).
Adar nearly used air quotes when he recalled Sauron’s deeds and aspirations with horror.
“The one you call Sauron devoted himself to ‘healing’ Middle-earth” (1×06).
Later, Sauron told Galadriel the same thing. His words were disguised as good and sincere, but he could not care less about her.“I can use you to get what I want, and effect my designs faster,” said Charlie.
“At last! I felt the light of the One again. And I knew, if ever I was to be forgiven, that I had to heal everything that I had helped ruin” (Sauron, 1×08).
Sauron believed he found a loophole in the system. “I knew,” he said in other words, “if ever I was to avoid prison, that I had to be sure the Valar couldn’t touch me.” He was present when Eru said:
“‘…no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite.’”
Ainulindalë
And yet, he tried to do that very thing. “Prison is not an option,” he would think. “If I can somehow bind myself to something good, then I will be safe and free from the wrath of the Valar. I never believed I could be free, until today. I will make this place a paradise, and everyone will be under my rule so nothing bad happens.”
He believed that if he was by Galadriel’s side, “it can only lead to good things, as long as he remains undiscovered” (Charlie Vickers).
I think he whole-heartedly believes that he’s doing good. He wants to rehabilitate and rid Middle-earth of all the wasteful friction because he’s obsessed with order. And I think he genuinely believes that if Galadriel joins him, that’ll help him affect his goals.
This did not come from his care for others. He simply did not want to face the wrath of the gods. He cared about no one but himself, and his fear, hatred, and envy drove him down the same ruinous path that led Morgoth to the Void. The following describes Morgoth, but it fits Sauron perfectly.
“And he feigned, even to himself at first, that he desired to go thither and order all things for the good of the Children of Ilúvatar, controlling the turmoils of the heat and the cold that had come to pass through him.
“But he desired rather to subdue to his will both Elves and Men, envying the gifts with which Ilúvatar promised to endow them; and he wished himself to have subjects and servants, and to be called Lord, and to be a master over other wills.”
Ainulindalë
Carefully compare that passage to how the Mystics describe Sauron:
“You fell from the stars, yet you are greater than they; for fire obeys your will. You fell below the dust, yet dust fears you; for it trembles when you are wroth. The winds and waters; the heat and cold. In Rhûn, you shall learn to command them all, and every being that walks or crawls shall be your slave. For you are Lord Sauron” (1×08).
Although he was afraid and humiliated when Morgoth fell, doing obeisance to Eönwë (who could not judge those of his own class) and renouncing all of his evil deeds was probably not the end of the world for Sauron. But when Eönwë commanded him to return to Manwë (who, being the chief Vala, could really do some damage), he was unwilling to return. He remembered what happened to Morgoth, long before the darkening of Valinor.
“…the Valar did not discover all the mighty vaults and caverns hidden with deceit far under the fortresses of Angband and Utumno. Many evil things still lingered there, and others were dispersed and fled into the dark and roamed in the waste places of the world, awaiting a more evil hour; and Sauron they did not find. But when the Battle was ended and from the ruin of the North great clouds arose and hid the stars, the Valar drew Melkor back to Valinor, bound hand and foot, and blindfold; and he was brought to the Ring of Doom. There he lay upon his face before the feet of Manwë and sued for pardon; but his prayer was denied, and he was cast into prison in the fastness of Mandos, whence none can escape, neither Vala, nor Elf, nor mortal Man. […] There was Melkor doomed to abide for three ages long, before his cause should be tried anew, or he should plead again for pardon.”
Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor
Comparing Galadriel and Sauron
Galadriel and Sauron are opposites. Compare Sauron’s attitude to hers at the end of episode 7.
This is what she would be thinking:
Courtesy of her obsession, she disobeyed the High King and ignored his orders for months, then leapt from a ship headed for Valinor. She survived, against all odds, alongside a reluctant heir in exile, used and dragged him to Middle-earth after he had “all but begged her” to let him be. At length, he agreed to go, and they became close friends. She felt free fighting at his side. He saved her life at sea, but now he is dead because of her. She brought an entire Númenórean army to their deaths, failed to prevent the enactment of a certain plan, and now an entire land is destroyed. Her only other friend, Elendil, hates her because he thinks his son is dead. The Queen of Númenor has been blinded on her account. Theo lost his home. Many Southlanders perished. Adar escaped, along with his children, and have a place wherein they can thrive.
