The Orc Redeemed

Tolkien orcs are often brought up as the example of irredeemable orcs. Cannon fodder mooks for the big bad guy to fling at the heroes to die in droves.

Tolkien himself was never clear on just how evil the orcs were, or even gave a clear story on their origins.

But there are moments in the books when orcs and trolls show some amount of compassion and at least a notion of morality:

"Poor little blighter," said William. He had already had as much supper as he could hold; also he had had lots of beer. "Poor little blighter! Let him go!"
"Not till he says what he means by lots and none at all," said Bert. "I don't want to have me throat cut in me sleep. Hold his toes in the fire, till he talks!"
"I won't have it," said William. "I caught him anyway."

"It's my guess you won't find much in that little fellow,' said Gorbag. 'He may have had nothing to do with the real mischief. The big fellow with the sharp sword doesn't seem to have thought him worth much anyhow – just left him lying: regular elvish trick."

Maybe the orcs (and trolls) of Middle-earth aren't irredeemably evil. Maybe the influence of Morgoth, and then Sauron, and to a lesser extent, Saurman, reinforce their evil tendencies. They've been so long under the control of the bad guys, that they simply haven't had the chance for anything else.

"I'd like to try somewhere where there's none of 'em. But the war's on now, and when that's over things may be easier."
"It's going well, they say."
"They would.  We'll see.  But anyway, if it does go well, there should be a lot more room.  What d'you say? -- if we get a chance, you and me'll slip off and set up somewhere on our own with a few trusty lads, somewhere where there's good loot nice and handy, and no big bosses."
"Ah!  Like old times."
"Yes.  But don't count on it.  I'm not easy in my mind. As I said, the Big Bosses, ay, ay, even the Biggest, can make mistakes.  Something nearly slipped, you say.  I say, something has slipped.  And we've got to look out.  Always the poor Uruks to put slips right, and small thanks.  But don't forget: the enemies don't love us any more than they love Him, and if they get topsides on Him, we're done too."

Note that when Sauron is absent, the orcs and trolls tend to become 'mere' bandits and raiders, and show little ambition past that. The Goblin King was willing to parley with Thorin's company. Maybe just to find out more about their doings, but it does set the precedent that orcs can be parleyed with, even if they're not likely to show much mercy. Perhaps after Sauron's demise, if the orcs were left alone, they just might move on from the raiding lifestyle and adopt more 'good' habits and relations. Personally, I think it would take a long, long time, and one could hardly be faulted for being wary of orcs until they had proven themselves out from the long influnce of the evil powers of Middle-earth.