main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Was Amidala's name symbolic of Anakin's fall?

Discussion in 'Archive: Revenge of the Sith' started by adamlee, Dec 26, 2005.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    I know this may seem stupid but hear me out before flaming on.
    Many of the characters in the saga are based on roots of words symbolic to their character

    Darth Sidious-Insidious
    Darth Vader-Invader
    Darth Tyranus-Tyranny
    and so on and so on

    Amidala is very similar to the word amygdala, a structure in the brain that controls emotions.Now if Anakin's emotions weren't controlled by his love of Padme,then I don't know what was.So do you think that Lucas purposely chose the name for this or is is one of those things like Gungan where he lets his kids pick words? Once again,sorry that this may not seem interesting.But it can't be any worse than a "Why Didn't Jar Jar speak more?" post.
     
  2. millenniumteacher

    millenniumteacher Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 11, 2005
    Cool! Where did you find that word? Where is it from? It might be symbolic, I mean the whole saga is symbolic in nature to politics, religon etc.

    PS- found a defintion! Read this...

    1. An almond-shaped neuro structure involved in producing and responding to nonverbal signs of anger, avoidance, defensiveness, and fear. 2. A small mass of gray matter that inspires aversive cues, such as the freeze reaction, sweaty palms, and the tense-mouth display. 3. A primeval arousal center, originating in early fishes, which is central to the expression of negative emotions in man.

    Usage: Many gestures reflect the amygdala's turmoil. In an anxious meeting, e.g., we may unconsciously flex our arms, lean away, or angle away from colleagues who upset us. Lip, neck, and shoulder muscles may tense as the amygdala activates brain-stem circuits designed to produce protective facial expressions (see, e.g., TENSE-MOUTH) and protective postures (see, e.g., BOW and CROUCH). The amygdala also prompts releases of adrenaline and other hormones into the blood stream, thus stepping-up an avoider's response and disrupting the control of rational thought.
     
  3. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    well oddly enough a girl was asking me why I didnt call her.I was like are you mad?and she said "no,its just my amygdala acting up.I was like what's that?and she explained since she is a psych major.So that was really cool to me.
     
  4. millenniumteacher

    millenniumteacher Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 11, 2005
    Very cool. I have forgotten all that. College for me was a while ago.
     
  5. JediNdaCity

    JediNdaCity Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    May 14, 2002
    Good Catch and not a stupid topic at all. We should delve in and search for other meanings to other quirky names in the saga.
     
  6. lovelucas

    lovelucas Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 19, 2004
    i like this .... and pair this with "padme" which is sanskrit for lotus = rebirth and we really have an interesting concept. other than having great fun rearranging real contributor's names for their characters, george has a hidden concept for everything. deep well.
     
  7. LadyZaraMarta

    LadyZaraMarta Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2004
    Very interesting! I think you have made a discovery! Great detective work.
     
  8. darth_frared

    darth_frared Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 2005
    i think amidala is also a name for buddha... It is interesting to note that "Amida" as in the name "Amidala", is the Japanese name of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of infinite light and life, who is also synonymous with the Dharmakaya, the universal aspect of all Buddhas' existence. The Dharmakaya, like infinite light and life, pervades all space and time, and is at one with the Truth of all phenomena. found here: the buddhist channel. interestingly enough a SW article in itself.
     
  9. agap_afima

    agap_afima Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2005
    Fascinating...Good job digging this up!
     
  10. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    That is awesome.Good work on the Buddhist reference.You probably are more on point in the origin of Padme Amidala's name.
    I did a paper for my world religions class on the Star Wars saga.It dealt with the Buddhist and Christian undertones,including the Immaculate Conception.Some guy goes, "Man I never would have pegged you for a Star Wars lover!" I guess that is a compliment.
    Could a mod change the subject so that it references all the names and their meanings?That would make for a very cool thread I think.And thank you to all for being so nice about the thread.
     
  11. Obi-Chron

    Obi-Chron Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 11, 2003
    There were some older threads out there somewhere, well over a year old, that discussed the meaning of names. I recall one on Qui-Gon Jinn.

    THIS SITE defines a JINN as:

    "jinni, feminine jinniyah, plural jinn, in Arabic and Islamic folklore, spirit or demon endowed with supernatural power. In ancient belief the jinn were associated with the destructive forces of nature. In Islamic tradition they were corporeal spirits similar to men in appearance but having certain supernatural powers, especially those of changing in size and shape."

    So names sorta do tip the hat on a character's purpose or role in the saga -- "from time to time!"
     
  12. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    that is very cool. Why did u have your signature as Vader-deus ex machina?
     
  13. sithrules70

    sithrules70 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    May 28, 2005
    great thread :) i ,not in a million years, would have noticed such a detail
     
  14. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    yeah, Lucas was a genius when it came to detail.I wonder if Anakin had any detail to his name.
     
  15. ZamWesell44

    ZamWesell44 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 13, 2003
    thats very intresting, and Dooku means poison.
     
  16. darth_frared

    darth_frared Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 2005
    i read some suggestion that it could mean the akin to anna, maria's (yes, our biblical maria) mom.

    i love the name anakin. and i have also heard that he used it as a real-world-reference to a friend called kenneth annikin or something like that. so people misspelling it are probably paying a tribute to that guy :D

    there used to be a name thread in saga, so you could hunt for it there.
     
  17. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    that is cool.I'm sure there is probably a thread for everything.lol

    Maybe even Bail Organa's name was symbolic since he bails Yoda out when he loses to Sidious?lol.
     
  18. Obi-Chron

    Obi-Chron Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 11, 2003
    adamlee asked: "Vader-deus ex machina"

    It means "Vader - god as machine!" in Latin
     
  19. darth_frared

    darth_frared Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 2005
    that's the beauty of a literary creation. you can give names and have them denote something.

    yoda is so short, it could mean anything. but it reminds us of yoga and other stuff. sanskrit is great like that :)
     
  20. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    deus ex machina is actually a plot device that comes at the end.Basically a way in the Greek plays for something to tie up the loose ends.So that is what I meant.But if you just take the term for it's literal meaning wordwise,i got ya.
     
  21. Obi-Chron

    Obi-Chron Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 11, 2003
    In the end of the PT, as GL's plot device, Vader becomes the machine-god!' A lesser god, a fallen god, the dark angel of power, greed and death, but a god caste in the role of the classic Greek mythological tragedy.
     
  22. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    yeah I get that.but generally I thought it was a way to help get the hero out of a situation,like a god coming down from the sky to fix the situation.anyway,Anakin/Darth Vader is in my opinion the greatest character ever. a true greek tragedy
     
  23. darth_frared

    darth_frared Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 2005
    and does it really mean god from a machine...?

    i think the term itself is more related to a thing we normally call plot device :D
     
  24. adamlee

    adamlee Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 12, 2004
    darth frared you are right. but it does mean God of Machines.In the Matrix Revolutions,a god awful movie, Neo talkes to the "Deus Ex machina" the machine god.I laughed out loud when I saw it in the theaters,because I was like "HELL YES THAT'S A PLOT DEVICE!' lol.
     
  25. darth_frared

    darth_frared Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 24, 2005
    ha! don't say that or you will lose my trust! matrix is not godawful! somehow i'm attached to it :p
    and i liked the pun with deus ex machina in it. they used telling names to an even greater extent, GL is being somewhat more subtle and, to my mind, also more useful. when the wachowskis pull names like niobe and morpheus i'm never too sure they have an idea of their roots and hidden meanings and i assume they just appreciate their sound.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.