Use each of the following words below to write an accurate sentence or short paragraph about Gladiator: Protagonist, characteristic, inciting incident, hamartia, hubris, catharsis, ‘in medias res’, peripeteia and anagnorisis.

Ridley Scott’s film ‘Gladiator’ clearly integrates Aristotle’s five key characteristics of a tragic hero into the protagonist Maximus in order for the audience to reach a point of catharsis in the film, the purgation of emotions of pity and fear. To highlight these key traits of a tragic hero in Maximus, film techniques such as costume, dialogue, camera angles, lighting and sound are employed by Scott throughout Maximus’ journey. Thrust amidst a battle scene, the audience is placed ‘in media res’, Scott wasting no time in gradually setting up the plot’s action and instead allowing the audience to imply, through visual hints, what kind of protagonist Maximus is and to make sense of the action. Maximus begins at the height of power and wealth, being a respected Roman General. However, the audience quickly witnesses this position change after the inciting incident, when he falls victim to his hamartia and hubris, resulting in him experiencing peripeteia. The inciting incident occurs after Maximus is offered the role of Emperor of Rome as opposed to Commodus, the rightful ruler, by Commodus’ own father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, causing a jealous Commodus to murder his father to ensure that he becomes the emperor. Once offered to serve Commodus and support his rulership, Maximus declines, following morality and the greater good of Rome as opposed to making the unselfish yet unwise decision to accept loyalty to Commodus. This decision exemplifies Maximus’ hubris, wherein he is unwilling to accept that his opportunity to break the natural order and prevent Commodus from exploiting his corrupt nature towards rulership was stolen, this excessive pride of believing he’s entitled to power and must fill the role of ‘saviour of Rome’ causing him to make the wrong decision. Maximus’ prideful nature of being unwilling to surrender his morality and obligation to ‘save Rome’ is his hamartia, this inciting incident luring him to express his hamartia to spark the chain of negative consequences that follow. Commodus then punishes Maximus’ for his moral act of defiance, ordering the execution of Maximus and his family. Though successfully escaping his own execution, Maximus returns to his farm to discover the charred remains of his brutally executed family, making the beginning of Maximus’ peripeteia, the reversal of fortune. After burying his family, an exhausted and devastated Maximus is captured by slavers and forced into the perilous pits of the gladiator arena to fend for his life for Roman entertainment. Broken and defeated, Proximo, the slave owner, makes Maximus experience recognition, that he caused his own demise and must win the freedom that he lost as opposed to simply give up. Whilst fighting as a gladiator, Maximus slowly gains the power of the crows and climbs to recognition one brutal kill at a time, eventually gaining Commodus’ attention. Feeling like Commodus is closing in on him, Maximus formulates an elaborate plan to escape captivity, return to his soldiers and lead them into battle against Commodus to save Rome. Scott toys with this sense of hope in the audience, just as the viewers rest easy knowing Maximus will prevail, Scott stealing this hope, Commodus’ army catching Maximus and killing all of his allies. Once imprisoned, Maximus is stabbed by Commodus and forced to battle Commodus in the gladiator arena, managing to kill Commodus before succumbing to his wound and dying.

To what extent does Gladiator adhere to ‘in medias res’ (in middle of the action)? What devices are used to ensure we are familiar with the character of Maximus after only a short introduction?

‘In media res’ is a narrative technique which is described by Horace as when a story begins at its middle point, Horace believing this technique to be necessary for a successful Roman Tragedy as it entices the audience to become curious about the character’s past and what brought them to this position. Ridley Scott adheres to this technique in ‘Gladiator’ to enhance the audience’s experience by ensuring that we aren’t bored by the explaining of the entire campaign which led up to this final battle of Germania. Subtle hints are used by Scott in the introduction to help the audience familiarise themselves with Maximus and the events leading up to the story. The prologue before the exposition sets up the context of the film, that the time period is winter of 180 AD and that Marcus Aurelius is the emperor of Rome and is at the end of his 12-year campaign against the barbarian tribes of Germany. The first shot of the film is Maximus brushing his fingers against the wheat fields, indicating that he values his farmland and feels at peace here. His ring also shows that he is a married man who values his family. Next, a mid -close up shot shows Maximus donning a white fur tripped cape, indicating his high rank and importance. His expression of uncertainty and worry indicates that he is in deep contemplation of his next move. The ominous music and howling sound effects of the wind unsettle the viewer. A jump cut then shows a European robin perched on a twig and then flying away, the camera cutting back to Maximus who is smiling, indicating that the bid may be of importance. The robin is known as a spiritual animal and symbol of divine sacrifice, Scott possibly foreshadowing Maximus’ sacrificial death at the end of the film to free the people of Rome. The music intensifies as a pan into an establishing shot allows the viewer to be transported to a desolate landscape of smoke and ash which is slowly filled with Roman soldiers, establishing the scene of the battle of Germania. The camera then tracks Maximus as he walks among the lines of soldiers, the audience noticing the gestures of respect and admiration from the soldiers and implying that he is seen as a noble leader who inspires and reassures his people. Also noticeable, is the fact that all of the soldiers wear the same dark iron armour and leather straps whereas Maximus wears shiny steel armour of a lighter colour and is the only person wearing a fur coat. This establishes him as one of “royal or noble descent” and that he is more important than everyone else. Before the battle, Maximus is seen rubbing dirt on his hands it, a reoccurring action before Maximus is about to battle throughout the film to both better grip his sword and ground himself to aid in his calm composure. Soil reminds him of his farm back home, reminding himself of what he is fighting for and therefore humanising himself to the audience. A dog then frees itself from a soldier to join Maximus in the battlefield, this animal imagery reflecting Maximus’ loyalty and heroism.

