Originally posted by: zombie84
I think you are reading too much into the semantics. "Your highness" can also be used as a general term to denote supreme authority. Luke's use of it acknowledges Palpatine as the supreme authority of the galactic civilization yet he uses it in the context of defiance--what he is really saying is "you may be the supreme ruler of this world but i will not bow down to you."
I think you are reading too much into the semantics. "Your highness" can also be used as a general term to denote supreme authority. Luke's use of it acknowledges Palpatine as the supreme authority of the galactic civilization yet he uses it in the context of defiance--what he is really saying is "you may be the supreme ruler of this world but i will not bow down to you."
"Highness" has not represented a supreme authority in English-speaking countries for a number of years. A totalitarian dictator like Palpatine really should've used "majesty." It comes from maiestas, the dignity of the state in the Roman Republic, which later came to refer to the person of the Roman Emperor. Palpatine was definitely the "L'etat, c'est moi" type who would demand the dignity of maiestas.
If Lucas did not wish to use Imperial courtesies in his writing, he would've made Palpatine something other than an Emperor. He had no problem creating new words to represent rank or titles that did not translate well into English, e.g. Moff and Padawan.