Star Words: Episode III, Part 24

[matril]

It seems that Anakin believes he has passed the point of no return. The stumbling backward, dropping his weapon; that anguished cry of "What have I done!" And when Palpatine offers an answer, he snatches at it in desperation and despair. His turn to the Dark Side does not start with a wild rampage of violence. That comes later. It starts with a quiet, defeated man who thinks he has nowhere else to go.

"I will do whatever you ask."

When has Anakin said this before? Ah, yes. In Episode II, during the fireplace scene on Naboo. To Padmé. And in his mind, it's all the same promise. He would do whatever is required to win her love, and he would do whatever is required to protect her. He will pay any price, because the alternative is unthinkable. He must have her. He can't lose her.

"Just help me save Padmé's life. I can't live without her." He truly believes this. He has no idea how to deal with loss and heartbreak. There is still a hole in his heart from the moment when his mother died in his arms, and if he hasn't found healing for that, there's no way he can find it if Padmé dies. But Anakin, you poor misguided soul, this very determination to pay any price is the surest way to lose Padmé, not to death but to betrayal. (Well, and also death, but it's all very symbolic and metaphorical). And when he does lose her, you could say that Anakin really does die, leaving nothing but a Sith Lord with a hollow heart. Wow, it's just so perfectly, poetically devastating. I'm sad.

In any case, let's learn from Anakin's mistakes and never, ever make a deal with the devil. It's not worth it. It's never worth it.

Next, the aftermath of Order 66....

Comments

[krpalmer]

I've noticed the "dropping his weapon" at a moment when attention might be distracted elsewhere, and have thought it significant in stretching out the moment Anakin is hanging in the balance. Palpatine's response to "What have I done?" is "You are fulfilling your destiny," and that has a dark weight to it too (although I suppose we can ponder to what extent Anakin has found out the "just in case" discussions of the Jedi about "the prophecy.") I did once notice some halfway hopeful discussion of "I pledge myself to your teachings," wondering if this could be taken as "something less than utter commitment and surrender to the person himself, for the moment anyway."