#*obi wan

Okay, so I’m going to lay out just what Greek tragedy is according to Aristotle’s Poetics.

Greek Tragedy - according to Aristotle

3 unities

Time (story takes place without any large time skips (differs from Shakespeare, which can span over weeks/months or perhaps longer)

Place (story takes place in one main location)

Action (hero/story is driven by one goal)

Complex plot - Aristotle called this the “perfect plot”, and it contains:

Point of Recognition (Anagnorisis) - protagonist goes from ignorance to knowledge of their own flaws

Reversal of Fortune (Peripeteia) - opposite of what protagonist hoped for takes place

Scene of Suffering - destructive/painful action occurs on stage (Note that the protagonist does NOT die in a Greek tragedy)

Ideal Protagonist

Goodness - motivated to do what is right

True to life - flawed; believable in nature (Note that hubris is often the main flaw found in heroes of Greek tragedies)

True to type - appropriate behaviour for role

Consistent - do not sway from focus - stay on task

Hero of higher status - (Propriety - hero has high position and commands respect)

Catharsis - Purifying/purging of emotions through art. With catharsis, the spectator will see the fall of the hero and learn to avoid the same fate, and they will feel fear and pity, thus resolving their own emotions

Those are the main points, but here are some other things I’ve noted:

-Mimesis - Greek for “imitation”. According to Aristotle, tragedy is an imitation of action of life

-Looks at suffering and misery unflinchingly

-Universal themes (relationship difficulties, undeserved suffering, difficult decisions, etc.)

-Good people making bad decisions

-Unfair world

-Problems caused by character’s actions

-Often contains death and resulting emotions

-6 elements of Greek tragedy - stated by level of importance

Plot (Aristotle called it the “soul of tragedy”. Spectators get to know people through what they do - a person’s actions display their character)

Character

Diction (word choice)

Thought (Theme)

Spectacle (scenic effect - physical change)

Song (chorus in Greek tragedy - not important to ROTS)

Finally, I’d like to note one main difference I learned that set apart Aristotle’s and A.C. Bradley’s analysis of tragic heroes, which I thought was super interesting when I was comparing ROTS to a tragedy.

A.C. Bradley firmly states his belief in hamartia, or the hero’s tragic flaw, which causes their downfall. Aristotle, however, believes that the hero’s flaws do NOT cause their downfall.

Aristotle is firm in that tragic heroes must have flaws, because he believed the protagonist must be someone that the audience could relate to and see themselves in. He believes that it is not the protagonist’s flaws that cause their downfall, but rather that their downfall is unchangeable, a result of fate. There is a prophecy or destiny that the hero tries desperately to avoid, but is unable to. Indeed, their determination to avoid fate will be what causes it to occur.

Now, how many of these characteristics does Anakin (and Revenge of the Sith) fit? An awful lot of them.

Does ROTS fit the three unities? Yes.

Time - ROTS takes place over a couple consecutive days (I don’t remember how many lol). This is somewhat conflicting with Oedipus Rex, which takes place in one day, but it is still one united time period

Place - Entire main plot takes place on Coruscant. Side plot occurs on other planets, but Anakin’s journey is on Coruscant

Action - what goal/action is Anakin driven by throughout Revenge of the Sith? Saving Padme. To some extent you could argue that protecting Palpatine is another goal of Anakin’s that doesn’t change, but truly, saving Padme from death in childbirth is what propels all of Anakin’s actions. The first thing he does when he wakes in his suit is ask about Padme’s well-being!

Is ROTS a Complex Plot? Yes.

Point of Recognition - I like to say that Anakin’s point of recognition occurs when he is waiting in the Council Room. There’s so much beauty to the strange connection between him and Padme in that moment, and the single tear he sheds as he realizes that he is about to disobey Mace and seek out Sidious’ help, all in order to save Padme. This point could also occur on Mustafar after Anakin (Vader I guess) killed all of the Separatist leaders. He cries again, and it seems as if he’s realized just what he’s become.

Reversal of Fortune - At the beginning of ROTS, Anakin is a strong, powerful, and somewhat wise jedi, with a best friend/brother and a wife who loves him. He kills Dooku and rescues the Chancellor, and learns that Padme is pregnant. The war is nearing its end, and Anakin seems to be well on his way to achieving everything. By the end of the movie, Vader has practically nothing. Padme is dead, Obi-Wan is gone, and Vader is the the villain rather than the hero.

Scene of Suffering - This must be the immolation scene. Anakin burns on the banks of Mustafar, having lost all of his flesh limbs in a fight with his former Master. The sight of him burning, eyes yellow with hatred and filled with pain, with Obi-Wan standing above him watching, hurt and despairing, feels like the end of the movie. Every event after this scene feels almost like a coda, wrapping up loose ends and establishing the catharsis elements of the movie. The immolation scene occurs “on-stage”, and the audience is forced to witness Anakin’s extreme suffering, filled with pity and fear.

