“No Luke, I am your father!” That iconic line changed the whole story to the Star Wars saga. It was no longer a good versus evil scenario, it had become a fight between father and son. Some could argue that the Star Wars saga reflects classic Greek tragedies. The heart of Star Wars is family; Luke and Leia are brother and sister, Darth Vader their benevolent father spreading evil across all across the galaxy. If that doesn’t sound like a Greek tragedy then what does?
In Star Wars: The Phantom Menace we’re introduced to Darth Vader as a young boy, except he isn’t by any means a bad boy or a trouble-maker. Instead, he is a wannabe pilot with close friends, a job and a loving mother. It is here though that his descent to madness and evil begins. Over the course of the prequel trilogy, we see Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi teach and train Anakin to be the best he can possibly be, the problem is that there is a prophecy of a Jedi that will bring peace to the galaxy. Is Anakin that peace bringer? If you’ve seen Star Wars then you know what happens next.
Chancellor, and soon-to-be Emperor, Palpatine manipulates Anakin’s feelings and emotions, further reinforcing that Star Wars is essentially a Greek tragedy, and succeeds in turning Anakin against the Jedi Order. With Anakin’s descent complete he is transformed into the villainous Darth Vader, as christened by Palpatine. With this George Lucas has given one of the most terrifying villains ever, on the big screen, a human and tragic backstory.
Back to the original trilogy where we learn that Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa are the children of Darth Vader. Throughout Star Wars: A New Hope we have the simple quest of the Rebel Alliance attacking the Empire by destroying the Death Star, a moon-sized weapon of mass destruction. This simple quest is in fact Luke’s first steps in becoming a hero. He’s a farm-boy, a no-one from a lonely existence of solitude to a fighter and warrior working for the Rebel Alliance. He’s naivety soon transforms to curiosity, and from curiosity, he learns humility. This path proves that Luke Skywalker is in fact our chosen one, not Anakin Skywalker.
Thus the story reaches its natural conclusion in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. After the epic battle in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Luke forges his own lightsaber, giving himself his own identity. He’s become more serene, more aware of the larger picture and the stakes that are against him. Obi-Wan Kenobi, a mentor and a father figure to Luke, urges him to stand against his father and bring peace to the galaxy once more. Spoilers ahead, Luke succeeds.
At the beginning of the blog, I mentioned that Star Wars is like a Greek Tragedy, and you can see why. In Ancient Greece, Gods were tyrannical, corruptible and not trusting. Their motives not fully seen by the people who worshipped them. Palpatine could be considered a God, he corrupted Anakin Skywalker and tried to convert Luke Skywalker too. But it was the father and son bond between Anakin and Luke that saved the galaxy because it doesn’t matter how evil someone is, they can always be redeemed.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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