After all of that, she said:
“And I will report to our High King… to face whatever awaits me” (1×07).
She was willing to return in humiliation. Sauron was unwilling. Galadriel was honest and sincere in her repentance. Sauron was not.
Compassion
Before the eruption, when a member of her company fell and was about to be left behind, Galadriel was momentarily blinded to her surroundings because of her obsession with finding Sauron.
But she snapped out of it when she realized what was actually going on, and gave her own cloak to the fallen.
After the eruption, her first action upon regaining consciousness was to search for Halbrand (in other words, she still sought out Sauron).
But she snapped out of it when she heard Theo, and abandoned her previous design just to help him.
Then, she found Sauron. This next example can be viewed as a combination of the first two.
Galadriel was disoriented from her dream, and fully snapped out of it when Elrond reminded her of what she did for him as a child.
Who evoked her obsession, in the first place? —Sauron.
“Every war is fought both without and within. Of that every soldier must be mindful. Even I” (Galadriel, 1×07).
Evil does not sleep. It waits. Sauron had been awake for a long time, and in the moment of Galadriel’s complacency, he blinded her. She said this for good reason:
“You would make me a tyrant” (1×08).
Sauron’s offer was not hypothetical, nor was the idea that he would make Galadriel a tyrant. She knew what he would turn her into, having witnessed the consequences of her obsession, firsthand.
Conclusion
Sauron’s character is so well-written and performed, the deception bleeds into the actual audience, and that is the most frightening thing of all.
What’s so unique and amazing about him as a villain is that he has to gain trust and he has to manipulate his way through. It’s different to other villains that have this slightly unhinged quality, whereas maybe there’s elements of that in Sauron, occasionally. But for all we know, in his interactions with people and in gaining their trust, he’s a really nice, sweet, kind guy. And that’s terrifying if you have that and you have him being genuinely open and nice and caring. […]
When you’re watching as an audience member and we’re seeing him being kind and nice, if you know his true intentions, it makes it really scary underneath. I think the key to that is not playing the overt evilness at this stage.
We ended Part 2with the answer to Sauron’s question about Finrod: “What happened to him?” Galadriel gave a perfect summary.
“He was killed in a place of darkness and despair, by servants of Sauron” (1×05).
But there was missing information. Remember, Finrod told Beren:
“I fear that [the sons of Fëanor] will show neither love nor mercy to you, if your quest be told. Yet my own oath holds; and thus we are all ensnared.”
Of Beren and Lúthien
Galadriel may not have even been aware that Finrod set out to help Beren retrieve a Silmaril. It seems their quest was told to no one as Finrod spoke before his people. However, after songs were sung in Beleriand of Beren and Lúthien, Fëanor’s son, Maedhros, knew of their deeds.
“For Maedhros and his brothers, being constrained by their oath, had before sent to Thingol and reminded him with haughty words of their claim, summoning him to yield the Silmaril, or become their enemy. […] [Thingol] sent back the messengers with scornful words. Maedhros made no answer, for he had now begun to devise the league and union of the Elves; but Celegorm and Curufin vowed openly to slay Thingol and destroy his people, if they came victorious from war, and the jewel were not surrendered of free will.
Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad
Even so, how much would Galadriel have known of Finrod’s part in all of this? His oath was not to seek Sauron out and destroy him, but rather to aid Barahir and his kin in every need. His specific task was to help Beren, but Galadriel viewed everything inside-out. Finrod’s oath was selfless, based in friendship, not vengeance, and was fulfilled when he gave his life for Beren.
“Galadriel was sister of Finrod Felagund, Friend-of-Men, once king of Nargothrond, who gave his life to save Beren son of Barahir.“
The Lord of the Rings: Appendix B (The Second Age)
Galadriel said:
“My brother gave his life hunting Sauron. His task is now mine” (1×01).
There must be a reason Galadriel viewed things so incredibly backwards. The answer is a long one, but it changes everything.
When Sauron saw a suspicious company of twelve in his dominion, what would be his natural assumption? Upon discovering the company to consist of one Man and eleven Elves—all unidentifiable enemies—and perceiving one to be a “Noldo of great might and wisdom,” what would he automatically conclude?
One of his hypotheses would be that they sought to destroy him.
