Thanks for this post! It's so nice to see that there are other people who enjoy the prequels. IMO, episode 1 and episode 2 are highly underrated - there is just so much there that can be analyzed.
E.g. on a mythological Anakin standing for the sky, Padmé standing for the earth. (Anakin defending Naboo in space while Padme fights on the ground.)
Or the importance that Anakin grew up as a slave. It lays the base for him not trusting democracy who allows slavery to happen in the outer rim. It also wants to be powerful, not because of power itself, but because it will make him able to protect the ones he loves. Look at how he always wants to share power, first with Padme, then with his son.

Favorite characters in SW:
Anakin is my favorite. He must be one of the most complex fictional characters. (Many complain about his whininess in AOTC, but I love it that he's not perfect.)
Second rank goes to Luke.
Third is more difficult: I love Padme, Shmi and Leia. All strong women in different ways.
Han Solo is fun, but I'm no big fan of him. I like him in as far as he reminds me of Anakin. :-) (It pissed me off when some people asked me about ROTS and wanted to know if Han was in it, because he was really the best bit of Star Wars. Hmpf. And I thought it was about the rise, fall and redemption of a hero, and how compassion can be stronger than hate.)

Padmé's death:
I think it's very significant that she dies when Vader is born, i.e. the mask placed over Anakin's face. I thought she was linked to Anakin in the force. Either his spiritual death causes her own death or she deliberately gives him all her strenght through the force so he can survive. Or he accidently taps into the Force and takes some of her life force. So many explanations. The one thing I do not think is that she dies because she "loses the will to life"; that's just the explanation of the droid doctor.