The other day I read someone commenting somewhere that George Lucas doesn't understand Palpatine, which I thought was a pretty odd thing to say... this statement makes me reconsider that somewhat. But, possibly more than any other character, Palpatine is a symbol. He isn't deeply examined, he's a Machiavellian, totalitarian, sorcerer-dictator. One of the reasons I don't believe there will ever be an origins of Palpatine novel. Lucas was probably thinking more of the archetypes he drew on rather than what we saw on screen.
Ha! A Voldemort quote - I agree with that interpretation of Palpatine's character. I don't think he regards himself as evil; rather he sees himself as extraordinarily clever and other beings as fools. If evil is the best way to gain power than evil it is... I can't imagine he'd believe his own propaganda, since he was the one who essentially manufactured the demand for peace in the first place.
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Date: 2011-05-24 03:07 pm (UTC)Ha! A Voldemort quote - I agree with that interpretation of Palpatine's character. I don't think he regards himself as evil; rather he sees himself as extraordinarily clever and other beings as fools. If evil is the best way to gain power than evil it is... I can't imagine he'd believe his own propaganda, since he was the one who essentially manufactured the demand for peace in the first place.
I'm with Wyn - the text is what matters.