Jury's Out - Feanor is Guilty

    As a member of the prosecution for this game, I agree with the outcome. I think that Feanor and his sons were guilty of mainly the heinous acts of kinslaying, as well as the theft and arson of the Teleri boats. Additionally, the sons of Feanor did not refuse an “order” that they knew was wrong. I agree with the jury’s decision to execute the sons who participated in the kinslayings but to be lenient with the sons who did not. I think this is a fair take. The acts of violence that derived from the Oath were all against their own people, not Morgoth. 

As a member of the prosecution, this game only furthered my views on Feanor. The kinslayings are what really led me to believe that Feanor was guilty. The stealing and burning of the ships was unnecessary as well. I understand wanting to seek justice after losing someone important, but there are much better, less illegal, ways to go about it. Even if the laws are different in Middle Earth, the kinslayings were the final nail in the coffin for my views of Feanor. I feel more sympathy for his sons, on the other hand. They were just following their father. Again, though, those who participated in the mass murder of their own kind are largely unforgivable. 

From the beginning, my group knew what routes to take to indict Feanor and his sons. When the defense brought up the Bible and Adam and Eve, I found a Bible verse that Tolkien had actually referenced in regard to the Oath that Feanor and sons took. It basically said that anyone who takes such an oath will be condemned. This was later used in the closing arguments.