Don't you dare touch Kurumo! He's not a coward; he's just confused. He started his journey as a protégé of Manwë, the greatest mage, and spent years studying Sauron. But – "if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you" (Nietzsche). A bit pompous, but fitting. Later, he wanted more power to overthrow Sauron and establish a kingdom of Light in Middle-earth. He decided to act in the way he had the most success – through intrigue and espionage. And then, things escalated. He realized that you can't go far on pure light alone (a rare and truly sensible thought). Playing against both the White Council and Sauron, he finds success. The turning point in his life, leading to his downfall, was the creation of Uruk-hai and the transition to the "production system" of Isengard. Realizing that neither the forces of light nor darkness would follow him, he creates his own people. By the way, his Uruk-hai are more reminiscent of D&D half-orcs than Middle-earth orcs. Think of Uglúk's squad, serving Saruman not out of fear, but out of conviction. But even then, his forces are tainted; he slowly goes mad, similar to Denethor, and it becomes easier for Sauron to interfere with his plans. And in the end, he's a half-mad sorcerer, driven by a thirst for revenge. So, he didn't betray the light out of cowardice, but out of "the best intentions," and he didn't betray the darkness because he wasn't serving it. I meant that he's the most interesting character in that he goes through many different personalities throughout the book (from a great thinker and ruler to a madman), sometimes combining them. And he was also portrayed brilliantly in the movie! ;) I might have written a bit too much, but that's okay.