LotR -- Book 3 - Chapter 10 - The Voice of Saruman

[Estelyn Telcontar]

This is another chapter with very little action, some description and much dialogue, and it is one of the most fascinating, masterfully written by Tolkien. A very personal memory that I treasure is that of a live internet reading, via voice chat, with various participants in three countries sitting at their PCs, books in hand, reading the different characters. The highlight was Squatter and Rimbaud’s fantastic interpretation of the two wizards; hearing their expressive voices with the very appropriate British accents was a thoroughly enjoyable experience! If you ever sit down to do a reading with friends, this chapter is a great one!

It begins with a slight change of location; we follow the remaining Fellowship members over to Orthanc, where they (and we) stay for the rest of the chapter. The ruins of the surroundings are described, the participants listed, and then the story begins. Gríma’s presence in the tower is revealed, after which Saruman speaks. I find Tolkien’s paragraph on the effect of the voice fascinating; it echoes Gandalf’s warning of the danger that Saruman still poses.

Gandalf’s restraint in letting those spoken to answer for themselves without his active influence contrasts sharply with Saruman’s persuasion. Indeed, the difference between the two wizards is one of the most important aspects of this chapter.

Interestingly, the first one to speak against Saruman is Gimli; that reinforces what we have read about the toughness of Dwarves to corruption by others. I love his words: “The words of this wizard stand on their heads. In the language of Orthanc help means ruin, and saving means slaying, that is plain.”

The second one to speak is Éomer, with a nice analogy – “So would the trapped wolf speak to the hounds.” He reminds Théoden of those who died at the hands of Saruman’s orcs, those who meant so much to him personally. What gives Éomer the resistance – the strength of youth, or is it some other characteristic? Do his words influence Théoden’s reaction, or would the outcome have been the same without them?

Théoden’s reply is preceded by much suspense, and begins without dispelling it until the third repeat of the words “We will have peace”. One sentence that he says to the wizard reminds me of the situation we discussed at the gate of the Golden Hall, where Aragorn resisted giving up his sword at first: ”…were you ten times as wise you would have no right to rule me and mine for your own profit as you desired…”

Saruman’s wrath lets him lose control of his reaction – his ensuing “Gibbets and crows!” speech reveals him as he really is.

Though Saruman speaks down to Gandalf both literally and figuratively, Gandalf shows how he has changed in relation to him. “I fear I am beyond your comprehension.” A wonderful proverbial statement follows: “The guest who has escaped from the roof, will think twice before he comes back in by the door.” Then comes an offer of repentance: “Will you not come down?” I see that as having a strongly figurative meaning behind the literal one – to repent, Saruman must come down, humble himself. That proves to be too difficult for him; “Pride and hate were conquering him.” Like Sauron, he mistrusts others, thinking that they will have the same motivation he does, and cannot imagine that Gandalf would not wish to rule over him. “I do not wish for mastery.”

Then comes Gandalf’s verdict, casting him out of the order and Council, and the breaking of his staff, followed (literally!) by the Palantír.

I can’t help but wonder – and this is a good topic for speculative discussion – what difference could Saruman have made in the War of the Ring had he repented and helped them?

The chapter ends with Treebeard and the Ents, who will keep watch over Orthanc and its inhabitants.

[davem]

I think what struck me most on reading this chapter, especially after watching the EE of RotK last night, was Gandalf’s motivation in seeking out Saruman. What was supremely present in the book, & entirely absent in the movie, was mercy. The more I read this chapter the more I feel that. Gandalf wants to redeem Saruman. He doesn’t want him to be forever lost. Saruman, however, cannot let go of his desire to rule, to control. The interesting thing about this is that it is Gandalf, who has no desire for rule or control over anyone or anything, who has the greater power.

Saruman has devoted himself to enhancing his power, to the extent that he has almost become a slave to his own desire. Its almost as if he has created this fantasy alter-ego, coming to see himself as ruler of Middle earth, ordering all things to his will, & is in the end unable to free himself of that desire, even when it is plain that it will never be. He is stuck, in a cleft stick of his own cutting. He is trapped in his fantasy & not only can he not extricate himself from it, he even slaps away the helping hand Gandalf offers him.