Is Anakin an Ideal Protagonist? Yes.

Goodness - Anakin is a genuinely good person, motivated to do the right thing. In the opening sequence, Anakin wants to go back to help Oddball and the other fighter pilots because they are in need, even though it goes against his mission. He regrets killing Dooku in the thrill of the moment, rather than giving him a trial. He tells Mace that Palpatine is the Sith Lord, even though he has been told that Palpatine is his only hope to save Padme.

True to life - Anakin is a flawed, believable character. He is arrogant, selfish, and greedy. All of these flaws are fitting for his life experiences. He grew up as a slave, and as a result is incapable of letting go of the things he loves. He is the Chosen One, and extremely powerful, and as a result he boasts about his abilities, believing that he should be a Master because he is strong. He is unable to handle rejection.

True to type - He is a Jedi, and the Chosen One, and he acts accordingly. He is not meek or unsure, but confident and brash. He attempts to make wise choices as a Jedi would.

Consistent - Anakin has one goal: to save the people he loves. He remains consistent to this throughout the movie. He consistently works to discover how to save Padme from his visions.

Does ROTS fit the other elements of a Greek Tragedy?

Anakin is also a person of higher status (Jedi General, friend to the Chancellor of the Republic, etc.)

Catharsis is a huge element of Revenge of the Sith, making it fit the idea of a tragedy even more. The audience watches Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side, his submission to his own flaws, and feel pity and fear. The audience tries to understand where Anakin went wrong, and swear to not make similar mistakes. Anakin was unable to follow the tenets of the Jedi Order: to let go of his fear and anger, to be humble, to allow attachments to pass out of his life, to accept the natural order of things. Instead, he tried to change fate and fight destiny, and he failed.

ROTS is an imitation of life because of the underlying themes of the stories. George Lucas was attempting to convey the importance of the principles followed by the Jedi, the principles that Anakin failed to understand.

ROTS looks at misery unflinchingly. The audience witnesses the massacre of an entire religious order, and the suffering of every character: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, Yoda, etc. There is no attempt to cushion the pain that resulted from Anakin’s fall and the subsequent fall of the Republic.

The three universal themes I listed (relationship difficulties, undeserved suffering, difficult decisions) are all portrayed in ROTS. Anakin and Padme fight through lack of communication, hidden affection etc. The Jedi face undeserved suffering (war, corruption, and ultimately death) due to Palpatine’s manipulations. Anakin faces many difficult decisions (as do Obi-Wan, Padme, Yoda, Bail, etc.) which drive the plot forward and reveal his character (vices and virtues).

ROTS is basically a story about good people making bad decisions. The Jedi fall victim to corruption and war, and begin to forget their beliefs. Obviously the main example of a good person making bad decisions is Anakin, which is fitting because this concept mostly applies to the tragic hero. I covered his goodness in the ideal protagonist section, so I won’t really elaorate. I’d like to note that I do firmly believe Anakin is a good person, but that he falls victim to the circumstances, fate, Palpatine’s manipulations, and his own vices. 

The Republic under Palpatine’s rule is definitely an unfair world, where the Chancellor is actively working to destroy the jedi and to turn Anakin to the dark side. This is not a world where good decision-making solves all problems, because there is a large power actively working against everyone. The Jedi made decisions as best they could with all the information available, and Anakin acted accordingly to how he’d been raised. In a world without Palpatine, there would be no clone army to breach the Jedi’s moral code. In a fair and kind world, Anakin would never have visions of Padme’s death, and would never seek out a way to save her. Indeed, in a fair world there would be no fear of her death at all, and she would be in no danger at all. Maybe, in a fair world, Anakin would have never faced Palpatine’s manipulations, and he would trust Obi-Wan and the other Jedi to help him save Padme. What-ifs are useless, but it is clear that Anakin’s fall occurs in an unfair world.

Anakin’s actions cause problems (obviously). Anakin makes an active choice throughout ROTS to keep secrets. He is not honest with Padme about his fears for her, or with Obi-Wan about ambition secret marriage. He kills Dooku, allows Sidious to kill Mace, storms the Temple, chokes Padme, fights Obi-Wan, etc. His actions are fueled by many outside factors, but in the end he does make those decisions.

