The Nature Of Evil In Tolkien's Fangorn Forest

The nature of evil lies in its ability to enchant the beholder by veiling its true intentions, and using mankind’s greeds, desires and passions to corrupt the most pure of heart. Tolkien uses contrasts of light and dark, and good and evil to show the nature of evil in Middle-Earth. Before Gollum finds the ring we can see how easily the ring was able to corrupt him, because he stops looking to the light/good, and instead his gaze focuses on looking downward into the dark as he becomes more corruptible (51-52). There is a connection in Fangorn Forest as the trees in the day time are dulled by the light, but at night when there is no light they are more aware, and prone to do evil deeds (118). There is a correlation between evil and the fading

When Déagol finds the ring on Sméagol’s birthday, the ring uses its influence to corrupt him into murdering Déagol (52). When Gandalf tells Bilbo to let go of the ring, the influence the ring has is shown as Bilbo calls the ring his precious, and he puts his hand on the hilt of his sword in defiance of Gandalf (33-34). The ring has the power to dominate the will of all that are around it, and is itself its own character. Frodo arrives at the Prancing Pony, and he feels the desire to put on the ring and vanish, but when he chooses not to put on the ring it uses its power to try and reveal itself by slipping on Frodo’s finger making him disappear (154-157). Even when a ring bearer is free from the ring it still influences its former possessor. When Bilbo sees Frodo in Rivendale he asks to see the ring, and as he does this Bilbo’s face changes into a shadowed version of what Gollum looked like (225-226). The nature of evil lies with its ability to corrupt the weakest and even the most pure of heart at the same

There is a connection Frodo shares with the Ringwraiths as he is able to sense them from afar (74). It shows how Frodo is slowly being drawn to their world of darkness, and the connection they possess with one another from their desire of the ring. When Frodo puts on the ring at Wheathertop, he enters their plane of existence, and sees that once they were noble men who were corrupted by the gifts of Sauron (191). After Frodo has been stabbed by the blade of the Ringwraith he begins to welcome the darkness of the night as the light becomes too burdensome for his mind (207). The world of light begins to dim for Frodo as he begins to pass from the world of the living into the realm of the Ringwraiths (197). If we give in or forfeit our will then evil takes control, and we lose any sense of self and goodness we possessed