The Full Story of SARUMAN! | Middle-Earth Lore

Well done to those who have spotted the mistake! At 20:21 I did NOT mean Fatty, I meant Lotho! 🤦‍♂️😂

There is not an actor ever born who could have brought Saruman to life better than Christopher Lee. Everything from his height and appearance, to his commanding presence and amazing voice, were perfect. Add to that his knowledge and reverence with regard to the source material, and there's just no question. The man was made to play Saruman, and I will always be glad he did.

Not Círdan’s fault. Just like Tree Beard said, “A Wizard should have known better!”

Not Cirdan's fault, Saruman has always been a jealous character. Like sauron, he desired power, though not as quick or bold to take action.

Christopher Lee did such a timeless job on Saruman

Saruman is an excellent character study of pride and how it slowly takes hold and grows over time when unchecked

I think Sauruman is in Tolkein's world, an example of how the absence of humility can lead to arrogance, which then leads to evil.

I’ve noticed that Christopher Lee had a knack for playing noble characters who had fallen. Dracula, Saruman, Count Dooku All were men who were proud and sought something just out of their reach and something turned in them which they decided they were no longer bound by what limitations society and/or perceived that held them back prior. They will achieve their goal, even if it means reaching forth and touching the darkness You see? This is the perfect scenario of what the Rings of Power should’ve done as Saruman and even the Nazgûl did the same thing. Instead of Galadriel they should’ve followed Saruman.

The most interesting character in LOTR imo. Christopher Lee was an amazing actor and played him perfectly.

One could say his fall was inevitable. He was always proud and impatient. He desired order and efficiency because he felt he was uniquely qualified to bring that and what is more inefficient than different free peoples all pursuing their own agendas at cross-purposes?

Not Cirdan's fault. Especially considering that the information on Saruman knowing about the ring is left out of LOTR. A number of the Maiar joined with Morgoth previously, so it is not unlikely that the pull of power and greed would infect on such as Curumo as well. In fact, I suspect that Curumo/Saruman likely felt that he was smarter that Sauron and would be able to achieve greater power through his cleverness and deceit. Just a thought...

Nobody else could be blame for Saruman’s. His personality made him naturally susceptible to corruption, he was too eager to test himself against Sauron, which led him down many paths which all come out to the same conclusion, Sauron couldn’t be defeated by strength, unless you used the one ring.

I wonder if perhaps Eru gave Cirdan a brief moment of “enlightened insight” (even by Elven standards) when Gandalf came from sea. Similar instances in the books: On the slopes of Mount Doom, Sam sees a physical manifestation of the forces good and of the ring when Frodo casts his prophecy to Gollum. Another instance (though Frodo is wearing the ring and thus in the ‘realm between the two realms’) was when Frodo sees Glorfindel as he is on the other side at the ford fighting off the Nazgul. I wonder if a similar situation happened where Eru gave Cirdan — and only Cirdan — a heightened level of insight to his great plans and why he would need Cirdan to stay in middle earth with great patience and he should give such a great ring this seemingly feeblest of the great beings to come across. Eru showed him that actually held more power than the rest. I know Tolkien hated allegory, but I can’t help but compare it to having a gut instinct on the humble underdog rather than the cocky title defender. Saruman was hungry; Gandalf was humble. Even cloaked in their wisest of appearances, even though their intentions may have been purest when stepping off the boat, I wonder if Eru trusted Cirdan with this most detailed foresight given to any being originally of middle earth so that he would never waiver in waiting for literal Ages. Just a fun idea lol

Not Cirdan's fault; there were other ways he could've handled not getting a gift, like proving he could be a wise cool mega wizard without a trinket... a prideful approach as an example. Saruman's choices are his own, his lack of perspective as well

I always saw Saruman as a villain you love to hate. Sauron is just so terrifying and serious, it’s nice seeing a villain that’s entertainingly unlikeable while still a serious threat. He’s jealous, greedy, spiteful, petty, selfish, and short tempered. He tried to take over the world because he was salty about Gandalf being more popular than him. When he escapes Orthanc, the first thing he does is become a crime boss and takeover the Shire, purely out of spite. Frodo offers to let him go, Saruman responds by trying to stab him. Any and every chance he was given to redeem himself and become better, he smacked away. He’s just a heinous person. There’s also the whole feeding people to his orcs thing.

It can be argued that it was because only it fostered immediate ill will and distrust with him and the elves as well as caused a rift between him and Gandalf. Although....his character flaws ie his pride and ego in being the leader of the "wise " made this moment one that would instantly offend and therefore push him onto the road he ended on in a potential effort to prove others wrong..... The road to hell is paved with good intentions after all.

It goes to show you the power of the one ring, that Sauramon, who had never even laid eyes on it, was corrupted by it. Pretty horrifying.

Saruman, being a Maia, did not truly die. His spirit separated from his body much like his master Sauron's after the Downfall of Numenor. As an incorporeal spirit, he should have been called to the Halls of Mandos, but the tale implies that he was barred from returning. Tolkien indicated that his spirit was left naked, powerless and wandering, never to return to Middle-earth: "Whereas Curunir was cast down, and utterly humbled, and perished at last by the hand of an oppressed slave; and his spirit went whither-soever it was doomed to go, and to Middle-earth, whether naked or embodied, came never back." -- Saruman's fate

It was not Cirdan's fault. Saruman was proud from the beginning, and this pride only grew in him through time, the nobler Gandalf became. Saruman coveted the power which Gandalf did not want, but wielded nonetheless. In his research Saruman "delved too greedily and too deep", until there came a time when he could no longer hide his jealousy.of Gandalf.

I wish P.J. filmed Scouring of The Shire while Christopher Lee was still alive, that would be incredible imo!