Red and Blue Speakers
In Star Wars, the color red is associated with the passions and the appetites, while the color blue is associated with reason and the intellect. This color symbolism is reflected in the costumes of two characters who give very different speeches in the Senate.
In Revenge of the Sith, Palpatine wears a red cloak while giving a speech announcing the reorganization of the Republic into the Empire. Palpatine's speech is entirely focused on the passions and the appetites. He stokes the senators' fears and then preys on their craving for safety from those fears. The senators enthusiastically approve of the extermination of the Jedi because they buy into Palpatine's false narrative that the Jedi were a threat, plotting to overthrow the Senate. They then applaud Palpatine's promise to create "a safe and secure society" where they will, presumably, no longer have cause to fear such threats.
In "Welcome to the Rebellion" (Andor 2.9), Mon Mothma wears a blue cloak while giving a speech denouncing Emperor Palpatine's genocide of the Ghorman people. Mon Mothma's speech is entirely focused on the importance of true knowledge, which is the province of reason and the intellect. She argues, "The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil. When truth leaves us, when we let it slip away, when it is ripped from our hands, we become vulnerable to the appetite of whatever monster screams the loudest." Mon Mothma points out that letting fear overrule rationality has not led to the safe and secure society Palpatine promised: it has only made the galaxy vulnerable to Palpatine's monstrous, limitless appetite for power.
The fact that Palpatine's speech is applauded while Mon Mothma's speech is shouted down reflects a sad reality: it is easier for the passions to override reason than for reason to rein in the passions.
EXPLORE FURTHER…
Characters: Mon Mothma / Palpatine
Shows: Andor
GO DEEPER INTO THE ARCHIVES…
Concepts: appetite / fear / government / knowledge / monsters / passion / reason
Interpretive Tools: Tripartite Soul Theory
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