How did nobody notice what 🧙Saruman was up to for so long?

[BalrogRingDestroyer]

Saruman appears to have long turned against Rohan and the Ents and been planning the downfall of Rohan with Grima. It seems that by the point of The Two Towers, I think Gandalf told them outright that Saruman was an enemy after his escape in Fellowship, they were more or less at open war with Isengard, but even then, it seems that Theoden was too unaware that they were in peril to at least try something (somehow I can't see Wormtongue being able to dupe him THAT badly without the help of some dark magic of Saruman's involved as well.) What's more, Treebeard seems to have at least some inkling that Saruman was no longer a good guy to trees and there had already been attacks already, yet it seems that only the arrival of two Hobbits somehow spurred him to action (why were they the catalyst?). Furthermore, from the chapter The Road to Isengard, it seems that Saruman had been giving the valley of Isengard or the Wizard's Vale a nasty makeover for some years now, yet, despite him being a member of the White Council, and, as far as they knew, a friend of both Rohan, the elves, and the Wise, nobody apparently went to Isengard and noticed the oddities until Gandalf himself showed up (and even he seems to have let his guard down enough that he wasn't at all alarmed until the gate close ominously behind him and he saw Saruman's new outfit, and by then it was too late.)

What's more, even Sauron, who knew that Saruman had turned on the West, never seemed to worried enough that Saruman might try and seize the Ring for himself, as he he close to doing, had not Frodo been spooked by Boromir and left just in time to avoid capture like Merry and Pippin were. Had it not been for the evil marring evil (with the Ring's corruption of Boromir actually serving to keep it from risking capture by either the orcs of Isengard or of the Dark Tower) and had it not been for the infighting of the orcs of Mordor, Isengard, and the Misty Mountains, Saruman could have gotten the Ring brought to him, or, if he only captured the two Hobbits, have gotten, more or less, Frodo's likely location out of them (or at least a general place to look, as, thankfully, they weren't the best at geography outside of the Shire and couldn't have told Saruman much even if he could read thier minds or use his voice power on them.) Still, even Sauron seems to have not expected Saruman to raise up his own army either.

So how was it, in the end, that neither Gandalf, Radaghast, Treebeard, Theoden, or even Sauron truly saw what Saruman was up to until much later?

 

[Valandil]

Well... for one, I don't think folks went around visiting one another that often. Unless they were relations. He was able to keep his activities hidden. I don't think he revealed himself - or openly attacked Rohan - until after he had sprung his trap on Gandalf (probably not until long after - I don't believe any attack was imminent even at Gandalf's escape). It's clear that he underestimated the Ents - but the Ents took quite a bit of stirring before they would take action. What they saw from Saruman just continued a long pattern (in their eyes) of what they had seen all around them - on all the border of Fangorn. And... *sigh* no entwives!

 

[Ent]

Thus thinks the Ent. (In other words, here comes some opinion.)

Saruman is a caricature of the 'great deceiver'. His power was in his voice, and his ability to make whatever he said 'seem so wise'. In the end, only Gandalf wasn't fooled. Treebeard himself gave Saruman much information... without even realizing Saruman wasn't giving much of anything in return.

Ent believes this same malady lives with many to this day. We tend to want to be a very trusting people, and there are many who can put on a nice, glittering outward guise. So we continue to trust them... much to our later damage.

Plus, having been made 'head of the council'. given the more feudal attitudes of the time, they would have deferred more naturally than we do today.

As Valandil notes:

I don't think folks went around visiting one another that often.

The nature of 'politics' in Middle-earth is a very feudal system. Each kingdom has entire autonomy to rule itself in the way it sees fit, and each visiting King defers to the local lord. They trust one another to fulfill their agreements to defend their own areas, as well as support others in dire need to the extent they can.

Saruman was given Isengard and the key to Orthanc with promises to defend that area against surprise attack, etc., and he gave no one any reason to think he was not doing that.

Their 'trust' and so leaving one another alone, led them to be totally unaware of his destruction of the lands and preparations for control. (Hard though it may SEEM to us to feel at some point somebody should have at least stumbled across it somehow.)

Treebeard knew Saruman was 'being bad' but even he failed in his vigilance, being under the sway of Saruman's many visits for information, etc., putting on a good face.

Primary bottom line... he used his power to help cover his performance.
And the feudal political system, people's desire to trust, and ability to be easily conned aided that.

