Saruman's ring

[Bayard]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

So did Sauron: "Very slowly, beginning with fair motives: the reorganising and rehabilitation of Middle-earth, 'neglected by the gods', he becomes a reincarnation of Evil, and a thing lusting for Complete Power." (Letter 131) It seems very reminiscent to me of Saruman's speech: "we must have power, power to order all things as we will, for that good which only the Wise can see." (LR p.252)
Once again Saruman was a facsimile of Sauron, his superior in Evil. Saruman lacked the opportunity to embrace Darkness, but the breaking of the Light was in my view a beginning: he tries to break down the Light to understand it, which to me is still an act of possession, like Morgoth's theft of the Silmarils or, maybe even more appropriately, Fëanor's withholding of them. Saruman lacked the time or opportunity (or perhaps the power) to become a full-blown Dark Lord but I see the breaking of the Light as an initial phase. I'm not sure when Saruman "uses" the Light: to me its deconstruction comes back to this threefold purpose: "Knowledge, Rule, Order". The greater his lore, the greater his power, the greater his power the more secure his order. It seems to me very much like Sauron's purpose with the forging of the Rings, just on a lesser scale which never comes to fruition. In Théoden's words, "I perceive only a finger of the claw of Mordor."

Fëanor's an interesting comparison for all three of Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman. Ar-Pharazôn, too. I'm just re-reading the Silmarillion and it struck me again how sympathetically Tolkien portrays Morgoth in his desire for something more and his impatience with what might seem to be the complacency of Eru Ilúvatar.

Although in all cases things turned out badly, there is sympathy (and sometimes even admiration) for the rebels.