A Tangled Web of Deception--The Prequels

Originally posted on May 31, 2006

 I'm tired of all this deception...I don't care if they know that we're married. Anakin to Padmé, ROTS

Anakin...don't say things like that. Padmé to Anakin, ROTS

I've been thinking about the theme of deception that carries the PT from beginning to end, and not as a "response" to anyone's blog entry in particular. I was thinking about this over the past week, but could not get my thoughts in line enough to form a "decent" entry. However, that "writer's block" has been lifted, and here we are. From the beginning of TPM a wide array of deception envelops the galaxy, from the upper levels of the government downward. This deception becomes more involved and intricate as the PT evolves, ending with the "creation" of the First Galactic Empire and of Darth Vader and with the rise of the Sith. The deception so rampant in the PT does not end at the conclusion of ROTS, however...it continues throughout the OT as well, "hitting" its climax in ESB and spiraling from there, but that is for another entry.

Warning: This is a long one (and primarily a summary of "themes)

The Phantom Menace-Dark Forces Plotting...Rising

At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we shall have revenge. Darth Maul

This line essentially sums up the main point of deception of TPM-the rise of the Sith. The Trade Federation blockade of Naboo was orchestrated by the Sith as a way to gain more control over the galaxy and instill the feeling of mistrust in the Senate's ability to negotiate and "work" for the people. Queen Amidala escapes the blockade with a Royal crew and two Jedi Knights sent to negotiate a settlement with the Trade Federation. She eventually arrives on Coruscant, where Senator Palpatine convinces her to suggest a vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership if a decision regarding the invasion cannot be reached without going to committee. The ultimate plan here is for Palpatine to be nominated for and elected as the Supreme Chancellor, the next step toward total Galactic domination.

In a detour on the way to Coruscant, the escapees from Naboo landed on Tatooine, a remote planed in the Outer Rim out of control of the Trade Federation. Here, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Queen Amidala (dressed as a handmaiden) meet Anakin Skywalker, a young slave boy. Qui-Gon senses the Force within young Skywalker, and takes it upon himself to help "win" his freedom from slavery. To do this, Qui-Gon deceived Watto, Anakin's "master," into entering Anakin in the Boonta Eve pod-race, primarily under the guise of obtaining the parts required to repair the Royal cruiser. He then influenced the chance cube into making Anakin the one who will be freed upon Anakin winning the race. Sidious sends Darth Maul to find and kill the Jedi and to force Queen Amidala back to Naboo to sign the Trade Federation's treaty. He successfully killed Qui-Gon on Naboo, but made a fatal error with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon's padawan. Obi-Wan promised a dying Qui-Gon that he will train Anakin, for he is the assumed Chosen One. Obi-Wan convinced Master Yoda to allow him to train Anakin, despite reservations by both Jedi regarding this matter: Great danger I fear in his training (Yoda to Obi-Wan). It is after the defeat of Darth Maul and the destruction of the Trade Federation control ship that now Chancellor Palpatine meets Anakin, saying as for you young Skywalker...we will watch your career with great interest. Now his sights are set on this young, recently-freed slave boy from Tatooine, as his future apprentice.

Attack of the Clones-Darkness thickens; an army built for one purpose; a Forbidden Love

Master Yoda...Do you think it will really come to war? Palpatine to Yoda
The Dark Side clouds everything. Impossible to see, the future is. Yoda to Palpatine

Here the plot thickens. The Separatists have disrupted negotiations to maintain peace in the galaxy...and are planning to push the Jedi into war. The Separatists are under the influence/guidance of a Sith Lord, Darth Tyranus, a former Jedi. The Senate is now under the control of a Sith Lord, the Master, Darth Sidious. The Jedi are also under the influence of the Sith, although their vision of the future is clouded and they are unable to see this threat. The Sith continue to build mistrust in the current democracy of the Old Republic through the threat of the Separatists and of an impending "war."

In their search for the bounty hunter responsible for the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala, the Jedi, through Obi-Wan, "discover" the creation of a clone army supposedly ordered by the Jedi and Senate. However, as we later discover, this army was essentially "ordered" by the Sith...as part of their plot to overtake the Republic. Now, we all know that Padmé was opposed to the creation of an army for the Republic, but she placed Jar-Jar in charge of making the decisions for her while she was away...a choice which had dire consequences. While discussing the clones with the Loyalist Committee, Palpatine and his aides suggested that someone make the suggestion to grant the Chancellor emergency powers to authorize the creation of the Grand Army of the Republic...and this "person" was Jar-Jar. He was so easily manipulated that he had no problem making this suggestion to the Senate, thus granting the Sith Lord even more powers. When confronted with the "truth" about the Sith controlling the Senate, Yoda replies to Obi-Wan: Joined the Dark Side, Dooku has. Lies, deceit, creating mistrust are his ways now.

