Thingol Bio

One of my names is Thingol. Another one is Elwë. I am also known as the King of Doriath, Greycloak, King of the Teleri, Lord of Beleriand, among many other prestigious titles. My younger brother is Olwë, the other Teleri king. I am wed to the Ainur, Melian, of whom I share our daughter Lúthien with. While he isn’t my own, Túrin is basically a son to me too, raised in my kingdom from when he was only seven years of age.

From my perspective, I have had quite an influence on the ever-changing realm of Arda and the lands within it. Over the years, I’ve brought countless Elves to Beleriand, forming it into the land that it became. I have defended my own kingdom a few times against Morgoth and his evils in the Battle of Beleriand. I am a proud warrior and feared king who has protected his people from the lesser power of Morgoth. I take great pride in my own valiant efforts, but there is one moment in my history that I seem to favor—my possession of the most coveted item in Arda: a Silmaril.

Many years ago, Finwë, one of the three significant Elves, had a son called Fëanor. He was an impressively unique individual among his kin. By obtaining the light of the sacred Two Trees of Valinor, he had crafted three Silmarils—powerful jewels that had the power to light up the world. Morgoth craved this power; spent his whole life trying to obtain it. It brought so much chaos and destruction into our world, yet . . . I just had to have it. My beloved daughter Lúthien had come to me one day with intentions to marry Beren, a Man. I had many doubts that he was worthy enough to marry her so I gave him a nearly impossible quest to prove himself—bring me one of Morgoth’s Silmarils. To my surprise, he succeeded, making me one of the very few that have ever been in possession of a Silmaril.

My role within the world has always shifted based on the current chaos occupying my kingdom. Another significant moment in my life that comes to mind is the story of a Man I called my son, Túrin. This relationship had always been complicated, but I still saw potential in him, and that made me care for him. I had always had hope that the curse placed upon his family by Morgoth wouldn’t doom him, although much devastation had made its way into his life. To my disappointment, Túrin chose to leave his home of Doriath and refused return when he was offered. While he is no longer a member of my kingdom, I still have the hope that misfortune will not find him as it did to the numerous significant historical figures before him.

Trial Reflection

        In our trial, it was the jury’s responsibility to determine whether or not Feanor and his
sons were guilty, not guilty, or tragic, but doomed in taking their oath, as well as the actions they
took in pursuing the terms of the oath. Evidence and reasoning was provided by both the
prosecution and defense as they presented the case to the jury/judges. I was assigned the role of
jury which allowed me to view this case from an unbiased perspective, as it was my
responsibility to hear both sides and make a decision based on their presentations. It was both
interesting and enjoyable to hear how the prosecution and defense took the same moment from
Tolkien’s story and spoke of it in opposite ways, simultaneously using textual evidence. As for
the stance of the rest of my group, we all agreed to not make any decisions until all of the
evidence was shared and all of our questions were answered.
        After receiving two strong arguments, the jury ultimately decided that Feanor and his
sons were found guilty of three of the eight charges the prosecution mentioned: two counts of
kinslaying, armed theft of Teleri boats, and arson of illegally obtained property. We reached our
conclusion of guilty by considering the information given to us and questioning the prosecution
and defense. Feanor and his sons were proven guilty due to the strong, supporting textual
evidence provided by the prosecution. The defense lacked some evidence in refuting these
points. While they presented clever justifications and reasonings behind Feanor and his sons’
decisions prior to taking the oath, they did not have as strong of an argument in explaining their

criminal actions. Throughout the trial, the jury did not have many differences in opinion. Our
approach to the decision and the orderly manner of the trial allowed all of us to reach the same
conclusion in determining the verdict.
        Overall, it was a very enjoyable activity and a creative way to analyze the text and the
complexity of Tolkien’s characters and their decisions. Both sides provided thorough arguments,
demonstrating a strong understanding of the text. Each group performed their tasks well and
came to an effective conclusion