We live in strange times, in which the truth and fantasy are sometimes blurred, sometimes synonymous. Here on the Midnight Myth, we often look to our stories are guides to cope with our troubled social, political, or moral questions. Today, we explore the theme of corruption through the iconic and epic fantasy series the Lord of the Rings. They say power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This holds true for the characters that populate Middle Earth, who struggle against evil magic jewelry, the ever-flowing tide of darkness, and seemingly innocuous--but insidious--language