ROTS: did Anakin think that Obi-Wan and Padme were having an affair?

Throughout ROTS, Anakin seems suspicious whenever Padme mentions Anakin, or he sees them talking. In the book, it was even more blatant-when he sensed that Obi had been there previously, he was hella paranoid. And let's not forget the "You're with HIM!" Was it just that he thought they were plotting against him-or that they were also fooling around behind his back?


(I KNOW he thought Padme was involved with the Senate traitors, but did he also think she was getting some on the side?)

 

Definitely not. Anakin said "You're with HIM?!" because he thought that Obi-Wan was his enemy, and Padme was siding with the enemy, so of course he would call her a traitor to his cause. He was also "paranoid" about Obi-Wan visiting because he wanted to shelter his secrets, and Obi-Wan was poking around in his life.

This shows that Anakin realizes that Padme, who had supported him, was now against him because of what he had done. Obi-Wan had told her what Anakin had done, and she believed him, alienating any chances of Anakin making her believe his story. In other words, Obi-Wan was "plotting" against Anakin, and that all of the latter's former allies were turning against him because of his deeds.

 

I know he thought all of that-I just wondered if he also felt that they were fooling around on top of all the plotting together. (If only because Anakin is so jealous and suspicious about EVERYTHING all the time)

 

Well, the novel makes it pretty clear that Anakin was obsessively jealous, and at one point suspects that Padme may be having an affair with Obi-Wan.

 

When it mentions that "the apartment stank of Obi-Wan"?

 

It's been a while since I read the book, but doesn't he right out ask Padme if there's something going on between her and Obi-Wan? Or at least formulate the queastion in his head?

 

Not an affair. But they were allies united against Anakin and the Chancellor.

Padme seemed to mention/rely on Obi-wan a whole lot. Anakin is anxious and he doesn't trust her after the 2000 petition. Palps implies she's an enemy and Anakin freaks out. So her looking to Obi-wan for any resolutions makes Anakin go crazy. And she did overestimate what Obi-wan would do for her. He basically betrayed or used her to get to Anakin. He wasn't as good a friend as she thought.

 

I thought that in the commentary for the ROTS deleted scenes that Lucas mentions that he thought about going down that route of having Anakin be paranoid that Padme and Obi-Wan were together. I think the implication was that he ultimately didn't want to have that be part of the story.

I only ever watched the deleted scenes once. Isn't there one where Palpatine tells Anakin that Padme had been spending a lot of time with Obi-Wan (I thought he said something like that once Padme and the others walk away after presenting the petition)?

 

In the novel I felt distinctly the whole Anakin worried about an affair with Obi-Wan and Padme. He says something like, "I'm the one sneaking out in the morning!" About Obi-Wan talking to Padme.

And she says, "Well, that's usually when you're sneaking in."

And with her trusting Obi-Wan more than she trusts Anakin, I think there was definitely the route of jealousy over Obi's and Padme's relationship.

 

Two things from RotS make it seem like Anakin suspected that Padme might be fooling around.

First, he senses that Obi-wan had come by Padme's apartment at one point in RotS. This impression came to him after he "foresaw" Padme dying in childbirth and Obi-wan was there to soothe her worries. You can tell that Anakin believed that Padme's relationship with Obi-wan, and the fact that he had come by earlier, were inappropriate if not verboten.


Second, Anakin's comment on Mustafar also implies that he believes Obi-wan and Padme are "together" certainly in the fight against the Empire but also in a fight against him. Anakin's visions had been so hazy and so confusing that at this point in the story, he flies off the handle because Padme was "with him." I think it's a reasonable inference to believe that Anakin thought that Obi-wan and Padme were involved in an illicit relationship.

 

I don't know that he thinks it's really a romantic relationship per se, but he definitely thinks she's picking Obi-Wan above him.

 

I'm pretty sure Palpatine plants the idea, like TaradosGon mentioned, but I think it was only in the book (the movie cut scene he just tells Anakin something about not trusting Padme if I remember right. In the novel he mentions 'rumors' he's heard of Obi-Wan leaving her apartment at odd hours.)

I figured that yeah, Anakin believed they might have been having a relationship, and that's something that helped send him right over the edge. It might have been the timing of the conversation on Mustafar; Padme says, "I love you." and Anakin sees Obi-Wan and says "LIAR!!11!!" then the whole "You turned her against me" thing... I dunno, it seemed that way combined with Anakin's actions especially in the novelization.

 

I think I'm going to have to read the novel again-I knew I remembered it!

