Peter A.

Clyde
Comparative Politics
Brett Latimer
Star Wars and the Good Society
This paper is an analysis paper on Star Wars Episode 3, the Revenge of the Sith. I chose
this film mainly because one, the author of this paper is a nerd, and two, Star Wars doesnt just
play in the fantastical powers of the Force and science fiction wonder. The film has human
nature and political content strewn all throughout, and also has some parallel with what
happened in real life in Rome with the rise of Caesar Augustus. Well go over various points of
this, and maybe Star Wars might prove more than just a deep action adventure.
Plot layout.
According to the movie Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith, this particular part
of the Star Wars saga begins in the middle of a civil war. A collation of beings and systems in
the republic have broken off because of grievances with the system of government in place, and
supposed wrongs done to them, and are waging war on the galactic republic. In this war they
fight for political gain, going for a power grab on the remains of the republic. Earlier in the Star
Wars story, to deal with the problem of the separatists, the senate gave emergency powers to
the supreme chancellor. To give the scope of the importance of this Ill briefly explain the
galactic government setup.
The galaxy is run by three entities, one, the senate, made up of representatives from the
star systems in the galaxy. Two, the office of supreme chancellor, an elected person out of the
galactic political body. Then the third entity is the Jedi order, a sort of peace keeping force in the
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galaxy, and council for the galactic republic. This order also has access to the force, the divine
providence of the Star Wars series and are sort of the priests and heroes in the Star Wars
universe. These three groups govern the galaxy and protect it from threat or harm. The
chancellors office and senate dealing with trade and governing matters, and the Jedi being sort
of the police force on serious matters between systems, and other mid-level situations but not
actually policing everywhere.
This was a balanced system until due to various events driven by the antagonist of the
series known as Darth Sidious and the unchecked decay and corruption that can happen in
democracies, the system fell out of balance slowly. Causing squabbles between systems that
grew into real problems that led to the civil war. (Lucas) The real life parallel of this was with
the story of Caesar Augustus and his rise to power. I searched this through Wikipedia and found
other sources. According to these He was made a sort of head, like the supreme chancellor in
Star Wars, and governed with two others, Lepidus, and Antony. ( You could see Lepidus as
Yoda and Antony and the others involved with him as the rest of the Jedi order and others
fighting for the republic besides some main Characters. This will be addressed later.) Then the
senate was there on its own.
These three people formed what was known as the triumvirate. These people used the
senate and military to rule Rome, Lepidus was the head of the priests of Rome, just like how
Yoda was the head of the Jedi. Antony was a big military man, and had a lot of power over
forces of Rome sort of like what some of the main characters were and of people in the republic
were that fought for but later turned against it basically the Jedi order and senators not on the
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main stage all at once. You could put Antony on as Anikin Skywalker, just not as manipulated,
but still driven by passion that proved to be his down fall. Then Caesar is represented by Darth
Sidious, the shadowy antagonist that doesnt come out until know. Posing as a civil servant, he
slowly pulled the strings up until all power was consolidated to him. (Wikipedia) This is exactly
what happened in the Star Wars series.
According to the film, Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine, (Darth
Sidious) was placed be election into power, then using the civil war, playing both sides of the
war as Palpatine for the republic, and Sidious for the separatists, he slowly consolidated power to
himself. Using his power he also created an army of the republic, not only to keep the war
going, and the republic safe, but also to snuff the Jedi eventually in the end. Finally in the end he
ousted those who stood in his way, i.e. the Jedi order, the separatists, and the senate eventually
after episode 3. Slowly turning the republic into a galactic empire, to make a safe and secure
society in Darth Sidious words.
Meanwhile this film brilliantly plays out days of our lives with the Jedi to insert some
humor. One of the main characters known as Anikin Skywalker, a Jedi, is married and has a wife
with babies on the way. This is a not allowed by the Jedi order when it comes to jedi at this time,
apparently its against the Jedi code to be married; but because they love each other and
developed a relationship in the episode before this one, Star Wars Episode 2 Attack of the
Clones. They are secretly married, hiding their relationship from everybody, causing pressure,
anxiety and desperation in Anikin, letting out human nature partly within the story because he
sees the future of his wife, which is her dying in childbirth.