 

[Olorgando]

One point about the specific relationship between Rohan and Isengard: When the Rohirrim were given Calenardhon and settled there in 2510 Third Age, this specifically excluded Isengard. It wasn't after the Long Winter of 2758-59, which ended the first line of Rohan's kings with Helm Hammerhand, that Saruman moved into Isengard, having been given its keys by the then Steward of Gondor, Beren (ruled 2743-63). Saruman was welcomed, as the Rohirrim had suffered more and were slower to recover from the battles fought at the time. I would guess the only one from Rohan (or anywhere else) paying visits to Isengard at the time of the Ring-quest was Gríma Wormtongue.
The Ents are a different matter. But as shepherds, they may not have been inclined to offensive action. There weren't all that many for the considerable expanse of Fangorn Forest, and how they communicated (outside of the described Ent-moot) is unclear. Perhaps somewhat like Gwaihir's eagles, they did not involve themselves in the affairs of others - except when an existential crisis erupted. And of course, they are not "hasty" - another thing PJ got all wrong.

 

[MightyMartian]

So how was it, in the end, that neither Gandalf, Radaghast, Treebeard, Theoden, or even Sauron truly saw what Saruman was up to until much later?

Gandalf does seem to be a little hesitant about Saruman. When discussing how he learned that Bilbo's ring was the Ruling Ring in The Shadow of the Past, he mentions Saruman:

'I might perhaps have consulted Saruman the White, but something always held me back'

A little further he adds:

'Hobbits, are, or were, no concern of his [Saruman]. Yet he is great among the Wise. He is the chief of my order and the head of the Council. His knowledge is deep, but his pride has grown with it, and he takes ill any meddling. The lore of the Elven-rings, great and small, is his province. He has long studied it, seeking the lost secrets of their making; but when the Rings were debated in the Council, all that he would reveal to us of his ring-lore told against my fears.'

There's some pretty strong foreshadowing here that something isn't right in Isengard; that Gandalf's intuition, even if he can't quite explain why, prevented him from discussing the matter of Bilbo's ring with Saruman.

As to Treebeard, he clearly has known for some time that something was wrong in Isengard, but his warning to Merry and Pippin about interfering in the affairs of Wizards was probably advice he took himself. He would not have viewed it as his place to intervene, and indeed, it was only the news that Merry and Pippin reported that finally convinced Treebeard that Saruman had turned traitor.

As to Sauron, honestly, I doubt he was ever actually fooled by Saruman. To some extent he already exerted considerable control over Saruman, and when Pippin looks into the Palantir, and Sauron sees him, Pippin is ordered to give Saruman a message that "It is not for him". In other words, Sauron felt pretty confident that if Saruman had found the Ruling Ring, that he could wrest it from Saruman. In fact, I'd argue the only person that probably was not fooled by Saruman's arming Isengard and building his own army was Sauron. Of all Sauron's opponents and competitors, Saruman's motives were the ones that Sauron would have understood; that Saruman wanted the Ruling Ring for himself to make himself a Power to replace or control Sauron. In the end it was Saruman who was ensnared, and willingly or unwillingly, had become a servant and imitator of Barad-dûr.

Saruman may have believed he was playing a game of double treachery, but that Sauron felt confident enough that the Ring could be wrested from him suggests Saruman was already a lieutenant, if not a terribly trustworthy or even very competent one.

 

[Ent]

'I might perhaps have consulted Saruman the White, but something always held me back'

Indeed, it's good to remember:
1) - Saruman was not everyone's first choice for head of the council..!
2) - Cirdan certainly trusted Gandalf more than Saruman, and thus chose Gandalf to bear the ring.
3) - Gandalf was the only one of the 5 directly chosen by Eru himself, rather than by Gandalf's primary Valar, Manwe.
4) - No doubt Saruman, in keeping the white council allayed in their concerns, was exercising the power of his voice.
5) - as noted above, Gandalf certainly recognized Saruman's growing pride and 'ill taking of meddling'.

And, if one considers what Saruman's 'charge' from the Valar was regarding his role to M-e, clearly holing himself up in Isengard was not in line with 'helping the free peoples of M-e'.

The two blue wizards had vanished east, Saruman with them, and they never returned (though he did.) Radaghast had thrown over his charge by falling in love with the animals, which is no surprise since he was chosen by Yavanna, lover of all things that grew, the olvar and kelvar.

Indeed Gandalf had plenty of reason to have 'something hold him back' about coming forward to Saruman.
Only Saruman's POSITION brought Gandalf to him at all... as 'head of the order'.