He has become so screwed up that he, like Sauron, can only understand power. He cannot think that anyone with the capability to rule & dominate others would not use that power. He can only think that Gandalf wants to replace him in Orthanc. No other behaviour on Gandalf’s part is conceivable to him. He accuses Gandalf of desiring the ‘Keys of Barad-dur itself, I suppose; and the crowns of seven kings, and the rods of the Five Wizards.’, because those are the things he himself desires & he cannot think that Gandalf, or anyone else, would not desire them.

Poor Saruman, what place is there for a failed megalomaniac in Middle earth, what is he to do, what can he contribute? ‘A little mischief in a mean way.’ Its a terrible fate he chooses for himself. Its as if his response to Gandalf here seals his fate. If he could have accepted Gandalf’s mercy maybe he could have avoided his nasty little death in the Shire, but perhaps even by this time he was too far gone. Or maybe he preferred his fate to accepting mercy from a former subordinate.

But as I said, it seems to me that Gandalf’s primary motivation is mercy. He wants to ‘save’ Saruman even more than he wants his aid in the war. One can imagine Gandalf’s frustration. Saruman has been completely defeated, humiliated & broken, yet still he will not accept help, still he tries his ‘tricks’. Just as Saruman has been backed into a corner & lashes out in impotent fury, so, in the end, does Gandalf himself. He cannot leave Saruman with any power, but neither, & more importantly, can he leave him with any hope of reasserting himself. So he must break Saruman’s staff & cast him from the Order & the Council - perhaps in the hope that once he realises he can never go back to what he was he will find a new path.

It is interesting that Gandalf has taken over the role of ‘White Wizard’. Whether this is because Saruman forsook the role, or because Gandalf, when he ‘strayed beyond thought & time’ was given the role & title, is not clear. What is clear is that there can only be one White Wizard’ in Middle earth. Certainly Saruman does not realise Gandalf has taken up this mantle.

It does seem like Gandalf has supreme wizardly authority over both Order & Council - though I can’t help wonder whether Gandalf consulted with Galadriel (& possibly Elrond via sanwe) before deciding on this course of action. Surely he would not have the authority to cast Saruman from the White Council without the agreement of the other members.

In the end he crawls back into Orthanc, broken & humiliated before those he sought to humble. Gandalf has cast him down, as he did earlier with Wormtongue. But Saruman is himself a ‘wormtongue’. He speaks like a dragon - like Smaug & Glaurung - using twisted words to manipulate others & bend their wills to his own. In the end fails & Gandalf brings light into the darkness created by their webs of deceit, & both end up cast down from their positions of power.

A sad chapter - especially so when read in the light of Ainulindale.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by davem

It is interesting that Gandalf has taken over the role of ‘White Wizard’. Whether this is because Saruman forsook the role, or because Gandalf, when he ‘strayed beyond thought & time’ was given the role & title, is not clear. What is clear is that there can only be one White Wizard’ in Middle earth. Certainly Saruman does not realise Gandalf has taken up this mantle.

Originally Posted by davem

Poor Saruman, what place is there for a failed megalomaniac in Middle earth, what is he to do, what can he contribute? ‘A little mischief in a mean way.’ Its a terrible fate he chooses for himself. Its as if his response to Gandalf here seals his fate. If he could have accepted Gandalf’s mercy maybe he could have avoided his nasty little death in the Shire, but perhaps even by this time he was too far gone. Or maybe he preferred his fate to accepting mercy from a former subordinate.

Once Saruman broke the Light and became 'Saruman of many colours' the position of White Wizard must have effectively become vacant. He cannot be both White and Many-Coloured, certainly not in the defined moral structure of Arda. Once Saruman took the step to break the Light he effectively became a heretic. The concept of 'White' possibly encompassed the powers of all the other wizards, which may be what 'the rods of the five wizards' refers to, and also as White light encompasses all colours; it is composed of those colours and has no substance without them. Saruman of course, in breaking the Light, broke his own power in terms of Arda.

Saruman may be refusing to accept that Gandalf has taken over his former role; after all, he may well assume that with his inceredible intelligence he has achieved something beyond the bounds of the established order in becoming 'many-coloured'. He may be labouring under the false belief that his new found power is somehow 'outside' the established order. But it is not. 'White' encompasses all the other colours, and without this his power is rendered fragile.

