Episode 160 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 160

Saruman of Many Colours:

• Saruman seems to be saying that all the titles he gives for Radagast are synonyms, and therefore equivalent to the final one, which is a direct insult, and the slights move from implicit to explicit.
• The use of “the Simple” is an insulting pun, as Radagast does live a simple life and is not involved in the webs of policy and maneuver, but Saruman equates it with the other meaning of “stupid”.
• Saruman does not consider a respect and love for the earth as a virtue, but as shortcoming.
• It doesn’t seem as though he tried to recruit Radagast, which while in opposition of the idea of a union of their strengths, also shows that he doesn’t consider Radagast as having any strength.
• All of this, including his confession of his manipulation of Radagast’s integrity, is intended to show his superiority. Saruman also does not consider integrity to be a virtue for the clever.
• Saruman once again associates the title of “the Grey” with journeying, as he claims to end that.
• Saruman’s self-styled titles are in direct opposition to Radagast’s, but ends with a new title, and by claiming all the colors, he holds himself as filling the roles of all Wizards, not just the White.
• Just as Saruman has twisted the meaning of Radagast’s title and role to insult him, he has twisted his own role as in opposition of Sauron to become like him and his equal as Ring-maker.
• Ironically, after he has chided Gandalf for meddling in others’ business, he has now made all the Wizards’ business his business, and his alone, so Gandalf was meddling in his business.
• Saruman seems to equate obedience to an assigned role with folly, and his mastery as wisdom.

Saruman Ring-maker:

• The ring of Saruman clearly doesn’t give him any insight or power over the Three, unlike the One Ring, though it does seem to give him power to accomplish much more than before.
• It’s not clear if Saruman also put his own power into his ring as Sauron did to gain mastery, but Saruman did earnestly study his arts, so it’s possible that he did do that.
• Note: Saruman’s name in Anglo-Saxon is translated as “wise man”, and this implies wise in craft, as the element “seáru” is used in translations of Exodus do describe those who built the Ark of the Covenant. The same sense of “wise” is used of Merlin when he engineers the moving of Stonehenge and is related to the use of the word “devices” that Saruman uses against Sauron.

The union of all our strength:

• In response to Saruman’s insulting him, he doesn’t engage with that, but questions why they shouldn’t be working together at this time, while neither justifying, capitulating, or inflaming.
• Gandalf seems to be probing Saruman, as he can’t believe that he would be chided for working against the Enemy, but Saruman responds by questioning why he only wants to share now.
• Gandalf must be alarmed that Saruman knows about his knowledge of the One Ring, and though he hasn’t had an opportunity to tell anyone this, he has to wonder how Saruman knows this.
• While Gandalf has only just confirmed the identity of the Ring, there were many opportunities to communicate this to Saruman in the years that he suspected it.
• Gandalf had the burden of proof to make any claim against Saruman’s teaching, but that doesn’t mean that Gandalf had suspicions of Saruman’s intentions at the time, too.
• There is also fear of treachery in sharing his suspicions, lest they make their way back to Sauron.

Gandalf’s lurking place in the Shire:

• Gandalf also would fear the consequences for the hobbits and Frodo specifically, right or wrong.
• Saruman makes Gandalf’s secrecy an act of insubordination to him as the head of the Council.
• Gandalf has no permanent place as the Grey, so Saruman acts as though he has caught Gandalf out for going against his role by his staying in the Shire for an extended time.
• The use of “lurking” implies that Gandalf must be plotting mischief, but this is ironic considering the nature of the Shire and Saruman’s own solitude and plotting in Isengard.
• Saruman hasn’t revealed any malicious intent toward Gandalf yet, but he has revealed his knowledge of the Ring and of the Shire, which Gandalf did not know he knew about before.
• Gandalf would be afraid of the unknown means by which Saruman found out this, which means that others may know, too. It also means that Saruman is watching the Shire in some way.
• Saruman is projecting his secret dealings and plots by accusing Gandalf of those preemptively.

The Nine have come forth again:

• Gandalf answers the question of the reason for his visit, while deflecting the tone or accusations of disloyalty. He stays focused on the actual threat of the Nazgûl while probing Saruman.
• It’s still possible that Saruman still wants to help despite is expressions of contempt, as this was the message relayed to him by Radagast, so Gandalf is laying out the choice about the threat.
• There is an implied question as to Saruman’s honesty by bringing up Radagast’s message to him.
• Gandalf has no reason to suspect Radagast himself, so he can only suspect the source, especially considering his ominous feelings and words of Saruman since he arrived in Isengard.
• Gandalf underscores the significance of the Nine my emphasizing their proximity and intent and implies a question as to what Saruman wants to do about that threat considering this.
• Saruman answers the implied questions by confirming that he deceived Gandalf after all.
• Note: In the timeline, the Nazgûl had not yet arrived at Isengard to contact Saruman, and wouldn’t arrive until just after Gandalf’s escape on September 18th, which angers them.

The white light can be broken:

• It’s clear that this new raiment has been crafted by Saruman himself to show his new role.
• Saruman has not combined all the colors into one, which would be black, but has displayed all the colors to show that his new role is fluid, changeable, and separately master of all of them.
• The bewildering of the eye is to express that others can’t really understand all of his superior and complex wisdom, and his ability to deceive not only his allies but also Sauron himself.
• Gandalf’s response is an extreme understatement to undercut Saruman’s grandiose titles.
• While Saruman seems to be aware of the association of white with purity, but he also makes the comparison with making a white garment richer and more valuable by dyeing it a new color.
• Note: There is an irony in that white is the result of hard work and effort and was once associated with great riches, as the ability to keep white clothes clean was expensive.
• The iridescent effect is not the effect of dyeing, but of his own craft, but Saruman picks up on Gandalf’s visual observation by engaging in this explanation of the reason, not the method.
• The comparison with a written page is to emphasize the wisdom captured by the writing, and that the goal of the white paper was always and only to allow a place to write wisdom.
• Saruman’s metaphors are all in response to the implication that he has sullied his white robes.
• The use of “overwritten” also implies that the writing is on top of other writing, creating a palimpsest; though he starts with a blank page, he implies that he is adding to other wisdom.
• The final metaphor of broken white light, while not necessarily a violent act, allows one to reveal the full spectrum of colors. He is saying that white light is of no interest, unlike a rainbow.
• In all these comparisons, he is stating that while white is purer and simpler, he is adding value.
• The use of “broken” implies a harshness and reveals his attitude toward the white light itself.
• This contempt for the simple is a continuation of his insulting expression toward Radagast.

In which case it is no longer white:

• While Saruman’s speech is his most effective rhetorical tactic, Gandalf responds by bringing the conversation back to Saruman’s assigned job as the White, and his abdication of that role.
• Gandalf also seems to imply that they were all supposed to work together, not Saruman alone.
• By criticizing the use of the word “broken”, he is focusing on Saruman’s callousness and the idea that the means justify the ends. He is not against the pursuit of knowledge, but the means to it.
• Gandalf understands that Saruman thinks he’s advanced on the path of wisdom but has left it.
• Saruman’s use of the word “fools” insults not only Gandalf’s friends, but that Gandalf would lower himself to associate with them, especially Radagast and the Hobbits.
• Saruman seems to be dropping the argument, asserting his superiority to Gandalf, while it makes his overall position seem weaker, and he has to resort to constraints instead.

END OF SESSION