Character Analysis: Fëanor

Fëanor is certainty one of the most complex characters featured in Tolkien’s Silmarillion. Most people either love or hate him, but in this article we are going to do an in depth analysis of this dynamic character. 

A Brief Background:

Fëanor was skilled in many crafts, but especially known smith work. His most prized creations were the three silmarils, gems containing the light of Valinor. He was also a prince of the Noldor, who became king after his father, Finwe, was killed by Melkor. When Melkor killed Finwe, he also stole the silmarils. In response, Fëanor and his sons swore terrible oaths vowing to stop at nothing to retrieve the gems. Fëanor and many of the Noldor left Valinor, declaring war on Melkor, who was now known as Morgoth. Not long after arriving in Middle Earth, Fëanor died fighting many balrogs and his oldest son Maedhros became king. 

Many do not like Fëanor, because he committed horrible deeds, and was responsible for much suffering. He initiated the kin-slaying of the Teleri for their boats, preceded to burn the boats leaving Fingolfin and his people stranded, and led the Noldor into a war they never had a chance of winning on their own. Not to mention how he virtually forced his seven sons swear an oath that would doom them for all eternity and force them to continue on murderous paths. 

On the other hand, proponents argue that while he may not have been morally sound himself, he was waging war against a greater evil. Fëanor contributed to the development of Eldar with his smith-work and alphabet. Besides, it was pretty awesome when he basically told one of the most evil and powerful beings in the world to get off his lawn.  

Analysis:

Fëanor’s most prominent character trait is his arrogance. His pride was so great, that he believed the beauty of the silmarils were entirely the result of his own skill, when in fact they really reflected the light of the trees that Yavanna planted. Mandos tells him the Noldor would suffer greatly in Middle Earth and little good can come of their departure from Valinor, but Fëanor leads them to war nonetheless. He acts as if he’s better than everyone else, treating his half brothers Fingolfin and Finarfin as lessers and the Valar with irreverence.

Looking deeper into his character, though, it becomes apparent that his arrogance could be a mask for another trait: insecurity. Much of his behavior, especially towards Fingolfin, indicates that he may not be as confident as he seems. Only someone who is truly insecure would threaten to kill his brother merely because he was talking to their father. Fëanor automatically assumed Fingolfin was conspiring against him, trying to usurp his role as heir and “favorite” son of Finwe. Someone who is confident and self certain would not so easily believe he was being replaced. Clearly, Fëanor is anxious for approval, especially from his father. 

Put in the context of his childhood, it is not hard to imagine why Fëanor might have this anxiety. His mother died when he was only an infant, making her the first named character in the entire universe to pass away (and because they are elves who are supposed to be immortal, it would be thousands of years before the next character, who happens to be Fëanor’s father, dies). If this wasn’t bad enough, it was made worse when later in Fëanor’s life, Finwe remarries. This was completely unheard of as remarriage (and divorce) are against the laws and customs of the Eldar. Fëanor probably felt this as an insult and a challenge for his father’s favor, particularly after his brothers were born.

Fëanor, like many of the Noldor, was deceived by Melkor. He was made to believe that in Valinor, the Eldar were but slaves to the Valar and subject to cruel restraints all to prevent them from becoming powerful. This was of course not true, but to people who had no idea what a slave was, who didn’t understand how bad war was, Melkor’s lies seemed plausible. That’s probably why so many of the Noldor were willing to follow Fëanor to Middle Earth even though they knew it meant they could never return to Valinor. If they really believed (or understood) Mandos’ warning they might have turned back while they had the chance (like Finarfin). The fact that so many elves who knew Melkor was awful still believed the stories he fabricated shows how dangerous and manipulative he was. 

Blinded by his grief and madness Fëanor made one of his most horrific choices: to kill the Teleri and steal their boats. His brother Fingolfin along with the majority of the Noldor assumed the Teleri attacked first and joined the fight, only afterwards realizing what they had done. If he really thought the Valar were evil, and assumed the Teleri sided with the Valar, then his decision might have seemed justified to him at the time. This decision was not justified at all though, and neither were most of the decisions Fëanor made throughout the book. Perhaps he realized this when he refused to die. Maybe he would not let himself die because he began to realize that Mandos was right. He did not want to believe that the Noldor could lose and was determined to see Morgoth’s defeat through. Eventually, though he didn’t succumb to his wounds, his “fiery spirit”  overcame his body and he spontaneously combusted.

Conclusion:

 Analyzed from this angle, Fëanor’s story is not about how one bad apple could ruin it for the whole bunch. It is a cautionary tale. Fëanor was probably not an inherently bad person, but he definitely did a lot of bad things. Even the most brilliant must make cautious decisions, becuase what seems justified in the moment could be terrible in the bigger picture.