Gandalf must neutralise Saruman's power as it is unstable in terms of the world they exist in; it exists outside the existing moral framework. All this makes me wonder what is the significance of the wizard's staff, what does it do and what does it symbolise.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Davem

How nicely said! I also have felt this to be a sad chapter. With Sauron, you know that he is an out and out baddie. There was never a realistic chance that he would ever turn back and find another path.

But with both Saruman and Gollum, Tolkien was careful to leave open the door to the possibility of forgiveness and a change in behavior. That has to be telling us something about how Tolkien viewed mankind and the possibility of individuals pulling back from evil. It's also interesting that in this chapter Gandalf is putting into action the very lesson he spelled out earlier to Frodo: that of showing mercy.

In reference to Esty's earlier question about how Saruman could have "helped", my feeling is that Gandalf was actually taking an enormous risk. What if Saruman had said yes? Could Gandalf and Argorn ever really have trusted Saruman to play a role in the fight against Sauron? It's hard for me to imagine that. Yet Gandalf is willing to stick his neck out and possibly imperil the entire cause in order to give Saruman one more chance to reach out, accept mercy, and begin a new path in life. It's almost like a statement on the worth of the individual: that sometimes we must set aside the grandest of causes and focus on the right or wrong in terms of the single person standing in front of us.

In another sense Gandalf gives us a foreshadowing of the role that Frodo will attempt to play with Gollum later in the book. He's reminding the reader not to forget the theme of mercy because it's going to come up again and again. And eventually it will be Frodo who will "assume" Gandalf's role, the same role that the istar plays in this very chapter, and again offer mercy to Saruman himself. No wonder that Saruman can say Frodo has "grown"! Perhaps, Saruman was actually remembering the time when Gandalf had tried to do the same thing at Isengard and was feeling particular bitterness at those memories, since the istar has now fallen so far that he must accept "mercy" at the hands of a hobbit.

Aragorn's absence from this chapter is striking. Except for one brief reference that he will stand beside Gandalf, the future King of Gondor is simply missing. By leaving out Aragorn's character, Tolkien focuses more clearly on the duo of Gandalf and Saruman, giving us a stark picture of the contrast between the two istari . Putting Aragorn into this mix would essentially have muddied the waters.

[Boromir88]

Wonderful posts so far ...

He cannot think that anyone with the capability to rule & dominate others would not use that power. He can only think that Gandalf wants to replace him in Orthanc.

Interesting observation davem, and very similar to Sauron. He thinks that Aragorn has the ring and has come to challenge him, to overthrow him, because that's what HE would do. In his own pride he doesn't realize that anyone would destroy the ring, let alone TRY to destroy it.

Gandalf stirred, and looked up. "What have you to say that you did not say at our last meeting?" he asked. "Or, perhaps, you have things to unsay?"
Saruman paused. "Unsay?" he mused, as if puzzled. "Unsay? I endeavoured to advise you for your own good, but you scarcely listened. You are proud and do not love advice, having indeed a store of your own wisdom. But on that occasion you erred, I think, misconstruing my intentions wilfully. I fear that in my eagerness to persuade you, I lost patience. And indeed I regret it. For I bore you know ill-will; and even now I bear none, though you return to me in the company of the violent and the ignorant. How should I? Are we not both members of a high and ancient order, most excellent in Middle-earth? Our friendship would profit us both alike. Much we could still accomplish together, to heald the disorders of the world. Let us understand one another, and dismiss from thought these lesser folk! Let them wait on our decisions! For the common good I am willing to redress the past, and to receive you. Will you not consult with me? Will you not come up?

Saruman is given an oppurtunity to "unsay" what he said with Gandalf the last time they met. However, Saruman doesn't do this, he sort of beats around the bush saying "maybe I came off wrong, and I regret that, this is what I meant..." but it just goes back to not "unsaying," but "resaying."

After all this, again Theoden doubts Gandalf. It was before in Helm's Deep when Theoden said something like..."If I knew then what I do now, maybe I wouldn't have listened to Gandalf." Now Theoden thinks Gandalf is going to go up their and talk with Saruman, and make an alliance with him....

Even in the mind of Theoden the thought took shape, like a shadow of doubt: "He will betray us; he will go - we shall be lost."

