Read Online William Shakespeare's The Phantom Menace by Ian Doescher - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ian Doescher
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with evâry sale!
âTis double-dealing taâen to an extreme.
[Exit Obi-Wan .
QUI-GON
Pray, madam and young Anakin, come forth!
Enter A NAKIN S KYWALKER and S HMI S KYWALKER .
ANAKIN
What is it, sir?
QUI-GON
âFirst must I render to
Thee what is due: the money for thy pod.
[Qui-Gon gives the money to Anakin, who gives it to Shmi .
ANAKIN
Behold, sweet motherâwealth we neâer have known.
SHMI
âTis wonderful beyond expectancy.
QUI-GON
Yet I shall render eâen a greater prize:
Thy freedom thou obtainâd in the podrace.
I say again, young Anakin: thâart free.
ANAKIN
Mine ears do play me tricks: what did you say?
QUI-GON
No longer art thou slave to anyone.
ANAKIN
Hast heard, dear mother? Freedom now is mine!
SHMI
Thereâs naught shall hold thee back now, cherishâd child.
Thou art a free man, free at last to dream
And make thy dreams into reality.
It is a privilege thou shouldst embrace.
[ To Qui-Gon: ] With all my heart I beg you: take him hence,
Deliver him from this cruel life we lead
And make him yet a Jedi like yourself.
QUI-GON
Thy wish is mine as well, and I believe
âTwas no coincidence we three did meet.
The Force knows not of accident nor chance,
But wisely guides our footfalls, one by one.
ANAKIN
Then I shall fly within your starship, sir?
QUI-GON
I bid thee, understand now, Anakin:
To be a Jediâs not an easy path,
The training is a task that few endure,
A challenge to the mind and heart and soul.
Eâen if thou dost in training find success,
âTis but the prelude to a life most rare
And rife with difficulty sans compare.
ANAKIN
Yet âtis a life I wish for, have wishâd for.
My mind is settlâd: I shall go with you.
[ To Shmi: ] O, mother mine, dost give me leave to go?
SHMI
My son, âtis not my place to give or take.
This path is set before theeâthou alone.
The choice, therefore, lies not with me, but thee.
Dost thou choose to departâwhat is thy will?
Know this: no choice that thou canst make herein
Shall alter my unending love for thee.
ANAKIN
Then I shall goâit is mine earnest wish.
QUI-GON
Go then, and swift thy preparations make.
ANAKIN
Hurrah! [ Aside: ] Yet wait, whatâs this that comes to me?
A thought oâer which Iâd not reflected yet.
[ To Qui-Gon: ] What of my mother? May she also come?
QUI-GON
There is no use in hiding truth from thee:
I did attempt to free her, Anakinâ
I tried as well I could. Yet Watto did
Refuse to let your mother come withal.
ANAKIN
And yet, thou shalt come with us, Mother, yea?
SHMI
My place is here, my future here as well.
The time hath come for thou to just let goâ
This change shall do thee well, be not afeard.
ANAKIN
Why do we worship at the shrine of change?
Hath change eâer put a meal upon our board?
Is change a thing to be devoutly wishâd?
Doth change betoken something positive?
Or may it be that change for changingâs sake
But changes good to evil, bad to worse?
SHMI
Yet change cannot be stoppâd, lest thou would stop
The sun from setting, or stop death itself.
ANAKIN
How shall a heart be whole thatâs rent in twain?
Would that I could be two instead of one
Both boy who doth remain with mother true,
And man who shall become a Jedi Knight.
I cannot be a man by staying here,
Therefore Iâll be a boy who takes his leave.
SHMI
Go with my love, my heart, my joy, my life.
[Anakin walks aside, to his chamber, where C-3PO sits, turned off .
[ To Qui-Gon: ] I thank you, eâen though it is difficult.
QUI-GON
I shall look after him: thou hast my word.
Wilt thou be well?
SHMI
âAs well as I can be.
QUI-GON
Thou knowest, I do hope, how much I wish
We could take thee withal. Some part of me
Remaineth here, with thee, on Tatooine.
SHMI
Indeed, I know. In taking my sweet boy,
You take with you my heart, and it is yours.
