How Anakin Skywalker became a tragic hero

 

Anakin Skywalker - also known as Darth Vader is a popular character who embraces the archetype of a tragic hero. His hamartia caused his downfall. 
George Lucas - director and creator of Star Wars did an incredible job with how he has written Skywalker and shown how greed and hatred can lead to downfall. This essay will explore Anakin's downfall and the concept of a tragic hero.











What is a tragic hero?

In Aristotle's 'Poetics', he suggests that a hero of a tragedy must elicit 'a sense of pity and fear within the audience'. He stated that "the change of fortune presented must not be the spectacle of a virtuous man brought from prosperity to adversity". Au fond, the focus of the hero should not be the loss of his virtue. He argues that we should feel pity for a character who suffers unfairly due to their own actions. At the same time, we should experience fear when we consider that such misfortune could happen to us in a similar situation. Aristotle explained that such a change of fortune should be from "good to bad" instead of "bad to good". This change of fortune happens to the tragic hero, not because of "depravity or vice" but of an error in judgment, this error is described as hamartia or the fatal flaw. The hero is both highly moral and capable and it is these exact qualities that lead the hero into tragedy. Many of the most famous tragic heroes appear in Greek literature, such as Sophocles and Euripides. Oedipus is a famous example of a tragic hero in Greek mythology. 

Nietzsche's 'The Birth of Tragedy..' presents a unique perspective on tragic heroism. In this work, Nietzsche argues that the tragic hero is a product of two opposing forces: the Apollonian and the Dionysian. The Apollonian side is associated with the Greek god Apollo, who is known for beauty, rationality, and harmony. It represents order, reason, and the individual. The Dionysian side is associated with the Greek god Dionysus, who is the god of wine, revelry, and ecstasy/pleasure.  
Key points from Nietzsche's view include: the hero's downfall is inevitable - they are destined from the start despite their efforts. The audience's experience of the hero's suffering is a form of catharsis. Lastly, the hero represents the human condition, the hero's struggle mirrors the universal experience of suffering and mortality. According to Nietzsche, the tragic hero is a manifestation of the tension between these two forces.

What makes Anakin a tragic hero?

Anakin was gifted, he had many powerful qualities about himself. There was the possibility of Anakin being the chosen one of an ancient Jedi prophecy, who was destined to bring balance to the force. He had exceptional skills with the force and believed he should progress faster in his learning as a padawan, an early sign of his arrogance. Anakin was seen as the hope for the future of the Jedi Order. 
We see Anakin develop from a sweet, intelligent young boy with huge potential and a future ahead of him, to a young man with the same qualities, becoming a stronger and greater Jedi, to a power-hungry tragic hero who seeks more power and more control. This makes his story all the more heartbreaking for the audience as we see the development of his character.

Anakin's fatal flaw was his fear of loss and his greed - his need for more power. His fear of loss and refusal to accept mortality was particular to his wife, Padme Amidala, whom he dreamt would die in childbirth. This fear clouded his judgment and made him susceptible to the dark side of the force. He was lured into the dark side by Chancellor Palpatine (Darth Sidious), who promised him the power to save people from death, including his wife. You can pick up subtle clues throughout all 3 of the prequel movies of this eventual luring in things Palpatine says to Anakin. This foreshadowing is subtle yet very effective.

His hubris was his belief that he could prevent Padme's death, even if it meant defying the Jedi Order. He also believed in his infallibility, often that he was above the rules and his actions were justified. His ambition turned into an overwhelming desire and greed for power, to become the most powerful Jedi and protect those he loved. He also believed the Jedi Order was corrupt (maybe because they didn't give him the rank of master - haha) and that he could do better on his own - he told Padme that they could rule the galaxy together if she joined him. 

The audience experiences a sense of catharsis as they witness Anakin's transformation from hero to villain, the catharsis comes from the realization that even the most noble and righteous individuals can be corrupted by their own flaws.

Anakin also bears resemblance in several scenes, to a painting called 'The Fallen Angel' by Alexandre Cabanel. This painting depicts the devil after his fall from grace and his loss of divine power. The anguished expression of the fallen angel and the way his body is positioned convey the pain and suffering, the landscape behind him representing the dark despair and desolation of his fall.

Anakin's story can also be comparable to the story of Lucifer, the fallen angel - satan. A quote from Ezekiel 28:12–17, "You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty" can be applied to Anakin, whom before his destructive behavior was seen as the chosen one and held great power (and beauty).  
Lucifer was not satisfied with worshipping God and instead, he wanted to be worshipped. This is similar to how Anakin believed the Jedi Order was corrupt and he believed that he could rule the galaxy with his own empire, holding all power and being looked up to.
Lucifer was believed to have once been a beautiful angel ("the star of the morning") but he defied God and fell from grace. He was fallen due to his pride, ("I will make myself most high") he was 'perfect' until unrighteousness was found in him. He was destined from the start to have this fate, just as Anakin was.


"And there is one blazing moment in which you finally understand that there was no dragon. That there was no Vader. That there was only you. Only Anakin Skywalker. That it was all you. Is you. Only you. You did it. It is in this blazing moment that you finally understand the trap of the dark side, the final cruelty of the Sith- Because now your self is all you will ever have. And within your furnace heart, you burn in your own flame. This is how it feels to be Anakin Skywalker...Forever..."

