Finding Terrific Writing in Unusual Places: William Shakespeare's Star Wars

Another wonderful aside from William Shakespeare's Star Wars. This time from Luke:

                    Unbidden doth adventure come, yet here
                    I stand, prepar'd to rise and welcome Fate.
                    The twisting strands she threads we must but trail,
                    For 'tis the wire that leadeth us through life.
          (5)     Fate's hand hath plac'd me here on Tatooine
                    And now she beckons onward to th' abyss.
                    Now o'er adventure's great abyss I perch--
                    Above all time, above the universe,
                    Above the rim of chance and destiny--
          (10)   And sister Fate doth dare me look in.
                    And there--aye there!--I find my happiness.
                    I peer therein, embrace my Fate--and blink.
                    Come, life! For I am ready now to live.

Such depth this adds to Luke's character. We know that he craves adventure, but he doesn't get to truly express this other than through his passing comments and his facial expressions. But this is so beautiful. I love how Luke calls Fate a she, that is perfect. In line 6 he beings comparing the fact that he is about to launch into his adventure to him looking over a cliff, off into an abyss, preparing to jump in. This metaphor is simply wonderful for what is about to happen. Luke does indeed jump off into the abyss and falls flat on his face at first. Finally I want to talk about the last line: "Come, life! For I am ready now to live." Hot dang! I love it. Luke Skywalker truly hasn't lived up till this point. At the beginning of Episode IV he is simply hanging around. He has a destiny that is not being fulfilled and he feels this tug on him; Fate is calling him, beckoning him, and he desires to answer the call. To move forward through the clouded darkness and discover the mettle that is within himself. Jump off, Luke! Jump!