Facing 19 Fingers and One Big Eye

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by alatar

On the other hand, as Saruman had just been humiliated by Gandalf, and as he's already stated that he would accept lesser-than-optimal means to an end, he might become a captain of the East just to get revenge on the hobbits, ents and especially Gandalf.

Oh, but he did exact revenge...in the basest, most meanspirited manner possible (a reflection of how far he had fallen), by becoming the petty dictator of the Shire, Sharky. He says as much to Frodo.