Pray, treat it
âTis double-dealing taâen to an extreme.
[Exit Obi-Wan .
QUI-GON
Pray, madam and young Anakin, come forth!
Enter A NAKIN S KYWALKER and S HMI S KYWALKER .
ANAKIN
What is it, sir?
QUI-GON
âFirst must I render to
Thee what is due: the money for thy pod.
[Qui-Gon gives the money to Anakin, who gives it to Shmi .
ANAKIN
Behold, sweet motherâwealth we neâer have known.
SHMI
âTis wonderful beyond expectancy.
QUI-GON
Yet I shall render eâen a greater prize:
Thy freedom thou obtainâd in the podrace.
I say again, young Anakin: thâart free.
ANAKIN
Mine ears do play me tricks: what did you say?
QUI-GON
No longer art thou slave to anyone.
ANAKIN
Hast heard, dear mother? Freedom now is mine!
SHMI
Thereâs naught shall hold thee back now, cherishâd child.
Thou art a free man, free at last to dream
And make thy dreams into reality.
It is a privilege thou shouldst embrace.
[ To Qui-Gon: ] With all my heart I beg you: take him hence,
Deliver him from this cruel life we lead
And make him yet a Jedi like yourself.
QUI-GON
Thy wish is mine as well, and I believe
âTwas no coincidence we three did meet.
The Force knows not of accident nor chance,
But wisely guides our footfalls, one by one.
ANAKIN
Then I shall fly within your starship, sir?
QUI-GON
I bid thee, understand now, Anakin:
To be a Jediâs not an easy path,
The training is a task that few endure,
A challenge to the mind and heart and soul.
Eâen if thou dost in training find success,
âTis but the prelude to a life most rare
And rife with difficulty sans compare.
ANAKIN
Yet âtis a life I wish for, have wishâd for.
My mind is settlâd: I shall go with you.
[ To Shmi: ] O, mother mine, dost give me leave to go?
SHMI
My son, âtis not my place to give or take.
This path is set before theeâthou alone.
The choice, therefore, lies not with me, but thee.
Dost thou choose to departâwhat is thy will?
Know this: no choice that thou canst make herein
Shall alter my unending love for thee.
ANAKIN
Then I shall goâit is mine earnest wish.
QUI-GON
Go then, and swift thy preparations make.
ANAKIN
Hurrah! [ Aside: ] Yet wait, whatâs this that comes to me?
A thought oâer which Iâd not reflected yet.
[ To Qui-Gon: ] What of my mother? May she also come?
QUI-GON
There is no use in hiding truth from thee:
I did attempt to free her, Anakinâ
I tried as well I could. Yet Watto did
Refuse to let your mother come withal.
ANAKIN
And yet, thou shalt come with us, Mother, yea?
SHMI
My place is here, my future here as well.
The time hath come for thou to just let goâ
This change shall do thee well, be not afeard.
ANAKIN
Why do we worship at the shrine of change?
Hath change eâer put a meal upon our board?
Is change a thing to be devoutly wishâd?
Doth change betoken something positive?
Or may it be that change for changingâs sake
But changes good to evil, bad to worse?
SHMI
Yet change cannot be stoppâd, lest thou would stop
The sun from setting, or stop death itself.
ANAKIN
How shall a heart be whole thatâs rent in twain?
Would that I could be two instead of one
Both boy who doth remain with mother true,
And man who shall become a Jedi Knight.
I cannot be a man by staying here,
Therefore Iâll be a boy who takes his leave.
SHMI
Go with my love, my heart, my joy, my life.
[Anakin walks aside, to his chamber, where C-3PO sits, turned off .
[ To Qui-Gon: ] I thank you, eâen though it is difficult.
QUI-GON
I shall look after him: thou hast my word.
Wilt thou be well?
SHMI
âAs well as I can be.
QUI-GON
Thou knowest, I do hope, how much I wish
We could take thee withal. Some part of me
Remaineth here, with thee, on Tatooine.
SHMI
Indeed, I know. In taking my sweet boy,
You take with you my heart, and it is yours.
Pray, treat it
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