#WordsOftheWild

 The Scottish Wildlife Trust are doing a writing competition where you can write a short story, poem, song lyrics or other creative piece of writing relating to the native wildlife of Scotland. I decided to enter into the Junior section with a short description of a Scottish moor at dawn. While it isn't my absolute best piece of work, it has plenty of descriptions of the setting and some fancy adjectives which make it fairly decent. 

My entry

Over the moor as the vernal mist from the dawn turns to mizzle, the mountain hares bound and fleet. Disturbed from their grazing on heather and sedges, they zig-zag through the moor to the heath towards their serene shelters in the shallow forms. A mother and father lead their leverets to shelter, ushering them into the forms as the early bucolic sun kisses the moorland.  

A shepherd emerges over a hill, herding his sheep onto the verdant moor. The docile lambs are led to patches of lush vegetation by the ewes. As the flock ruminates, the shepherd observantly monitors them. He sets himself down on a stump, taking a moment to rest and to eat. The grouses whirr and whistle, crossbills chirp and sing out into the placid stretch of the moor.

In the loch, a romp of otters slide down the river banks and feed on the perch and pikes. Herons wade through the diaphanous water, hunting for fish and squawking. A symphony of nature's instruments bridge together like the verses of a song, creating a healing balm. The screams of the sliding otters creates a cacophony of noise, but it is soon drowned out by the dancing of the wind in the willow trees and the swishing of its branches. The dendrites of the willow reach over the loch's water like a viridescent blanket. 

As the shepherd leaves the moor and the sheep baa and bleat, the mizzle dies down and the mist returns to envelope the expanse of the moor. Once the disturbance of noise fades and the light shower vanishes, the hares return to the heath to graze on the heather, the delicate and dense flowers sway gently in the soothing spring breeze. The leverets squeak and bound as they nibble on the grass.

The matutinal sun ascends in the sky, bathing the moor in a tepid and tender glow and the creatures begin to amble along the moor.

I wasn't sure what to name it so i settled on quite a basic name, 'the moor at dawn'. It took me some time and the use of a thesaurus to settle on some nice adjectives. I'm quite proud of it though!

The competition closes at midnight on 31st of August 2024, which as i'm writing this, will be tomorrow.

coke, sweet coke

 This afternoon a friend of mine offered me a can of cherry coca-cola which was full sugar, i looked at the calories and sugar content and was mortified. A single can (330ml) is 152kcals, with 39 grams of sugar and a 500ml bottle has 210kcals and 54 grams of sugar!! 

Health risks
 Did you know that one or two cans of coca-cola a day can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes by over 20%? The daily recommended amount of free sugars for an adult in the UK is 30 grams, so if you are consuming a can or several cans of coke a day along with your usual diet, where you may also be consuming free sugars, you'd be over the daily recommended amount. This poses several severe health risks, not just weight gain and sugar addiction, but metabolic syndromes, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, tooth decay and gout. 

So what are the alternatives?
While it isn't necessary to cut soda out of your diet entirely, it is better to cut down and consume alternatives instead. The best alternative is obviously water, it is proven to have many health benefits and will not cause any of the risks mentioned.

Diet and low sugar/calorie drinks are better than full sugar, but less is better. Cutting down gradually from sugary to diet sodas is a good way to go. 
Water is the safest option of them all, and while it seems boring and flavourless it helps the body in many ways. If water seems to boring for you then try adding a slice of lemon or cucumber or maybe some frozen fruit. Non-caloric flavourings also work well. 
green tea or black tea is a healthy alternative to plain water for people who prefer flavoured drinks. Tea doesnt have any calories and green tea contains an antioxidant called EGCG. Caffeine free teas can also be found in stores if you are looking to cut back on caffeine. 
coffee can be calorie free - if you take it without milk or creamer. They can be low calorie if you use skimmed milk or nut milk such as almond milk. You can also find low-caffeine coffees.
fruit/vegetable juice contain plenty of calories but also contain essential nutrients. each portion contains a serving of fruit or veg, allowing you to get 1 of your 5 a day. 

What should be done about the sale of sugary drinks?
Im not afraid to say that i think sugary drinks such as coca-cola should be banned from stores for several reasons. It should be illegal for a store to sell drinks such as coke and pepsi. Not only do drinks such as these have several risks to someones health, but they can be addictive. Some of the same parts of the brain that are involved in drug addiction are also involved when you eat, allowing the creation of signals similar to those in addiction, when you consume certain foods.

references - https://www.webmd.com/diet/drinking-cola-good-for-you
 

First blog post!

 First post in my new blog!

Im Jeannie :)

I'm excited to have somewhere to just write about what I want and talk about things that interest me. I love to go on and on about things, so there'll be plentyyy of that. I'm pretty unserious about things - but I can be serious when I want to be. 
i also get really sad sometimes and start writing to help myself get through it - so every so often you'll probably see me talking about Sylvia Plath or my internal crisis (after all, I'm just a teenage girl :p)

The name of my blog- Dream of Jeannie - comes from the 60s TV show, I Dream of Jeannie. Considering my pen name is Jeannie, I thought it was pretty cute so I went with it. Honestly, I think one of the hardest things about starting a blog is coming up with a name for it! 

Enjoy!!!