Saruman - Lord of the Rings?

[NuBatFan]

Is it possible or no?

All the evidence I've been able to collect I will post here and seek your opinions.

Consider what Galadriel tells Frodo when he inquires as to how he may use the One's power...
"Did not Gandalf tell you that the rings give power according to the measure of each possessor? Before you could use that power you would need to become far stronger, and to train your will to the domination of others."

Well Saruman's Voice already shows he has definitely gained quite a proficiency in that prerequisite.

From Tolkien's Letters 246:
"Of any others only Gandalf might be expected to master [Sauron] since he was a creature of the same order."
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Letter_246

Being a Maia helps in your attempt to overpower the will of Sauron. Consider also that Gandalf the Grey had no doubts he could take and wield the Ring. Saruman meanwhile was the head of the Istari and thus presumably the most powerful. In addition he was the most versed in Ring-lore in all of Middle-earth with the exception of Sauron himself. In fact, I found this foreword by Tolkien to be quite intriguing:

"“Saruman, failing to get possession of the Ring, would ... have found in Mordor the missing links in his own researches into Ring-lore, and before long he would have made a Great Ring of his own with which to challenge the self-styled Ruler of Middle-earth."
-Foreword to LOTR 2nd Edition, if the War of the Ring was inspired by Wordl War Ii.

Now the counter-arguments...

"....Saruman the White, fell from his high errand, and becoming proud and impatient and enamoured of power sought to have his own will by force, and to oust Sauron; but he was ensnared by that dark spirit, mightier than he."
-Unfinished Tales, The Istari

"3000 - The shadow of Mordor lengthens. Saurman dares to use the palantir of Orthanc, but becomes ensared by Sauron, who has the Ithil Stone. He becomes a traitor to the Council."
-Appendix B


So... Thoughts? Saruman was one a hair's breath away from capturing Frodo and the Ring. If he had succeeded, could he have done as he hoped and used it against Sauron?

[Sharpandpointies]

Probably not.

For starters, Gandalf as Gandalf the White was more potent than Saruman at his best, and that's who the article you link to references: the White, not the Grey. I could buy Gandalf MAYBE taking the Ring and challanging Sauron, but wearing an object created by Sauron, subserviant to Sauron's will, that fights against its wielder in favour of Sauron, I very much doubt it would be a given thing that Gandalf the White, carting the Ring, would win.

Possible? Sure. Likely? *wiggles hand* Unimportant to the story, mind, as Gandalf would have then fallen into the same state of mind that nabbed Sauron and become just as bad.

Again, from the article.

"Gandalf as Ring-Lord would have been a contest between the Ring's true allegiance to Sauron versus Gandalf's actually possession of the Ring. But if Gandalf had been the victor it would have been far worse than Sauron winning. |

A 'contest'. And 'if'. A big if. As for it being 'worse', that's debatable. Either way, Middle Earth would be deeply screwed. Forever.

By the time that Saruman could have nabbed the hobbits, he wasn't exactly at the top of his game any more. How much he had fallen by that point might be open to debate, but it's shown in-book that he was really nothing compared to Gandalf the White. Gandalf laughs off his Voice and snaps his staff with a gesture. I think (I'd need to check) that he also notes before that confrontation that while Saruman is diminished, he's still dangerous.

Additionally, if Sauron could dominate him directly through the palantir, an item of power that really wasn't keyed to him, Saruman showing up in front of him wearing HIS Ring, corrupted by his Ring, would probably have made a good breakfast.

So I can't see Saruman taking the Ring and winning any big battle against Sauron.

As for Tolkien's comments about Saruman possibly making a Ring and using it to challange Sauron, he doesn't say anything about Saruman winning - I have doubts about that. Curimo might have been a peer of Sauron back in Valinor, but that was before the Valar stuffed him into a mortal body and specifically limited his powers. A specifically limited Curimo working off of someone else's notes to make what would no doubt be a weaker artifact of power...okay, if Sauron hadn't yet nabbed his own Ring, maybe. Maybe. But I am doubtful, as any artifact of control and dominion created by Saruman would be the creation of a weaker being than Sauron himself.

I'm gonna say no to that. If Saruman WERE actually Sauron's peer, maybe he could make an artifact of power allowing him to command Sauron. But he's not - Sauron flat-out bested him through the palantiri. So I don't buy Saruman being capable of making an artifact that would buck him up to the point where he would become superior to Sauron.

Milage may vary.