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He wants to stop this and so turns in desperation to the dark side of the force, or the
malicious, self-serving abilities offered by the force, and begins to transform into Darth Vader,
snuffing out most of the Jedi order and even going as far as killing the young new recruits of the
Jedi. He also kills his wife in the process because he gives in to these malicious tendencies. This
being a show of human nature, and terrifying love because he offers to make her queen of the
galaxy before he kills her for not accepting the offer. Though also it is a show of higher love
because he initially does it to keep her safe and alive. All the meanwhile His wifes position has
always been for the betterment of the galaxy, not personal gain, another show of higher love.
All of this plays out as well with Obi-Wan Kenobi, being Anikins teacher he is close to
him and considers him a brother, but because of Anikins turn to the dark side, or his caving to
his frailties as a human and using his human nature; and the ideals conflict that is the same as
Anikins and his wifes conflict. Obi-Wan ends up in a fight with Anikin, and maims him to the
point that Anikin must wear a suit that we all know, and is fully turned into Darth Vader.
On the political front, Yoda after fighting for the republic is nearly snuffed by what is
known as order 66, a pre-learned order programmed into the soldiers of the army of the republic
to kill any Jedi that Vader cant reach. But he survives and confronts Sidious in one final battle
to try and restore the republic from tyranny. But Yodas a little old, and is unable to defeat Darth
Sidious. So he escapes the confrontation, and exiles himself because of his utter failure to protect
the republic.


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Then back to the human nature front, Before Anikins wife dies, she gives birth to the
babies she was carrying. Who are known as Luke and Liea, Setting up the stage for the next Star
Wars movie. (Lucas) As the Galaxy turns
Human Nature aspects of the Movie
There are many human nature aspects, for the film. This section of the paper will show
just a few. First well hit narrow self-interest, the big blatant one is the civil war happening, the
separatist systems wanted a better deal than what they had, they felt short changed. So up in arms
they went, having their ambitions fanned by Darth Sidious. Darth Sidious himself is wanting
power and to rule. Then Anikin only cares for his wife at first with the attitude of forget the
galaxy and everything else, I do it for you. Then hes corrupted by power and wants to rule as
well.
Some enlightened self-interest is shown by Padme, Obi-Wan and the Jedi Order. These
also seek for power and gain over the separatists and the antagonists but its not for them alone,
they want to better the situation of everyone not just those whom the care about. Padme wants
democracy; Obi-Wan and the Jedi want democracy and peace through the galaxy. So the Jedi
lead the fight in the battle fronts while Padme runs around in the government rallying support for
the republic and eventually starting the formation of the rebellion that shows up in the later
Star Wars movies as she sees the Empire form.
There are also some terms of virtue that pop with all of this as well. The big one is the
differences between the Jedi and Sith. The Sith at this time being Sidious and Vader, but the
organization has been around the Star Wars universe for a long time, if youve read the other
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books and watched the other movies. They are essentially self-serving, and want to rule the
galaxy but are often coupled with the idea of peace by controlling everything essentially a
totalitarian regime. Verses the Jedi who have a more gentle approach of let people do their thing.
But watch for the creeping in of corruption and work to stop it. So theyre governing but
watching and stomping anything that threatens the freedom they see as fit for the galaxy,
essentially a normal government. They are also coupled with being benign, and only caring for
others for the most part, with very little deviation.
These two factions are almost the same in everything save their motives, and both
through this film and other media are trying to enforce their small g on the other and the
galaxy. All the meanwhile both have elements of the greater good or big G woven into them.
Both want peace and both appeal to the force in different ways in order to try to reach it with
varying success.
Another aspect of human nature in this is that sometimes we think our view of things is
better than other peoples, and often we try to enforce it on others. This is blatant in the fight
between anikin and Obi-wan. Anikin fights Obi-Wan out of not being on Anikins side.
The good and the good society reflected in Star Wars.
