Star Words: Episode VI, Part 39

[matril]

Back in the throne room, the Emperor continues to taunt Luke. His ploy is a very curious one. Not only does he acknowledge that Luke wants to destroy him, he fully encourages it. This is the pernicious nature of the Dark Side. Anger and hatred, even directed toward an agent of evil, will serve the Dark Side's purpose. The Emperor delights in Luke's hate, and urges him to take up his weapon.

"Take your Jedi weapon. Use it! I am unarmed."

Unarmed. A cruelly ironic phrase. Palpatine doesn't bear a physical weapon (oh, we could mention his zappy powers, but that's not the point here) yet he is anything but helpless. He wields the full might of the Dark Side in all its nasty power. Could he kill Luke? Probably. Through Vader's arm if nothing else. But much more importantly, he carries a power that threatens Luke's soul. His spiritual assaults are more horrifying than any physical prowess. He needs no lightsaber or electricity to attack his foes. Only the words of despair and devastation.

For the moment, Luke resists. The Emperor is confident that he will inevitably succumb. It's important that we see this as a valid, genuine possibility. The near-inevitability is what makes the glorious reversal so euphoric. We must experience the agonizing tension almost to the breaking point.

Next time, more irony....

Comments

[krpalmer]

There does seem a lot to consider about this line. As you mentioned near the start, the Emperor is further establishing the "what's a dangerous use of the Force?" dilemma (although pushing a hero's answer to either extreme can seem equally unsatisfying to me). So far as a "curious" ploy goes, there's the thought "the Emperor is certain his death at Luke's hands will doom Luke and sustain the Sith, and he's therefore ready to die happy," there's the thought "the Emperor knows Vader isn't certain he can get Luke to stay on the Dark Side alone, and is ready to get a kick out of his apprentice saving a master he'd rather see dead," and then there were those two third-party theories separated by years where the Emperor can bring himself back to life until all of a sudden he can't for the "real" conclusion...