"The Jury's Out" Reflection

In our class game, “The Jury’s Out,” I was on the defense side, arguing on behalf of Feanor and his sons that they should be named not guilty for any acts they committed after taking the Oath, showcasing them as a tragic, but doomed party. Initially, I was worried about how to defend the group that, at first glance, seemed undeniably responsible for many devastating events in the Silmarillion, including the Kinsalyaing at Alqualonde and the attack of Doriath, and that acts as a large portion of the driving force behind its plot. However, after looking deeper into the terms of the Oath, and the circumstances surrounding its swearing, I realized that there was more to the story than I initially thought. It definitely challenged my initial view of the characters, as I saw them initially in the eyes of the larger audience, who would generally perceive them as morally corrupted/evil characters. Ultimately, I personally agree with the jury’s verdict of guilty, and their decision to charge their party with the counts of the Kinslaying of the elves. Many quotes in Chapter 9 talk about how Feanor entered into the Oath of his own free will, and even sought to motivate the other Noldor fueled by greed and pride, stating that “... he wrought upon them so that even their wise hearts were kindled to madness.” Specifically in his case, I believe the verdict is justified, as he created the own terms of his Oath, chose to enter into them, and consequently suffered the repercussions of the terms he had made. However, I do think that there might be reason for a further investigation and potential lesser charge/verdict granted to his sons. As we don't know the exact circumstances behind each one swearing the Oath, based on the limited evidence provided in the text, I think that the pressure/loyalty they felt towards Feanor, their grief from Finwe's death, and their lack of knowledge/complete understanding of the Oath’s terms before deciding to swear it could have caused them to become cursed to follow an doomed and endless path without their complete consent.