Good vs. evil - or what? Tolkien's Nuanced Portrayal of Evil (ENG)

A common saying about Tolkien, and many other fantasy writers, is that their stories can be boiled down to “good vs. evil”. While there are some merits to this statement, a closer look on Tolkien’s fiction reveals that his concept of evil comes in a variety of forms and is way more complex than we sometimes give him credit for.

In this talk, we will delve into Tolkien’s portrayal of evil in The Lord of the Rings and discuss his writing in relation to relevant philosophers and Tolkien scholars. We will examine how evil is manifested and transformed with Sauron and The One Ring, and we will ask fundamental questions such as: Are humans inherently evil? How does evil present itself in Middle-earth and in today’s world, and how do we combat it?

Lea Grosen Jørgensen (@leagrosenj) is a Comparatist (PhD), author, and freelance editor specialized in Romantic medievalism. She has held public talks on Tolkien and published research about his Beowulf studies and contributions to medievalism and fantasy fiction.