#it's a shame that maeglin discourse is almost a binary of 'pure evil nothing to unpack' and 'uwu did nothing wrong'

[serregon]

Sorry if this is so random but I saw your posts about him and I remember something in the book where it said Maeglin laid hands on Idril (and Earendil) with an intent to kill her child and forcefully marry her and honestly Maeglin really digs his own grave with his actions in Gondolin that it's not absurd to call him a villain because he actually is. He was sympathetic in the beginning and he could've chosen to remain the charismatic and handsome bachelor he was known as he grew up but nope, from the looks of it he doesn't sound content with his life, and even before he was taken captive to Angband, he already held dark thoughts about Idril which is creepy af. In the end, he chose to betray Gondolin just to get Idril and I find it annoying and exhausting to read how the Fall of Gondolin was blamed on Idril, coincidentally a woman. I am in no way policing headcanons but to portray Maeglin as this poor meow meow while Idril and Earendil (and Turgon as well) are villanize is annoying. Forgive me, Maeglin discourse is surfacing again and I was glad to see a good take on Maeglin that doesn't make him look like he didn't do anything wrong.

Maeglin is a victim of both his father's terrible parenting giving him a twisted view of what relationships with women should look like (also the potential that Eöl may have abused Maeglin as well) and Morgoth's torture breaking him to the point that he revealed the location of Gondolin. but being a victim is not mutually exclusive with being a villain. having a sad backstory doesn't magically justify anything. can you still like him and sympathize with those traits? of course! this is a shame-free zone for villain enjoyers. but I think it's a major disservice to his character to like him while claiming that he's something he's not. if you think Maeglin did nothing wrong then you don't like Maeglin, you like an oc who shares his name