August 1, 2002

Was Sauon Stupid?
Dave M.

I think the answer lies in what Sauron's ultimate motive was. In volume 10 of the History, Tolkien distinguishes between the motives of Sauron & Morgoth.
Basically, Sauron wanted control - of everyone & everything. Morgoth wanted to simply destroy everything. Sauron creates an object - the Ring - which will enable him to direct his will & control over everything.
Sauron put his power into the Ring, a gamble, but not stupid, as long as he can keep hold of it. That's hubris, maybe, but from his point of view, probably worth the risk.
Morgoth, on the other hand, diseminates his power into Arda itself, so it becomes corrupted - 'Arda Marred'. This is why the it is so difficult for the Valar to attack Morgoth - Sauron & the Ring are one, & in a sense Morgoth & Arda are one. You can destroy Sauron by destroying the Ring, but how do you destroy Morgoth without destroying Arda? In the end Beleriand pays the price, but the Valar manage to preserve Arda, but not to heal it. Morgoth's influence is still present in every atom of Arda, which makes Sauron's rise to power all the easier.