Let us briefly cover more things in the first few pages of Of Beren and Lúthien, for background.
Barahir would not leave his homeland, Dorthonion. Morgoth pursued him there, until only Barahir and twelve companions remained. They withdrew to the waters of Tarn Aeluin, and made a lair which Morgoth could not discover. Note the interesting choice of words.
“But the rumour of the deeds of Barahir and his companions went far and wide; and Morgoth commanded Sauron to find them and destroy them.“
One might say Sauron was particularly familiar with the phraseology. According to Galadriel in the prologue, Finrod vowed to do the same thing Morgoth commanded Sauron: find and destroy.
“My brother vowed to seek him out and destroy him. But Sauron found him first” (Galadriel, 1×01).
(Considering how careful the showrunners have been with word usage, I suspect this was purposeful.)
One of the companions of Barahir was Gorlim, whose wife was Eilinel. Gorlim returned from war and found that his house had been plundered, “his wife gone; whether slain or taken he knew not.” He fled to Barahir, but held onto the hope that Eilinel was still alive, for he loved her dearly. Occasionally, he would visit his house in secret, which became known to Morgoth’s servants. One day, he thought he saw a light in the window of his house.
“…coming warily he looked within. There he saw Eilinel, and her face was worn with grief and hunger, and it seemed to him that he heard her voice lamenting that he had forsaken her. But even as he cried aloud the light was blown out in the wind; wolves howled, and on his shoulders he felt suddenly the heavy hands of Sauron’s hunters.”*
*Hunt is another word used by Galadriel in reference to her pursuit of Sauron.
Gorlim was taken captive and Sauron’s servants tortured him “to learn the hidings of Barahir and all his ways.” Gorlim remained silent, but they promised to released him and restore him to Eilinel if he would yield.
“…and being at last worn with pain, and yearning for his wife, he faltered. Then straightway they brought him into the dreadful presence of Sauron; and Sauron said: ‘I hear now that thou wouldst barter with me. What is thy price?’
“And Gorlim answered that he should find Eilinel again, and with her be set free; for he thought that Eilinel also had been made captive. Then Sauron smiled, saying: ‘That is a small price for so great a treachery. So shall it surely be. Say on!’
“Now Gorlim would have drawn back, but daunted by the eyes of Sauron he told at last all that he would know. Then Sauron laughed; and he mocked Gorlim, and revealed to him that he had seen only a phantom devised by wizardry to entrap him; for Eilinel was dead. ‘Nonetheless I will grant thy prayer,’ said Sauron; ‘and thou shalt go to Eilinel, and be set free of my service.’ Then he put him cruelly to death.*
* “I think he sends her into the water to drown her. I’m not necessarily thinking that he thinks she’s going to live, although he probably has a strong idea” (Charlie Vickers).
“In this way the hiding of Barahir was revealed, and Morgoth drew his net about it; and the Orcs coming in the still hours before dawn surprised the Men of Dorthonion and slew them all, save one.”
Barahir had sent his son, Beren, on a “perilous errand to spy upon the ways of the Enemy, and he was far afield when the lair was taken.” Gorlim’s ghost appeared to Beren in a dream to tell him all that he had done, urging him to warn his father. But Beren returned too late. Barahir and his company were slaughtered, and Beren was the sole survivor.
Finrod never swore an oath of vengeance, but guess who did.
“…Beren buried his father’s bones, and raised a cairn of boulders above him, and swore upon it an oath of vengeance. First therefore he pursued the Orcs that had slain his father and his kinsmen […] and because of his woodcraft he came near to their fire unseen. There their captain made boast of his deeds, and he held up the hand of Barahir that he had cut off as a token for Sauron that their mission was fulfilled; and the ring of Felagund was on that hand.”
Beren slew their captain, took the ring, and escaped.
Think about everything from Sauron’s perspective. When he had Finrod, Beren, and their company captive, would he have expected them to tell him everything, or would he have actively tried to uncover every detail himself by doing what he is famous for: seeing?
He could not discover their names or purposes, but he did perceive some things about Finrod, and “deemed that in him lay the secret of their errand.” Could he also have perceived that one of the company (Beren) had once been sent to spy on him and his ways?
What if he also perceived a vow of some sort? There were a few oaths at work, rumbling under the surface, which Sauron might have considered.