A wonderful simile, and we get a different effect of Saruman's powerful voice. It's not the motivational pep-talker, not the "join me," not the sad puppy dog eyes, instead of all this it's casting fear and doubt into Theoden (as well as everyone else). It's making them doubt Gandalf and gets them into thinking he will betray them.

Then Gandalf laughed. The fantasy vanished like a puff of smoke.

Formendacil:

I mean, we know that Galadriel would have preferred Gandalf as head of the Council. Elrond and Gandalf seem to be best friends. Cirdan gives Gandalf Narya. So how is that Saruman is the head of the council?

I wondered about that too, and wonder if Saruman sweet talked his way into the position. But who knows? In his earlier days he was definitely kind, and worthy of such a position, he just turned down the wrong path.

Some other things I noticed, is Gandalf does warn about Saruman's voice, and we do see it have an effect (on the soldiers) but it seems that he's lost some of his potency.

"If we speak of poisoned tongues what shall we say of yours, young serpent?" said Saruman, and the flash of his anger was now plain to see. "But come, Eomer, Eomund's son!" he went on in his soft voice again...

(emphasis mine)
Then Theoden...

"A lesser son of great sires am I, but I do not need to lick your fingers. Turn elsewhither. But I fear your voice has lost its charm."

The Riders gazed up at Theoden like men startled out of a dream. Harsh as an old raven's their master's voice sounded in their ears after the music of Saruman. But Saruman for a while was beside himself with wrath. He leaned over the rail as if he would smite the King with his staff. To some suddenly it seemed that they saw a snake coiling itself to strike.

Then we have the famous "Gibbets and Crows..."

Edit: I meant to answer one of the questions proposed by Estelyn, but I just plump forgot...
What would Saruman be able to contribute? Well if he was fully redeemed and he was never going to turn back down the path of evil, and Gandalf could trust him, I would say a lot. Afterall he and Galadriel threw Sauron out of Dol Guldur, grant it he might have grown in power since, but still. On a lighter note, that Voice might come in handy when facing an overwhelming horde of orcs.

[Lalwendë]

Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment. Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves. When others spoke they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell. For some the spell lasted only while the voice spoke to them, and when it spoke to another they smiled, as men do who see through a juggler's trick while others gape at it. For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; but for those whom it conquered the spell endured when they were far away, and ever they heard that soft voice whispering and urging them. But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it.

This description of exactly how Saruman's voice works on the minds of listeners reminds me very much of hypnotism, something which I have practised myself, and had done to me in return. During hypnosis, it is important to keep the voice extremely low and soft, only raising it once you wish the person being hypnotised to 'wake'. The process depends on the psychological willingness of the person who is undergoing hypnosis. Here Tolkien describes exactly the different effects of various people when undergoing the technique. Some seem to lack total control and are very open to suggestion, while others are only partially open to the technique. The third group Tolkien mentions seem to be those who we might see on one of these (in my opinion, exploitative) TV shows and hence highly vulnerable to such persuasion. Finally Tolkien says how it took great will power to resist entirely; this is the only instance where his description diverges from real hypnosis, as a significant number of people simply cannot accept the process.

In terms of Middle Earth, I think Tolkien is here describing the effects of sanwe to a certain extent. Saruman here is openly talking rather than projecting thought in any way (although this could also be going on) and he is talking mostsly to Men, who seem the most susceptible to the technique. Gimli resists, and we do not know the reactions of Legolas or the Hobbits, but Saruman is clearly used to talking to men and knows what words to use to persuade them.

There is the distinct possibility that Saruman is simply extremely skilled with words, as his statements seem carefully constructed, bringing to mind the way that managers are trained to broach bad news to their staff, by coating criticism in sweeter words. Saruman even begins a plea to Gandalf by offering an apology, followed swiftly by criticism, and then by flattery. It is a classic case of a 'bad news sandwich':

I fear that in my eagerness to persuade you, I lost patience. And indeed I regret it. For I bore you no ill-will; and even now I bear none, though you return to me in the company of the violent and the ignorant. How should I? Are we not both members of a high and ancient order, most excellent in Middle-earth?