Interestingly, the universal truth reflected in Star Wars is that the will of the force will
prevail, there is a prophecy in the story that balance in the force would be restored by a chosen
one, which is Anikin, though he seems a failure because he actually wrecks the balance at first.
But it is restored later by his son Luke, who brings about the balance by throwing a wrench in
Darth Sidious plans and bringing Anikin back from the Dark side. So in a roundabout way, by
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fathering Luke Anikin did fulfill his role and as promised, and balance was restored for the
assumed good. Though if you look at it deeper balance was not in one side or the other of the
force the galaxy was stagnant under the Jedi so Anikin was caused to overthrew them, then it
went stagnant under the empire of the Sith, so He helped oust the Emperor, then handed the job
to Luke. So in reality it wasnt one or the other side of the force in Star Wars, it was both. Both
Light, and Dark sides were needed. To achieve the good or big G wanted by the force in the end.
Also on the political side of this there is an assumption of better forms of government in
the sense of there was a republic but its in ability to work was taken and thrown against it, and
shifted to an empire. Then People didnt like that, and so they started rebelling and eventually
with help from within from Vader took out the empire but you never see what takes the empires
place in the movies, but it is leaned towards a Republic again showing a bias for democracy and
a republic.
Also this swinging between authoritarian governments and democracies shows a bit in
our society. Right know in 2014 in may we are seeing a shift where people are seemingly sliding
for government in our lives. If we dont watch were going to be on this pendulum that Star
Wars has, from republic to dictatorship back almost to republic again, Id rather we be firmly in
on or the other because this swinging often causes great upheaval.



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Accuracies and Hollywood puff
This film is based in a fake universe but brings great eye opening moments it shows that
we need to watch in the shadows of our own selves and organizations for double players ad
corruption, in Star wars one man was able to play both sides, commit genocide, and consolidate
power all to himself, all because he was smart and able to play the game. H threw an entire
government of a galaxy over with just a few people interacting with him. We see a little today of
that today, but not only with just a handful players but a whole host. We see the ideals of people
working pushing one idea or the other around manipulating sides by doing certain things to
provoke them and then they use that reaction again to push ideas and repeat, pushing more and
more power themselves in the process. Then all the players and people are fake and the tech and
places and things all puff. But still the ideals are very, very, real.
Biases
The political bias is leaned towards the republic and freedom; you want the Jedi to win
and the republic to win, but not the head not Sidious, or Vader. But this film is a connector
movie, and needed to go to where the Empire is in swing death star working and full tyranny. So
the heroes do lose, but they survive, thats the hope. Theres a kernel of hope from Luke and
Liea and Obi-Wan and Yoda living and helping the good side win in the long run. Giving the
bias of good will always win and a republic will prevail, even if the baddy is on the upper hand
the rebellion will still be up, and a republic that is better will come.
Then the filming bias is that all the force users and those related are important. Theyre
depicted as great and noble even the antagonist is epic. Verses the senators, they leave out a lot
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of whats going on with the senate and only show a few senators of that group and the senate is
barely mentioned in the next chronological film A New Hope. But we forget that the
governing body is the rest of the universes access to the heroes actions. And the upheavals
caused by the big players rolls through and effects the galaxy.
Opinion
Over all I liked the film, it answered and tied together all the films 99% of the way. Over
all it speaks to me to watch for corruption. Though it had too much of a different modern feel to
do a really good connection to the older films. I also think it helps us pursue the good society
better because it can show what can go wrong in government and what we need to look for and
how fragile our democracies and republics really are.









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Works Cited
"Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus." 2014. The Biography.com website. May 06 2014
http://www.biography.com/people/caesar-augustus-39561.
Wikipedia website gate way research- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus
Lead to
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/home.html by Cassius Dio
referenced 5/6/14
Google Search, Caesar
https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&site=&source=hp&q=caesar+augustus&oq=caesar
&gs_l=hp.3.9.0l7j0i10j0l2.2584.8558.0.13766.6.6.0.0.0.0.229.1106.0j5j1.6.0....0...1c.1.42.hp..0.
6.1100.aCbbI7t2BUQ
Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith by George Lucas released 2005.