Question: Is the Darth Vader quote actually correct?
I thought he said, “If you only knew the power of the dark side,” not “If only you knew…”
What the hell?
Darth Vader: One of the masters of the English language?
The words of Star Wars’ Darth Vader are better-known than those of Wordsworth and Shakespeare, according to a survey.
Some 71% of people aged 25-44 knew the quote “If only you knew the power of the dark side” came from the movie villain, Yellow Pages research found.But 10% correctly said the Shakespeare quote “Now is the winter of our discontent” came from Richard III.
And just 9% knew the words “I can resist everything except temptation” came from Oscar Wilde.
The survey had asked people if they could spot a quote by The Office character David Brent. But it later emerged the quote was never used in the programme.
Sounds like a great survey: comparing someone’s identification of a pop culture reference where the identity of the character to whom he is speaking it and even the speaker’s identity is CLEARLY stated in the quote with being able to place aquote from Shakespeare or Wilde as coming from a specific work. Then fucking up on one of the quotes they are asking people to identify.
I don’t know, man, people are dumb. The quote probably could have been “I’m Richard III” and they would have gotten it wrong.
Seems like a good excuse to post this bit from Red Dwarf, series 3, ‘Marooned’. The scene: Lister and Rimmer are marooned on an ice planet, with only books for fuel…
Lister: Complete Works of Shakespeare. That should be good for a couple of hours.
Rimmer: Three days without food, and the walls of civilisation come tumbling down!
Lister: What d’you mean?
Rimmer: They say that every society is only three meals away from revolutiuon. Deprive a culture of food for three meals, and you’ll have an anarchy. And it’s true, isn’t it? You haven’t eaten for a couple of days, and you’ve turned into a barbarian.
Lister: I’m just burning a book!
Rimmer: It’s not just a book. It’s the only copy of probably the greatest work in English literature. Probably the only copy left in the entire universe, and you’re quite happy to toss it on the fire to keep your little mitts warm for fifteen minutes?
Lister: There’s nothing else to burn.
Rimmer: That’s it, then, is it? Goodbye Hamlet. Farewell Macbeth. Toodle-pip King Lear
Lister: Have you ever read any of it?
Rimmer: I’ve seen ‘West Side Story’. That’s based on one of them.
Lister: Yeah, but have you actually read any?
Rimmer: Not all the way through, no. I can quote some, though.
Lister: Go on, then.
Rimmer: (Says grandly) “Now…” [Long pause.] That’s all I can remember.
Lister: Where’s that from, then?
Rimmer: Richard III, you moron. The speech that he does at the beginning.“Now…” something something something. It’s brilliant writing. It really is. Unforgettable.
Lister: OK, I’ll save it till last. (Holds up another.) Lolita. Is it OK if I burn Lolita?
Rimmer: Save page sixty-one
More people identified “Wherefore art thou, Romeo?” with Shakespeare than identified “I find your lack of faith disturbing” with Vader. Conclusion: we love Shakespeare and nobody likes Star Wars.