Finrod’s Oath of Friendship and Aid.
Beren’s Oath of Vengeance—made because of the death of his father. This was not the reason anyone was there, unbeknownst to Sauron.
Fëanor’s Oath of Hatred—repeated by his son Celegorm, after Finrod spoke before his people. Because of Thingol’s requirement, Finrod said to Beren: “…it seems that this doom goes beyond [Thingol’s] purpose, and that the Oath of Fëanor is again at work. For the Silmarils are cursed with an oath of hatred, and he that even names them in desire moves a great power from slumber.“
Sauron may have known the nature of each, instead of the details. So, putting some pieces together, he would think: There are oaths at work. One of friendship, one of vengeance, and one of hatred. Which one brought them here? It would mimic Galadriel’s pondering in episode 1:
“These Orcs were meddling with the powers of the unseen world. Some dark sorcery of old. But what was their purpose?” (1×01).
Thanks to Thingol naming the Silmarils in desire, there is a chance that Sauron noticed a great power being moved from slumber, yet he could not discover their secret “no matter how much blood he spilt in its pursuit.” Fëanor’s vow loomed over everything, and Beren’s oath was underneath; but Finrod’s was the reason they were there.
There was enough information and evidence for Sauron to pass on a story to someone who did not know the truth, even if he did not truly believe it himself: “The head of this company vowed to seek me out and destroy me. But I found him first.”
In Middle-earth, there is always someone watching. And the gods are watching, and [Sauron] fears the gods. […] He doesn’t know that they’re not going to send something to hurt him or defeat him.
I do not believe that in the end, Sauron thought the driving motive of that company was vengeance, but everything above certainly gave him room to corrupt the story. But why, and what for?
Again, what or who convinced Galadriel of such a twisted account? Why was it a major reason she became obsessed with finding Sauron? We saw who was able to plant certain ideas in her mind.
Galadriel: “Your task was hunting Sauron.”
Sauron as Finrod: “My task was to ensure peace. But I learned that was Sauron’s task, as well” (1×08).
The two things that fueled her obsession with finding Sauron were the mark and the vow (or its token: the dagger).
“My brother vowed to seek him out and destroy him. But Sauron found him first, and marked his flesh with a symbol. One whose meaning even our wisest could not discern. And there, in the darkness, his vow became mine” (Galadriel, 1×01).
We will expound on all of these things in due time (much is on page 12 in Sauron: The Perfect Inverse of Beren). We have more rhetorical questions to answer.
As we have said before, it seemed Sauron wanted Galadriel to figure something out in episode 5, so he tried to make her stop and think, as he did in prison. Charlie said Sauron wanted her to figure out who he was, at least in episode 8:
Do you think he wanted Galadriel to figure it out?
Yes. He’s ready for her to see him for who he is, and he thinks she’s ready to know it.
Someone might ask, “If he asked those questions in the forge to make Galadriel realize who he was, why would he express concern with that very thing, right before the interrogation?”
“You don’t know what I did before I ended up on that raft. You don’t know how I survived; how we all survived. And when these people discover it, they will cast me out. So will you” (Sauron, 1×05).
That was a warning; but Galadriel did not care. Sometimes to find the light, we must first touch the darkness. Sauron turned around, eyebrow raised, as if to say, “Interesting. Are you ready to know the truth? Let me test the waters.”
“What do you know of darkness?” Each subsequent question was an extension and answer to the first. “Whose dagger was it, Galadriel? Who is it you lost? What happened to him?”
“Oh, so this is about vengeance?”
“One cannot satisfy thirst by drinking seawater” (Galadriel, 1×05).
In other words: no. It was not about vengeance. Sauron, knowing as much, essentially asked: “Do you truly believe this obsession is because of vengeance?” He managed to make her verbalize that she was neither bound by a vow nor a task to avenge her brother, then he pushed her even more, as if to say: “Great! Now, think harder. What is it?” He even gave a hint.
Galadriel: “He was killed in a place of darkness and despair, by servants of Sauron. Is that enough for you?”
Sauron: “Oh, so this is about vengeance?”
Galadriel: “One cannot satisfy thirst by drinking seawater.”
Sauron: “Then, what is it? Why do you keep fighting?“
What is it?
“You told me once that we were brought together for a purpose. This is it” (Sauron, 1×08).