On the planet of Naboo, young Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala are now alone ten years after meeting. He has now grown and "matured" from a nine-year-old slave boy into a Jedi Padawan nearly ready for Knighthood. She has gone from being Queen of her planet to representing her people in the Senate, a powerful leader in the Republic, a leader some want dead. Anakin has been assigned to protect her from these assassins, but finds himself falling deeper in love with her than ever. She also finds herself falling for him, experiencing feelings she had never experienced before. They fight this temptation, as Padmé appears to have the more level head in this situation: we live in the real world, come back to it...We would be forced to live a lie. Anakin reluctantly agrees: You're right, it would destroy us. When faced with the possibility of death, Padmé confesses her feelings to Anakin, setting in motion the "life of deception" she fought so hard to avoid. As the two secretly wed on Naboo, the Clone War had been declared: the Jedi and galaxy in for the "fight of their lives."

Revenge of the Sith-Darkness envelops the galaxy; a Hero falls; a Forbidden Love is lost

We were deceived by a lie... Obi-Wan to Padmé

This entire film was built on deception...it was the climax of the Prequels in this respect. The Chancellor had been "kidnapped," and Obi-Wan and Anakin were "sent" to free him. Little did anyone know, however, that Palpatine had orchestrated his "kidnapping" himself under the guise of Sidious. He convinced Grievous to take the Chancellor hostage to force negotiations for the end of the war (I'm going by what I remember from LOE and the ROTS novelization). Upon returning to Coruscant, Palpatine continued his duties as Chancellor, continuing to work toward his ultimate goal...convincing Anakin to join him, destroying the Jedi, and controlling the galaxy as Emperor. He tactifully orchestrated Anakin's mistrust in all he loved...Padmé, Obi-Wan, the Jedi...until he "willfully" joined the Dark Side and became a Sith Lord. Anakin and total Galactic domination were the ultimate prize for Palpatine, and he did not care who was hurt along the way. This was the ultimate "revenge" against the Republic and the Jedi, institutions which had stood for combined thousands of years.

Some of Anakin's first words to Padmé upon returning from the Outer Rim Sieges were: I'm tired of all this deception...I don't care if they know that we're married. Padmé responded to this with: Anakin, don't say things like that. She then informs him that she is pregnant and looks to him for guidance: What are we going to do? Later, when Anakin awakens from a nightmare about Padmé, she becomes worried when he doesn't want to discuss it: How long is it going to take us to be honest with each other? In a way, she is tired of the deception...the deception occurring in the Senate, the deception caused by the war, and the deception she senses between them. She wants some honesty in the one thing that feels "normal" to her: her love with Anakin.

As the days pass, more deception occurs not only between Anakin and Padmé but also among Padmé and her colleagues in the Senate. The "seeds of the Rebellion" are planted during this time, and Padmé wants nothing more than to tell Anakin...to discuss this "dilemma" with him. Palpatine knows of this deception in the Senate, and uses Padmé's leadership in this "Rebellion" to convince Anakin that she is not to be trusted and that there are other things occurring in her life that she has not totally been honest about. Of course Anakin "jumps" at this...after all, why would a trusted mentor, a friend, lie to him about this information? However, Anakin's love for Padmé was still so strong as to overcome these "lies," and he wanted nothing else but to save her from his nightmares. Palpatine knows this, and eventually convinces him to join the Dark Side...the only way to save Padmé (according to Palpatine). However, the lies, deceit, and mistrust of the Sith are what cause Anakin to "turn" on Padmé, the one for which he committed those atrocious acts against the Jedi and Separatist leaders, and to become fully enveloped by his hatred that he let go and allowed Darth Vader to overtake him for the next twenty or so years...until his son saves him from this evil.

Now, some may argue that the deception created through the forbidden love between Anakin and Padme' are to blame for Anakin's fall and the demise of the Old Republic. However, as I have discussed here, much more was involved in this "fall:" the rise of Sidious/Palpatine to the upper levels of the Galactic Senate; the formation of the Separatist movement; the declaration of the Clone Wars agains the Separatists; and the rampant deception and mistrust running through the galaxy. Sure, Anakin's love for Padme' eventually led him to turn, but so much more was involved in this, and things ended tragically for our Hero.