Why does Saruman go bad in Lord of the Rings?

Paul Kocher identifies Saruman’s use of a palantír, a seeing-stone, as the immediate cause of his downfall, but also suggests that through his study of “the arts of the enemy”, Saruman was drawn into imitation of Sauron.

Is Saruman always evil?

Thinking he could gain it for himself or become Sauron’s servant alone, Saruman allied Isengard with Mordor in the War of the Ring, in which he was defeated. He is one of the few characters in Middle-earth who is morally “grey” – being neither a genuine servant of evil nor an agent of good.

Why didn’t Saruman use his full power?

Saruman, Radagast the blue wizards, the Balrog, and yes even Gandalf the grey himself couldn’t use their full powers. They are in middle-earth in a “mortal shell”. using their powers in full would in most likelihood destroy said mortal shell. revealing them as a god for that split second.

How long was Saruman corrupted?

Indeed, for well over 1,500 years, Saruman remained a faithful servant among the coterie. Yet throughout this period, a darkness welled up that would ultimately come to sunder him from the rest of the White Council: namely surrounding Dol Guldur.

Did Saruman know about the Ents?

Quite unlike Gandalf who spent time in understanding the different people of middle earth and knew the worth of both a Hobbit and an Ent. Saruman thus, though he knew and remembered the Ents, was unconcerned and left them out of his calculations which ultimately proved to be his costliest mistake.

Was Saruman evil when he arrived in Middle-earth?

Saruman wasn’t evil when he arrived in Middle-earth: the Valar would never have sent him if he were. He was proud, however, though not nearly so much at first as later. In Unfinished Tales, there is a section called “The Istari ”.

Was Saruman corrupt because of Sauron?

However, the “corruption” was due to Saruman’s own desire for the Ring, and he had not fallen under the influence of Sauron (unless it is the indirect influence of Sauron through the Ring; but had Saruman took the Ring for himself, he would have overthrown Sauron and become himself the dark lord ).

Who is Saruman in The Fellowship of the Ring?

Early in The Fellowship of the Ring, the wizard Gandalf describes Saruman as “the chief of my order” and head of the White Council that forced Sauron from Mirkwood at the end of Tolkien’s earlier book The Hobbit. He notes Saruman’s great knowledge of the magic rings created by Sauron and by the Elven-smiths.

Why did Aragorn and Ecthelion not trust Saruman?

But the Wise were already suspicious about him; Aragorn tried to advice Steward Ecthelion II to not trust Saruman for his help against Sauron. Sauron had declared himself openly in Mordor; he established contact with Saruman through the Ithil-stone his minions had captured from Minas Ithil.