Saruman’s speeches to Gandalf have always struck me as revealing something of Tolkien’s opinion of politicians in modern democratic systems. Sweet-tongued and convincing but willing to sacrifice principle and honesty in pursuit of his goals, he reflects an uncomfortably large number of prominent figures on the modern political scene. Let’s analyze him and see how he matches up.

Not familiar with the background of how Gandalf came to Saruman in the book? Check my recent video comparing the book and movie on this point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXinRWIi1yw

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