 

The point is, Anakin had every reason to distrust Padme, though she, and of course, Obi-wan, are completely honorable. But it does not look that way. It looks pretty bad. Padme doesn't come across as a good wife, but no one knows they're married. And Obi-wan does invite himself over, because he is concerned about Anakin. There is no way for them to be having an affair because Anakin is with Obi-wan almost 100% of the time he's not with Padme.

It is simply a regrettable series of poor communication, misread intentions, and bad timing.

You can't really blame Anakin for being highly dissapointed with Padme. She is devoted to him, but she also is duplicitous. He's utterly devoted to her. She's very devoted to her cause and her job also, and Obi-wan's worldview agrees with hers more than Anakin'd does. It's very tragic.

 

You can't really blame Anakin for being highly dissapointed with Padme. She is devoted to him, but she also is duplicitous. He's utterly devoted to her. She's very devoted to her cause and her job also, and Obi-wan's worldview agrees with hers more than Anakin'd does. It's very tragic.

My goodness, you think sympathy of worldview is "duplicitous"? Maybe that makes Anakin duplicitous since his world view is different than Padme's!

As to the thread question, the book and behind the scenes commentary make it obvious that Palpatine is playing on Anakin's obsessive love by "commenting" on "rumors" to plant a seed of doubt in the Jealous One's mind.

Heck, that a "Jedi" is seen entering/leaving a "certain Senator's apartment" could be any Jedi and any Senator, a lie - or even Anakin and Padme - but Palps sure knows how to play Anakin.

Repeat a rumor often enough, or spread it on the 'net long enough, and "it's true, right?"?

This is not brought out in the movie, though, as George decided he didn't want to play that point.

 

NO! I don't think so! Anakin did! He thought of it as a betrayl on Padme's part.

 

Another thing I just thought of-in Anakin's nightmare, Obi-Wan is standing over Padme. THAT could also have something to do with it.

 

Well if you look at it that way, Anakin could also be labeled as duplicitous, since he's devoted to Palpatine and is supossed to be committed to the Jedi.

I'll take your first sentence on the pharagraph above and twist it around: You cant really blame Padme for being highly dissapointed with Anakin

 

I believe Palpatine would love to drive a wedge between Anakin and Padme. In the same way he wanted Obi-wan out of the picture. Obi-wan and Padme had a huge influence on Anakins thinking, as did Palpatine.

Palpatine had the advantage as Anakin would share secrets with him that he couldnt tell anyone else. But he still needed to get Anakin away from Obi-wan to make his move. To cause friction in Anakins relationship with Padme, could only help put Palps in an even stronger position. And to create a rumour of an affair or maybe only hint at it would be the perfect solution. This would have Anakin turnin to Palps once again.

Personally, i think Anakin may have thought they were having an affair for a split second. But i think he knew in his heart that they weren't. The Mustafar talk was purely about taking sides ( Jedi or Sith, Republic or Empire ).

 

I believe she was. She didn't tell him about her petition. She was "caught". All Palps' doing of course.

 

No he did not.

 

No. But, he did think they teamed up. He felt like they backed him into a coner. But, an affair? No.

 

Isn't there a part in the ROTS novel where Palpatine tells anakin that there were rumors of obi-wan having an affair w/ a female senator? I swear I read that somewhere.

 

Anakin doesn't believe that Obi-wan and Padme had an affair because 1) Obi-wan has been around Anakin's presence the entire time, 2) He knows that Obi-wan is more devoted to his work as a Jedi than to some physical pleasure, and 3) he would've read Padme's thoughts as she walked in the apartment to see if she cheated on him. Besides, the whole incident on Mustafar is basically Anakin misled into thinking that Padme brought Obi-wan to kill him, only she didn't know that he was inside her ship until she saw him.

 

I don't think Anakin suspects an affair, but dissaproves of Padme and Obi Wan's friendship because it treads dangerously close and Anakin is still paranoid about the council finding out about his and Padme's marriage and child. He knows that Obi Wan is making visits to Padme's appartment and he's rightfully angry because Obi Wan could easily find something that gives their relationship away. The silly part is that, IMO, Obi Wan always knew. I mean, he's going to Padme's appartment because he's worried about Anakin - why isn't he going to Yoda about this, or Palpataine- he knows they're inlove, that they're most likely together and Anakin's fears just get the better of him.

However, by Mustafar I don't think he truly believes they're having an affair but wants to in order to justify his extreme level of anger and magnify their betrayal.