In the article “Vengeance and Moral Judgment in Tolkien,” Brian Rosebury explores the complexities of revenge within the rigid moral structure of Middle-earth. Tolkien's Christian faith promotes forgiveness and discourages revenge; however, in his professional career he has studied tales of the pre-Christian North, where vengeful behavior is encouraged. Due to his background, he neither condones nor completely dismisses revenge as an appropriate course of action. Instead, it presents acts of revenge that range from condemnable to subtly acceptable. To add an extra layer of complexity, Tolkien invents sensitive, sympathetic characters who are motivated by spite and want punishment. Although Tolkien's ultimate opinion on the morality of revenge is unclear, his position regarding the criteria of virtue is explicit. Rosebury reflects on Tolkien as a rational writer who was concerned with what he thought was the right and wrong state of mind. Negative emotions, such as pride, fear, humiliation, anger, and cruelty, lead to despair. In contrast, good feelings benefit Tolkien's characters, often in unpredictable ways. Pity, in particular, is an important emotion because it eradicates self-interest. After all, if you undertake a dangerous action with good intentions, your psychological health will be significantly preserved. Furthermore, most of Tolkien's characters lead coherent moral lives, or progress towards greater maturity or degeneration and unhappiness. They may encounter a temptation of good or evil, but it passes quickly and they return to their linear form of development. This topic of this source parallels the topic of my thesis, and I anticipate that I will refer to it often throughout.. .... middle of the paper ... succeeds because they possess three theological virtues: unshakable faith in their leader and their purpose, hope that their cause will be supported somewhere beyond the world, and love for each other and those who support them. This source will support my thesis that Gollum's ferocious revenge against Bilbo Baggins is an example of Tolkien's disapproval of revenge. Using Ralph Wood's criteria for good and evil, it is clear that Gollum is evil; he has separated himself from the community, lost his freedom to the Ring, and his very appearance is dilapidated and dark. Furthermore, he killed his cousin in a fit of lust for power in the form of a ring. Because Gollum is a static character who is depraved to the core, his every action is imbued with evil. Therefore, the simple association of Gollum and revenge indicates to the reader a warning against revenge.