The same effect is seen in the following:

But if I am a murderer on that account, then all the house of Eorl is stained with murder; for they have fought many wars, and assailed many who defied them. Yet with some they have afterwards made peace, none the worse for being politic.

Saruman certainly relies upon confusing those who listen to him, and couching criticism within more pleasant words is a good way of doing this. In a meeting with Saruman it would be wise to take a tape recorder, or else have the capacity for memory that Gandalf has:

But you, Saruman, I understand now too well. I keep a clearer memory of your arguments, and deeds, than you suppose.

I was thinking again about Grima in this chapter. Why does he throw the palantir from Orthanc? It is clear he was aiming at either Saruman or Gandalf, and as Aragorn says he could possibly not decide which wizard he hated more. He would hate Gandalf as he was the catalyst for ruining all his plans and hopes, but he would also hate Saruman as he had failed to deliver what he had promised in return for his treachery. Perhaps the palantir was an object symbolic of his frustration, as its easy to imagine Grima lurking while Saruman consulted the stone, perhaps thinking that this was at the root of his ruined schemes. For Grima there is now no going back to his old life, as his treachery was exposed back in Edoras:

See, Theoden, here is a snake! With safety you cannot take it with you, nor can you leave it behind. To slay it would be just. But it was not always as it now is. Once it was a man, and did you service in its fashion.

Yet he was obviously a man of some influence even before Saruman 'bought' him. He seems to have been a part of Theoden's court, possibly he was even an adviser. His name and ancestry are known:

"The wise speak only of what they know, Grima son of Galmod. A witless worm have you become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man till the lightning falls."

What drove him to this? It seems in this chapter that he has finally realised his mistake and he attempts to kill either Saruman or Gandalf. It would not matter which he killed, as the removal of either would benefit him. If he killed Gandalf then he and his master could resume their plans; if he killed Saruman then he might be seen to have redeemed himself and so earn pity.

The contrast between Grima and Saruman is clear. Grima is confused and desperate and attempts to get himself out of the situation, even if he has no clear idea of exactly how to do this. Saruman is clearly still a little shocked at what the Ents have done:

You may find the Shadow of the Wood at your own door next: it is wayward, and senseless, and has no love for Men.

But what prevents Saruman from attempting to save himself is his pride. He fears Sauron, and possibly also Gandalf, but more than this, he fears to walk out of Orthanc without his power and status, to become a mere worm like Grima.

[Formendacil]

An excellent post, davem! The points about mercy are especially well-noted. This dominant theme of Tolkien's is sadly given a much diminished impact in the movie.

Originally Posted by davem

It does seem like Gandalf has supreme wizardly authority over both Order & Council - though I can’t help wonder whether Gandalf consulted with Galadriel (& possibly Elrond via sanwe) before deciding on this course of action. Surely he would not have the authority to cast Saruman from the White Council without the agreement of the other members.

It would seem that the White Council of the Third Age (in contrast to that held in the Second Age after the War in Eregion), was convened by the authority of the Istari. After all, it only begins meeting once they arrive in Middle-earth, and Saruman seems to be the Head of the Council, just because.

I mean, we know that Galadriel would have preferred Gandalf as head of the Council. Elrond and Gandalf seem to be best friends. Cirdan gives Gandalf Narya. So how is that Saruman is the head of the council? Because he is the White Wizard. At least as I interpret it, the White Council was a creation of the Istari for the commom defence of middle-earth, and was naturally headed by the White Wizard.

Besides which, Gandalf had returned as the White Wizard, that is, the chief emissary of Manwe, King of Arda. His authority is pretty much undisputed. And from inference, it would seem that Gandalf would have been in the right to take supreme control over the armies of the West, had he not been under orders from Valinor to convince and not control.

Less specifically,

"The Voice of Saruman" is possibly my favourite chapter in the Two Towers. I love the high concentration of dialogue, especially Saruman's great speeches. One thing though, that has always made me ponder is the Palantir. Gandalf says that there were probably few things in Orthanc that were as valuable that he could have thrown away, but I've always wondered what other things there were. As noted in Unfinished Tales, Saruman was a packrat, and had all sorts of valuables in his tower. What else was there other than the Elendilmir and Isildur's ring-chain? What else could Grima have possibly thrown down at Gandalf. Or was he aiming at Saruman?