By the time The Lord of the Rings begins, Saruman's plot to betray the White Council has been in motion for some time. Originally sent by the Valar to guide the Free Peoples of Middle-earth toward defeating Sauron, Saruman ultimately decided it would be better to join the Dark Lord's quest for dominance instead.

Of course, Saruman's true designs ran deeper, and the wizard planned to stab Sauron in the back just as he had the White Council. In Saruman's mind, the endgame was to replace Sauron and rule over Middle-earth using the One Ring . Gandalf learned the truth in The Fellowship of the Ring , but The Lord of the Rings never says precisely when Saruman turned from Middle-earth's White Ranger to a would-be tyrant in the shadows.

The Seeds Of Saruman's Betrayal Were Planted

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