burst
Before my senses, making all things clear.
From him, I learn’d about the other side—
The dark side of the Force, its pow’r immense.
ANAKIN
[ aside: ] What strange and horrid revelation, O!
[ To Palpatine: ] The dark side even is within your view?
PALPATINE
Pray, see with mine eyes if thou’d understand:
One must look deep within the galaxy,
There to unlock its mysteries profound.
Aye, ev’ry aspect one must contemplate,
Not circumscribe oneself by Jedi thought.
If thou a learnèd leader would become,
Thou must have sight to see the Force entire:
For only then shalt thou awaken to
The absolute potential of the Force.
Beware the Jedi, Anakin, who’d see
Thee slumber on, oblivious to this.
The course that heals thy blindness leads through me,
And through the teaching I to thee impart.
Know thou the mighty dark side of the Force
And thou shalt rescue Padmé—thine own wife—
From certain death, the sight thou hast each night
A’plaguing all thine awful, prescient dreams.
ANAKIN
[ aside: ] What are these words, which do mine ears confound?
How can he know of Padmé and my dreams?
PALPATINE
Use thou my knowledge, Anakin, I beg thee.
[Anakin brandishes his lightsaber.
ANAKIN
My vision now is clear: you are the Sith,
The one who would th’Republic overthrow!
PALPATINE
Thy worries and thy troubles I do know.
But listen to me, I’ll reveal the truth:
The Jedi Council plays with thee as if
Thou wert a pawn in their malicious game.
Instead, be thou a knight unto my king,
Take thou the high position due to thee
At my right hand. As long as I’ve watch’d thee,
I’ve seen thee waiting on the perfect move:
Thou searchest for a higher, better life—
No Jedi’s pawn, but fame across the board.
Thou hast thy lightsaber, and thou canst play:
Shalt thou my small life forfeit and make checkmate?
ANAKIN
I may, I can, I would.
PALPATINE
—I feel thy burn,
The passion smoldering inside thine heart,
The anger of a Knight prepar’d to strike:
It gives thee focus, makes thee mightier—
Mayhap for the first time, thou art alive,
Awakening unto a future path.
[Anakin puts down his lightsaber.
ANAKIN
This to the Jedi Council I shall tell,
And let you ply your strategy ’gainst them.
Your punishment they shall devise anon.
PALPATINE
’Tis as I would expect, yet I do sense
Thou art uncertain still of their intent.
ANAKIN
I shall unveil the truth as time allows.
PALPATINE
Thy wisdom doth excel, mine Anakin:
Learn thou the dark side of the Force with me;
Thou shalt untangle Padmé’s knotted fate.
Until then, in my quarters I’ll remain,
That thou may do with me as thou think’st right.
[Exit Palpatine.
ANAKIN
O, wherefore have I sought to know the truth?
Why seek for knowledge when ’tis this I find?
My mentor Palpatine, the hated Sith!
Yet doth he hold the pow’r to vanquish death?
His words do burrow deep into my soul,
His promise seems to me a paragon—
To conquer over one’s impermanence,
To grant my Padmé immortality!
For such as these I’d give the world entire,
Yet shall I join the evil Sith withal?
Nay, Anakin, remember who thou art:
A Jedi noble, train’d by Obi-Wan,
The husband of an honorable lass,
Protector of the strong Republic’s cause.
Shall I trade these for what the Sith doth vow,
Refuse my past and cling to Palpatine?
The man hath been a mentor true and good,
His favor and his care for me I can
No more deny than mine own self. O, heav’ns,
How deeply you at once do touch me! Fie—
Confusion doth o’erwhelm my troubl’d soul,
O’erpowering my judgment by its fog
And turning dark to light, and light to dark.
I shall away and Master Windu tell:
Thus Fate may knit me unto heav’n or hell.
[Exit Anakin.
SCENE 3.
On the planet Utapau.
Enter G ENERAL G RIEVOUS , N UTE G UNRAY , W AT T AMBOR , S HU M AI , S AN H ILL , P OGGLE THE L ESSER, other MEMBERS OF THE C OUNCIL OF S EPARATISTS , and several BATTLE DROIDS and M AGNA G UARDS .
GRIEVOUS
But little time shall pass, and we shall
Before my senses, making all things clear.
