Melkor

[Beleg]

I pass you a topic I found in another forum. If some of you don't know it, it could be interesting to get some opinion about the statute of this Vala.

Being found of this character, I found this subject intriguing.

Here is a part of the thread:

Melkor was one mighty guy, second only to Eru.
His role as an adversary, seemed to be planned by Eru from the outset.
All that Melkor done, only strengthend Eru's grand design.

What an adversary he turned out to be !
All other Valar and free peoples had to unite to expel him.

Perhaps the role of adversary was given to Eru's most trusted servent ?

Perhaps thats why Eru assigned Melkor such great power.

Odd way to think about it ?

It is not for me an odd way to think. Yet, there are maybe some things to correct in this thought.

• This person seems to consider that Melkor knew what role Eru assigned to him.
  
  But:
  The Silmarillion:
  
  And many other things Iluvatar spoke to the Ainur at that time, and because of their memory of his words, and the knowledge that each has of the music that he himself made, the Ainur know much of what was, and is, and is to come, and few things are unseen by them. Yet some things there are that they cannot see, neither alone nor taking counsel together; for to none but himself has Iluvatar revealed all that he has in store, and in every age there come forth things that are new and have no foretelling, for they do not proceed from the past.
  
  However great is he, Melkor ignores lot of parts in Eru's great scheme. So, how could he know what Eru is expecting from him, and play his part to content him? Did Eru tell him? No, it is clear enough in the texts, Melkor doesn not know the true role he is playing.
  
  Indeed. We see that Melkor is corrupting the Music for his own good and wants to change it to content his desire of appropriation of Arda. He is acting on his own authority...or that's what he thinks
  ==>Eru :"no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall " )
  
  So, he is not participating willingly to Eru's project as it is supposed further in the topic.
  
  
• Yet, this doesn not exclude Melkor's importance. He got a primary role in Arda's story. Ok, he's ruining the work of all the Valar, corrupting Elves and Men, spreading lies and doubt. But is it not what we call the balance?
  
  I personnaly think that Melkor is the second greatest Vala because of that. His part is to counterpoise Manwë. He might be the opposite, or even better, the complement. It is a kind of Yin/Yang, there is no order without chaos. The disorder is necessary in the universe, to renew things and make better ones. In every society, there is a time for revolution. Wars and treasons in the LoTR or the First Age are seen as evil, because coming from Morgoth. Surely, Elves and Men didn't realised the true role of Morgoth. If Manwë knew it, it is another thing, but I believe that finally Melkor was misunderstood in Middle-Earth. But his fate it was.
  
  
  
• At last: if it was so difficult to expel him, as Yoda would say (approximately) it is because to choose Evil is easier, but you need lot of strength to take the path of righteousness and erase what has been done. Melkor is a massive character, by himself he could stand in front of legions for centuries. It required lot of strength and coalition to expel him in the void. Is it not another sign of his great statute? (it is as we see that what his will/Eru's will created still survive through Sauron and his followers).