‘Lord of the Rings’: The Reasons Behind Sauron’s Turn to Evil

‘The Lord of the Rings’ most famous antagonist, Sauron, wasn’t always a picture of pure evil. Tolkien initially envisioned him as a Maia spirit named Mairon, an angelic character whose job it was to provide order to the universe. He worked for Aulë, a Valar who valued organization and artistry. 

But Mairon’s obsession with control and perfection ultimately brought him to ruin. Because of his fixation with order, he was vulnerable to the influence of Morgoth, the Dark Lord of the First Age, who aimed to ruin Middle-earth in addition to gaining power. Sauron gained prominence as Morgoth’s henchman, taking on the moniker “Gorthar the Cruel” and serving as Morgoth’s deputy.

Sauron’s goal was to establish his will and reign, in contrast to Morgoth’s intention to corrupt creation. But as he became more despotic, he was prepared to employ whatever methods required to gain power, which was the beginning of his downfall. Sauron carried on his master’s legacy after Morgoth was vanquished by building the Dark Tower of Barad-dûr in Mordor and creating the One Ring to rule the other ring-bearers. 

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Before the Elves rebelled against him and a battle broke out, his scheme was almost a success. Isildur’s capture of the One Ring at the end of the final battle between Sauron and the Last Alliance paved the way for Sauron’s future reappearance in ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’.

Returning as the Necromancer, Sauron led armies from Dol Guldur before turning into the terrifying Eye. Tolkien examines through Sauron’s metamorphosis how even the most noble aspirations, such as Mairon’s initial yearning for order, can be perverted into despotism when corrupted by authority. His tale serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of unbridled ambition and how easily a thirst for power may result in disaster.

–Farheen Ali