Saruman is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy story The Lord of the Rings. He casts himself as a rival of Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but is later revealed to have been serving him. Much of the action in the second volume of the book, The Two Towers, is driven by his schemes. In the appendices to the book, he is described as the leader of the Istari, angelic beings sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Va...
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Saruman is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy story The Lord of the Rings. He casts himself as a rival of Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but is later revealed to have been serving him. Much of the action in the second volume of the book, The Two Towers, is driven by his schemes. In the appendices to the book, he is described as the leader of the Istari, angelic beings sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron. The meaning of names was important to Tolkien: Saruman means "man of skill".
In the book, Saruman is one of several characters illustrating the corruption of power; his desire for knowledge and order has led to his fall and he rejects the chance of redemption when it is offered. He serves as an example of technology and modernity being overthrown by the forces of nature. The character appears in almost all adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, having a particularly large part in the first two films of Peter Jackson's...
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