ROTS contains death and resulting emotions. There is plenty of death and grief in ROTS. It starts with Anakin’s fear in the face of Padme’s potential death. The main aspect of this lies in Order 66 and Padme’s death. The audience watches as the Jedi are brutally killed by the men they trusted and cared for, unknowing that their actions were not their own. We see Yoda’s and Obi-Wan’s shock and grief as they walk through the Temple. Finally, when Padme dies, we see Obi-Wan’s despair. There is death, but it is death with meaning, not just action-packed killing of unnamed henchmen. This is the death of an entire group of people, and the death of a strong, loving woman.

Plot and character are vital to ROTS. It is through the plot of the story that the audience is able to understand Anakin (and the others). If Anakin didn’t face visions of Padme’s death, the confrontation on Mustafar, and the many other huge plot points of the movie, we would never be able to understand his character to such an extent. It is through the action of Anakin that we understand who he is.

Flaw vs. Fate

Now, my favourite part of why ROTS is a Greek tragedy above all else lies with Aristotle and A.C. Bradley. If we were to accept A.C. Bradley’s analysis of Shakespearian tragic heroes and apply it to Anakin, we would have to say that it is Anakin’s flaws that cause his downfall. This would mean that Anakin’s selfishness, arrogance, and greed are what cause the death of the Jedi and Padme and the fall of the Republic. 

Aristotle’s analysis of a Greek tragic hero, on the other hand, acknowledges these flaws as a vital part of an Ideal Protagonist, but actually blames the tragedy of the story on destiny. This would mean that, while Anakin’s flaws do contribute to the end result, it is actually an unchangeable fact that the Republic will fall and the Sith will achieve victory.

I have conflicting thoughts on this.

On one hand, I believe that Anakin’s flaws are a huge aspect of ROTS. It is because of his unwillingness to let Padme go that he actually listens to Palpatine and is willing to serve him. Anakin’s experiences and character are so important to the outcome of the story.

However, fate and prophecy are an unmistakably vital aspect of ROTS. Anakin’s main goal is driven by a vision, much like how Oedipus made so many decisions based on his own prophecy. (I always enjoy the connection between Oedipus and Anakin. Oedipus left his home because he was afraid of killing his father and marrying his mother, but the act of leaving his home is what let those events to come to pass. In the same way, Anakin sought Palpatine’s help, and eventually turned to the Dark Side as a way to prevent Padme’s death as he’d seen in his visions. Yet it was because of his fall to the Dark Side that Padme died, in the end.) In fact, Anakin’s entire journey in hinged on destiny or prophecy. He is believed to be the Chosen One, destined to bring balance to the Force. It is because of this prophecy that he even becomes a Jedi, and it is this prophecy that allows the events of ROTS to occur. Despite the tragedy of Order 66, it is part of Anakin’s journey to bring balance. His actions are beyond his control, written in the stars long before he was born. It was seen in the Mortis Arc of the Clone Wars that Anakin desired to prevent the events of ROTS, and yet when the time actually came such events occured anyways.

So perhaps the events of ROTS only occur because of Anakin’s hamartia, but I believe that Aristotle’s analysis is more fitting here. Anakin wanted to stop the hands of fate, to prevent the death of Padme and the fall of the Republic, but he was unable to do so. His actions to prevent these events actually caused them to occur. Much like how Oedipus attempted to subvert fate, as did Anakin, and yet both tragic heroes found that their destiny was unchangeable. Oedipus discovered the truth of his parentage, and Anakin woke as Darth Vader to find that Padme was dead.

Hope

The most important part of any tragedy is an element of hope. What is the point of all the suffering and pain witnessed by the audience, if they can’t finish the story knowing that it was not needless? The idea of hope is what makes the tragedy worthwhile! It is this element beyond all others that establishes ROTS as a tragedy. After watching Order 66, the Immolation Scene, Padme’s death, we finally watch as Luke and Leia find their new homes, and see the rising suns of Tatooine. The audience knows, even in the face of all this darkness, that the Light Side will persevere, and Anakin will atone, and the Jedi religion will not die. Obi-Wan says in the Jedi Holocron (Rebels) that “a new hope will emerge”, and Obi-Wan and Yoda both know that Luke and Leia are that very hope. They go into hiding and exile not out of defeat, but with the knowledge of two children who will one day save the galaxy. It is this element, the suffering followed by hope, the purging of emotions, that makes Revenge of the Sith a tragedy, and a story to remember.

Final Notes

WOW that was a rant, but I have so many thoughts about this! The concept of a Greek tragedy fit ROTS so perfectly, I can practically imagine George Lucas sitting in a swivel chair plotting how to fit Anakin’s fall to Aristotle’s Poetics.

And it works! Despite its clunky dialogue and overabundance of CGI, ROTS is such a fantastic story because it relies on these tried-and-true methods of storytelling. It’s as if George Lucas realized how well it worked when he used Joseph Campbell’s hero cycle, and so he decided to try his hand with another writing formula.