Was the Audience Supposed to Know Palpatine is the Emperor?

I watched the prequels as a wee lad and never put it together until revenge of the sith, but upon rewatching them with a fully formed brain, it's very obvious to me.I'm curious when it became obvious to the people who watched the movies first as adults, if it was a surprise or an event meant to be seen a mile away? via /r/StarWars https://ift.tt/38zsFUK