From him, I learn’d about the other side—
The dark side of the Force, its pow’r immense.
ANAKIN
[ aside: ] What strange and horrid revelation, O!
[ To Palpatine: ] The dark side even is within your view?
PALPATINE
Pray, see with mine eyes if thou’d understand:
One must look deep within the galaxy,
There to unlock its mysteries profound.
Aye, ev’ry aspect one must contemplate,
Not circumscribe oneself by Jedi thought.
If thou a learnèd leader would become,
Thou must have sight to see the Force entire:
For only then shalt thou awaken to
The absolute potential of the Force.
Beware the Jedi, Anakin, who’d see
Thee slumber on, oblivious to this.
The course that heals thy blindness leads through me,
And through the teaching I to thee impart.
Know thou the mighty dark side of the Force
And thou shalt rescue Padmé—thine own wife—
From certain death, the sight thou hast each night
A’plaguing all thine awful, prescient dreams.
ANAKIN
[ aside: ] What are these words, which do mine ears confound?
How can he know of Padmé and my dreams?
PALPATINE
Use thou my knowledge, Anakin, I beg thee.
[Anakin brandishes his lightsaber.
ANAKIN
My vision now is clear: you are the Sith,
The one who would th’Republic overthrow!
PALPATINE
Thy worries and thy troubles I do know.
But listen to me, I’ll reveal the truth:
The Jedi Council plays with thee as if
Thou wert a pawn in their malicious game.
Instead, be thou a knight unto my king,
Take thou the high position due to thee
At my right hand. As long as I’ve watch’d thee,
I’ve seen thee waiting on the perfect move:
Thou searchest for a higher, better life—
No Jedi’s pawn, but fame across the board.
Thou hast thy lightsaber, and thou canst play:
Shalt thou my small life forfeit and make checkmate?
ANAKIN
I may, I can, I would.
PALPATINE
—I feel thy burn,
The passion smoldering inside thine heart,
The anger of a Knight prepar’d to strike:
It gives thee focus, makes thee mightier—
Mayhap for the first time, thou art alive,
Awakening unto a future path.
[Anakin puts down his lightsaber.
ANAKIN
This to the Jedi Council I shall tell,
And let you ply your strategy ’gainst them.
Your punishment they shall devise anon.
PALPATINE
’Tis as I would expect, yet I do sense
Thou art uncertain still of their intent.
ANAKIN
I shall unveil the truth as time allows.
PALPATINE
Thy wisdom doth excel, mine Anakin:
Learn thou the dark side of the Force with me;
Thou shalt untangle Padmé’s knotted fate.
Until then, in my quarters I’ll remain,
That thou may do with me as thou think’st right.
[Exit Palpatine.
ANAKIN
O, wherefore have I sought to know the truth?
Why seek for knowledge when ’tis this I find?
My mentor Palpatine, the hated Sith!
Yet doth he hold the pow’r to vanquish death?
His words do burrow deep into my soul,
His promise seems to me a paragon—
To conquer over one’s impermanence,
To grant my Padmé immortality!
For such as these I’d give the world entire,
Yet shall I join the evil Sith withal?
Nay, Anakin, remember who thou art:
A Jedi noble, train’d by Obi-Wan,
The husband of an honorable lass,
Protector of the strong Republic’s cause.
Shall I trade these for what the Sith doth vow,
Refuse my past and cling to Palpatine?
The man hath been a mentor true and good,
His favor and his care for me I can
No more deny than mine own self. O, heav’ns,
How deeply you at once do touch me! Fie—
Confusion doth o’erwhelm my troubl’d soul,
O’erpowering my judgment by its fog
And turning dark to light, and light to dark.
I shall away and Master Windu tell:
Thus Fate may knit me unto heav’n or hell.
[Exit Anakin.
SCENE 3.
On the planet Utapau.
Enter G ENERAL G RIEVOUS , N UTE G UNRAY , W AT T AMBOR , S HU M AI , S AN H ILL , P OGGLE THE L ESSER, other MEMBERS OF THE C OUNCIL OF S EPARATISTS , and several BATTLE DROIDS and M AGNA G UARDS .
GRIEVOUS
But little time shall pass, and we shall
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