Saruman: Pure Evil or Corrupted?

Here's a question for the fans of the great works of Tolkien:
Saruman the Many Colours (White for those to lazy to read the books) was a terrible threat to Middle-Earth with his army of uruk-hai but here is the question; was Saruman truly evil or just corrupted by Sauron and the lust for the One Ring?

I think he was corrupted by Sauron, because he came to Middle Earth good with no intention of taking over, but in the LOTR trilogy, he seemed to want to take over Middle Earth bad

Originally posted by Council#13
I think he was corrupted by Sauron, because he came to Middle Earth good with no intention of taking over, but in the LOTR trilogy, he seemed to want to take over Middle Earth bad

I agree! Like Morgoth he came to middle-earth not knowing what will happen etc. Morgoth became evil, succeded and taught Sauron.

Sauron became evil, succeded in many cases, and influenced other people.

I say then that Saruman became corrupted just like Sauron did by Morgoth

What, in your opinion, is the definition of "pure evil"? dunce
Or the difference between "pure evil" and "corrupted"?
Is not all evil just a "corrupted" facet of someone?

You have to be corrupted first to become evil, like Faramir says in TTT:

''was he really evil at heary?''

heary evil...

i clicked pure evil for a fun...

Sauron didn't corrupt Saruman, he corrupted himself. That's what the whole 'many colored' thing was all about... he lusted for power. Being head of the white council was not enough... and it was he who found Isildurs body and did god knows what with it.

I do not think that Saruman was affected by Sauron, the dark lord. Just searching for the power, the ring, that was all he wanted. When sauron showed up, he wisely worked for Sauron to have the power. I could not imagine the rest.

i think ha had his own motives for power and was currupted by thos motives

i think he was corrupted because alot of people have evil in them someone or something has to trigger and that was exactly what the dark lord did

Originally posted by Darkman87
I do not think that Saruman was affected by Sauron, the dark lord. Just searching for the power, the ring, that was all he wanted. When sauron showed up, he wisely worked for Sauron to have the power. I could not imagine the rest.

"...if I had it, then you would bow before me and call me Lord. And if I knew where this thing was hid, I should not be here, but long gone before you take it."
-Saurman's voice, on the gate of Isengard, to the witchking when he suspected Saruman had the ring... (unfinished tales)

Saruman wanted the ring for himself all along... he only 'joined' with saruman to stall...but he never truly served him.

...the movies were a bit misleading on this matter

Originally posted by DanielLB
I agree! Like Morgoth he came to middle-earth not knowing what will happen etc. Morgoth became evil, succeded and taught Sauron.

Sauron became evil, succeded in many cases, and influenced other people.

I say then that Saruman became corrupted just like Sauron did by Morgoth

and on topic, Saruman was not evil when he came to middle earth, but he became obsessed with finding the one ring, he fell to it's allure, and when he found out that Gandlaf was given one of the 3 elven rings he became jealous.

he wasn't evil to start with, but there were a few things that led to it...

the position of white council was originally intended for gandalf, but gandalf was too much of a hippy (not as much as radaghast, but you know)...

then yes, the elven ring thing...

but as i said... he was onto isildur pretty quickly after he fell...

Saruman never even came near the ring... but he wanted it from knowledge of its power...

Originally posted by Bar-en-Danwedh
"...if I had it, then you would bow before me and call me Lord. And if I knew where this thing was hid, I should not be here, but long gone before you take it."
-Saurman's voice, on the gate of Isengard, to the witchking when he suspected Saruman had the ring... (unfinished tales)

Saruman wanted the ring for himself all along... he only 'joined' with saruman to stall...but he never truly served him.

...the movies were a bit misleading on this matter

They weren't misleading, they were simply different.

(and to be more precise, he didn't think Saruman had the Ring, he thought Saruman knew where it was)

but Saruman clearly took his meaning with enough paranoia to asume that the witchking thought he had it.

Saruman always looked upon himself as the best of Istari. When Círdan gave Gandalf his elf ring Saruman got jelaus. It was Sarumans one coice to lock him self up in a tower and leave his quest, to make things better in Arda. But it was Sauron who curupted Sarumans mind. Through the palantir, just as with Denethor and Éowyn. But sarman was week minded as I said before. I fells like it was "ment to be". I could not have been avoided. so it was kind of both I think but mostly Sauron. Good thread. big up!

the wise one

Saruman was corrupted ever since he first began studying Sauron's Ring of Power (He was the one appointed to the task, being the most powerful of the White Council). By the War of the Ring, he's pure evil. No question about it.

Near the end of the books he starts to become less evil...if someone was pure evil they couldnt really turn good though...but we dont know if he bacomes good again cos wormtongue kills him...

He never looks like he'll turn good! Once your evil....you can never change back 🙁 lol

Vader did. Life must suck though...

Vader: I have turned a new leaf! Now I'll live a life of good! A full life with my soon! We'll be so happy I-(Chokes and dies*)

Imagine that. A Dark Lord one day running aroung killing everyone. And then the next day skipping down the road thorwing flowers to his (or hers!) neighbours! hahaha😄😄😄🙂