Chancellor Valorum
In The Phantom Menace, Queen Padmé Amidala appears before the Senate of the Galactic Republic, presided over by Chancellor Valorum, to plead for help on behalf of her planet, Naboo.
Valorum’s name, in addition to sounding vaguely Latin – a nod to how the Galactic Republic is patterned after the ancient Roman Republic – sounds like “valor” combined with “forum,” “quorum,” or “decorum.” This means there is a tension in the Chancellor’s name, just as there is a tension in the Chancellor’s heart as he is caught between what is right and what is popular.
Valor is what Queen Amidala hopes to find in the Senate and its leader. She hopes they will have the courage to swiftly redress the injustices committed against her people. What she finds instead is that decorum is more important to this forum or quorum of delegates than justice. The Senate would rather hide behind ponderous and proper procedures than commit to bold actions, and Chancellor Valorum is a weak leader because he would rather maintain the status quo than risk their disapproval. Valor is often at odds with decorum, and in this case, decorum wins.
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Characters: Chancellor Valorum
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Concepts: courage / cowardice / leadership / names
Influences: Greco-Roman
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