In the trilogy the reader gets the notion that the particular "something else" has its own plans and objectives in the Middle-Earth, but it never interferes directly with events there. Yet it is known that it has been done before, in the earlier stages of Middle-Earth's history. It has not been indicated in the trilogy why they do not offer any supernatural or natural aid directly, and have forbidden the wizards to use their actual might, but there is no striking conflict between their power and their factual idleness as both their existence and higher intentions are something vague, and somehow they still guide and direct. Their operators - the inhabitants of Middle-Earth, are ever in suspense and uncertainty of their future, yet no protagonist would ever utter the most natural question: why don't the mighty Valar, dethrone Sauron as they did long ago with the fallen evil Vala Melkor? It would require much less effort as Sauron is only a former servant of Melkor, wielding only a fragment of his master's evil powers. In the light of "The Silmarillion" this inertia of the higher order becomes already ridiculous because they have the power and the glory (of which the reader of the trilogy had but a vague notion), and yet they toy with the hobbits and dwarves, ents and men, and even their beloved elves, at the cost of innumerable lives. They do nothing save let them walk on knife-edge until graciously allow them take their victory in the nick of time before total catastrophe. Essentially, it is a disharmony in Tolkien's well ordered, perfectly structured and wisely guided universe. A clear and final solution by the Valar would naturally render Tolkien's work void of sense because in that case there would be no room for individual heroism, nothing exemplary to educate the reader as his protagonists would have no tangible chance to do deeds of renown and prowess, yet, the Valar and other powerful spirits having been created, they should also help, but directly they do not and it gives rise too a controversy which renders their existence equally absurd. This is a serious criticism to Tolkien's work as a whole but as far as "The Hobbit", "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Silmarillion" do not form a trilogy, being quite different in ambition, the author may be excused of inconsistencies inside his Faerie.
(2) In Tolkien's world the result of an action is the product of its intent. This contains a difference between the moral structures of Middle-Earth and those of the real world. In everyday human interrelationships the difference is often observable but if we take a larger social scale, it is vice versa and the formulae pertaining to the fantasy world find enactment in the real world as well. R. Helms is in the wrong when he openly declares: "we know that intention has nothing to do with result." (Helms, R., 1974) History proves the opposite: Hitler's Germany started a war to conquer the whole world, the price of millions of casualties was exacted from a number of nations, but the final outcome was the ultimate defeat of fascism, which gave the world a bitter lesson, but also sent fascism to the pillory of world opinion for ages to come. As a most reactionary totalitarian system it would have collapsed anyway but instead it committed suicide: owing to mistakes in political strategy, lack of any common sense, and a gnawing desire to rule the world, it existed only little over a decade. An extremely inhumane intent plus extremely inhumane methods for achieving these ends produced a positive result: the destruction of Nazi Germany. It may be argued that this accelerated collapse of Germany occurred at too high a cost but neither does Tolkien leave his protagonists unharmed in similar situations. A fight without casualties is impossible, one side may win, but losses are mutual. The author has unambiguously asserted that his work is not allegorical and the War of the Rings is not World War II, yet the struggle between good and evil is to some extent reminiscent of the greatest war of our time.
On the other hand, good intentions never produce bad consequences or after-effects, and all positive qualities the heroes possess, are well rewarded. When, for instance, Frodo tells Gandalf his opinion that it was a pity Bilbo did not stab the vile creature Gollum when he had a chance, Gandalf replies that all the rest of Bilbo's life and the events to come will be positively affected by his good judgement: "Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil. ... because he began his ownership of The Ring so. With Pity." (Tolkien, R., 1966 Vol. I)
(3) That will and states of mind can have physical power, working at a distance, is apparent from the field of terror around The Ringwraiths. As the Hobbits are told, terror is their main weapon, one need only see or feel the presence of them and he is shivering with blind fear. Positive will power can be seen with Aragorn, the heir of ancient Kings of Middle-Earth. As he has determined to ride the Paths of the Dead with a company of his warriors in order to muster the spirits of oathbreakers from an earlier age, mortal perils lie before his men. At the entrance to the Paths "the company halted and there was not a heart among them that did not quail... then Aragorn led the way and such was the strength of his will in that hour that all (his men) ... followed him." (Tolkien, R., 1966 Vol. Ill) The essence of this law, at least as an absolute one, is fantastic but parallels with the real world can be found. Hypnosis works much in the same way, rendering one person or a group of persons susceptible to external mental influence which is always dependent on the hypnotist's will and, to some extent, his state of mind. Will power in this sense can also be used for good and bad ends. History knows several cases of so-called mass hypnosis when a person or a group has found a gap in general world outlook or social cognition and then filled it for his own benefit. The results have sometimes been stunning: the conversion of a whole nation to nationalist hysteria in Germany in the 1930s, the overnight boom of Mary Baker-Eddy's "Christian science" serve only as a couple of marked cases. At the same time contemporary mediciae uses hypnosis for various curative purposes and its effects have often proved lasting. Needless to say, that it would be extremely far-fetched to associate Tolkien's "material" will power with contemporary developments in the field of hypnosis or any other suggestive influences but these parallels like the case is with the previous laws, serve to indicate that, however independent the laws of the "secondary world" be, they still have certain reminiscent features in the real world.
(4) Physical force in magical law could be illustrated by Gandalf's attempts at finding a password that would open the doors to the old mines of Moria. Eventually he succeeded when "he said in a clear voice: Mellon! .... Then silently a great doorway was outlined... slowly it divided in the middle and swung outwards inch by inch..." (Tolkien, R., 1966 Vol. I) "Open, Sesame!" varieties have established themselves in fairy-tale literature long ago and Tolkien could not do without one, yet he is closer to reality than his predecessors because his time already saw "acoustic locks" whicli would open when a certain combination of sounds is uttered. In this case the solution is, needless to say purely technical and there is nothing magical about it.
(5) As to the realisation of proverbial truth, it reflects the way things have always happened from the perspective of Middle-Earth's inhabitants'. This law is the least uncommon because there are proverbs in the folklore of every nation and as far as their validity is established with their existence in the collective memory of a nation, there is no reason why Tolkien's presentation of the proverbs of Middle-Earth should be followed by their refutation.
In general, the inner laws of J.R.R.Tolkien's fantasy world find relatively inviolable enactment, although his richly inventive mind has not always been at its best and occasional inconsistencies in the interrelationships of those laws and the protagonists' actions occur.