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Tubegroover, Emperor Palpatine is the Emperor from the Star Wars trilogy(episodes 4 to 6, "A New Hope", "The Empire Strikes Back", and "Return of The Jedi"). In last year's "Episode 1: The Phantom Menace", he is still a senator. In Episode 1, he is also(secretly) Darth Sidious, leader of the Sith. He trains Darth Maul, and later will seduce Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side, becoming Darth Vader(and completing the young Jedi's training in the ways of the Force). Watch in the upcoming two episodes for his ascent to the throne. I absolutely CANNOT stand science fiction, but the Star Wars story is incredibly powerful to me. So much there. A galactic story of a Samurai feud/warriors. A man's life gone wrong(through weakness and bad decisions), which only can redeemed by the strength and love of his only son. Incredible religious overtones(both Eastern and Judeo-Christian). Etc., etc., etc...

Actually, I don't think anyone addresses him as Darth Sideous in the actual Episode 1 film. I also don't know that he's "the leader of the Sith", he is only identified as a Sith Master, again in the film. "They were thought to be extinct", and we only see two of them in Episode 1.................I also think that the real tragedy will be, when Anakin/Vader is convinced to somehow help "hunt down and destroy ALL the Jedi Knights", as per Kenobi's reflections in Episode 4. Also, I feel that the death of Anakins' wife will somehow be connected to Kenobi, and will thus be the final straw for the Vader transistion...seems like the Jedi mass deaths and the death of Amadala will occur in Episode 3. I also think it'd be silly to be such a fan of this series, and not be a fan at all of Science Fiction, Trelja. I absolutely cannot stand people who cannot stand Science Fiction. If you really love these movies, and hate Science Fiction, you are conflicted. Take the Science Fiction out of these movies, and there's no meaning left. Why obsess over the interpersonal relationships of people, and ignore the machines, the aliens, the vast distances, the adventure, the warfare ensuing from a transitional republic/empire consisting of multitudes of sentient beings over vast distances? In short, you are a person who does not wonder about the universe, but only about your immediate surroundings and the implications of the relationships you have with a few people....much like an ant in an anthill........I take issue with Mark Hamill's "It's only a cowboy movie, a space opera". If it were only that, nobody wouldn't have paid to see it, since there's no horses, and no singing.

eber, I concede that you know more than Falstaff than I since YOU ARE FALSTAFF !!!

Also, I'm surprised, given the nature of this forum, that no one mentioned Verdi's Falstaff (based on yet another of Will's plays, The Merry Wives of Windsor, in which the character appears). Falstaff is in my view Verdi's greatest work. You will note, Mr eber, that he is also quite pompous, as are you.

I believe that there are contradictions in all people, if this is in fact a contradiction. Star Wars is referred to be a great many people as science fiction for the rest of us. I have come across no science fiction enjoyable to me, other than the Star Wars series. I have found everything else to utterly BORE me(among other things). NO apologies. Being that you cannot stand people who cannot stand science fiction, then you cannot stand me. That does not(and CANNOT) hurt me at all. I love all of the things you list about Star Wars. And while you go making statements about me philosophically(ant in an anthill), you ought to give thought to what it requires to really understand what another person is about(which is not possible from what I or anyone else offers on this site). If you refer back to Episode 1, one of the two Trade Federation pawns(Nute Gunray or whatever his name was) did specicifically address the later to be Emperor as Darth Sidious. I also share your leanings towards what will later transpire. Although, I have read in Newsweek that a potential plot is that Anakin's mom gets wacked, and it's at the hand of a Jedi. In one of those "official" books that explain the characters, etc. of the original trilogy, the Darth Vader "life support system" is explained as being necessary due to him falling into a pit of molten something during a fight with his former master, Obi Wan Kenobi. We'll see. I know I can't wait.