I was just wondering if the sense that they were hellbound was specifically linked to the fact that they are demons, and if so whether they thought becoming human would expand their possibilities.
Hmm... I think it's not so much the fact that they're demons, but that they're demons who have done great evil, and thus deserve hell.
Becoming human would probably make a difference to Angel, at least. He seems to view the shanshu as the point where he breaks even, when he's made up for all the evil he's done. Granted, he also doesn't really expect to ever break even and get the shanshu, but if it happened, I think he'd see it as a chance to start over with a clean slate (and thus, a chance at heaven).
It's harder to say with Spike, for a few reasons. First, his atonement has never been as explicit or about score-keeping - he's more about just doing good because it's good, rather than doing good to make up for evil. So I'm not sure if he thinks there's some balance he can tip where, if he does enough good, he escapes hell. Also, I'm not sure Spike would see becoming human as starting over, any more than getting his soul made him a new person.
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Date: 2009-06-05 02:20 am (UTC)Hmm... I think it's not so much the fact that they're demons, but that they're demons who have done great evil, and thus deserve hell.
Becoming human would probably make a difference to Angel, at least. He seems to view the shanshu as the point where he breaks even, when he's made up for all the evil he's done. Granted, he also doesn't really expect to ever break even and get the shanshu, but if it happened, I think he'd see it as a chance to start over with a clean slate (and thus, a chance at heaven).
It's harder to say with Spike, for a few reasons. First, his atonement has never been as explicit or about score-keeping - he's more about just doing good because it's good, rather than doing good to make up for evil. So I'm not sure if he thinks there's some balance he can tip where, if he does enough good, he escapes hell. Also, I'm not sure Spike would see becoming human as starting over, any more than getting his soul made him a new person.