Eye of Sauron
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The Eye of Sauron is part of the fictional Middle-earth, a literary universe by J. R. R. Tolkien.
The Eye of Sauron in the books
In The Lord of the Rings, the primary antagonist Sauron controls his minions from within the Dark Tower, Barad-dűr, and thus he is never physically seen by the main characters. However, he does sometimes confront them from a distance, and in those cases he is often perceived as an "Eye". The most notable example is Frodo's vision in the Mirror of Galadriel: - "The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat's, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing."
Because there is very strong evidence that Sauron does have a humanoid physical form at the time of The Lord of the Rings (see the FAQ link below), it seems most likely that the "Eye" is a reflection of his piercing mind or will. (It certainly does not describe his physical form, as the Akallabęth says that "the Eye of Sauron the Terrible few could endure" even before his body was destroyed in the War of the Last Alliance.) This concept of the Eye is supported by a similar comment about Morgoth in Text X of the "Myths Transformed" section of Morgoth's Ring: - "...Morgoth held the Orcs in dire thraldom; for in their corruption they had lost almost all possibility of resisting the domination of his will. So great indeed did its pressure upon them become ere Angband fell that, if he turned his thought towards them, they were conscious of his 'eye' wherever they might be."
We know that Morgoth had a huge but humanoid form during the First Age, so "eye" here clearly refers to his will. The similarity between this description and the many references to Sauron's "Eye" is striking, which seems to make the true meaning of the term clear. Despite the non-physical nature of the Eye, it was Sauron's primary representation in the outside world. Sauron's Orcs use the sign of the Eye when they roam the Earth, because he does not "permit [his name] to be spelt or spoken" (according to Aragorn). And the Lord of the Nazgûl threatens Éowyn with torture before the Lidless Eye at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
The Eye of Sauron in Peter Jackson's movies
In Peter Jackson's movies, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Jackson envisions Sauron as being a spirit-like being who cannot (yet) take bodily form. Sauron's only physical presence is as a giant disembodied red eye, seen in the second and third movies as floating above Barad-dűr (or perhaps suspended by its twin parapets). This differs substantially from the situation in the books as described above, and interviews with Jackson imply that the difference is based on an honest (and understandable) misreading of Tolkien's intent. The Eye is "constantly moving", seeking out all that moves in Sauron's domain of Mordor. In the movie, the effect of the Eye in Mordor is seen as a red beam that moves across the land, forever probing. It also seems to be visible to Frodo (and to see him in turn) any time that he is wearing the Ring. The Eye is referred to as having the capability to "see all", although that must be meant as a term of fear and not literally; Sauron is not aware of most events that occur in Middle-earth, because he can observe a single location at a time. Pippin had a brief and frightening encounter with the Eye, after gazing into the palantír of Orthanc.
External link "Did Sauron have a physical form during The Lord of the Rings?" (Tolkien Newsgroups FAQ).
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