Do you believe that the plot of the film adheres to Aristotle’s rule? Justify your response with evidence from the text.

I believe that the plot does adhere to Aristotle’s rule of ‘unity of plot’. Though there are subplots which surround the central plot which is the downfall of the tragic hero Maximus, they all connect to this central storyline, therefore the film can be considered to have unity of plot. Commodus’ corruption and failure as a ruler coincide with Maximus’ downfall to enhance the viewer’s experience. Similar to Edmund in Lear, with the right point of view, Commodus can be considered a tragic villain, he too is doomed to fall due to his cruel and malicious ways, yet he has reason to be this way, being neglected by his father as being a ruler. Commodus’ downfall into madness is connected to the hope the audience feels for Maximus to eventually come out on top (particularly during the final scene of hope), enhancing the viewer’s cathartic experience of fear and placing us on the edge of our seats in fear that Maximus will fail to defeat Commodus. The subplot with Lucilla aids in the conflict between Commodus and Maximus, her being Maximus’ previous lover (the two share a son, Lucius) and Commodus currently being her lover and sister. Lucilla is placed in the middle of their conflict, having to choose which is a better ruler to support.

Select three common indicators of a tragic hero which are mot vital to the development of a character to a tragic hero. For each of your three, briefly explain how Maximus demonstrates or experiences it. Support with reference to film techniques.

Hero must suffer more than he deserves & Hero must be doomed from the start, but bears no responsibility for possessing his flaw.

For the hero to be undeserving of his terrible fate, the hero must be doomed from the start but bears no responsibility for possessing his flaw or hamartia. The flaw must be ingrained in the nature of the hero, meaning that it isn’t their fault that they hold their hamartia, rather their situation or position that causes them to possess the flaw. Maximus is a general who greatly influences battles solely by his presence, due to his intellect and the energy he omits. A general, in general, favours the better outcome of his army and people over his own and must be selfless and humane with their actions. His role in the world automatically disadvantages him in making the decision to accept Commodus’ offer to join him, not making the smartest choice that would offer a better outcome for himself but believing in following the rigid mortality of a war general that he must ensure the best outcome for protection of ‘the people’. The audience then feels Maximus possessing his hamartia isn’t his fault and the consequences that follow his error or misjudgement are undeserved. This enhances our cathartic experience of pity or sympathy because of Maximus’ scene of suffering, wherein his family is found dead and the peripeteia that follows being so harsh for an error that is naturally built into a man of his background. After Quintus utters the line ” your family will meet you in the afterlife”, Maximus’ fate is sealed, both he and his family dying by the end of the film, dialogue foreshadowing this to suggest that he is doomed from the start. Allegorical imagery is constantly displayed through montages of visuals such as Maximus’ family, different symbolic animals and a storm. The film technique of costume is used to highlight this undeserved fate. Maximus wears shiny steel armour of a lighter colour and a fur coat whilst leading his soldiers into battle at the beginning of the film, this clothing indicating his ‘noble status’ and success as a well-respected army general. However, once escaped his execution he abandons his armour and his costume is now made of brown raggy fabric, Scott indicating to the audience that he has lost his position as a general and is now a commoner. Storm imagery is shown as he races to save his family on his horse, a storm foreshadowing something negative and unsettling the viewer. Sorrowful music is played as he cries on his knees cradling the charred corpses of his wife and son, heightening the audience’s understanding of his suffering. A later scene shows Maximus being carried by the slavers, Scott using animal imagery through a montage of various animals, including a rabid dog and a majestically running horse in distress. The rapid dog and a distressed horse running contrast the animal imagery at the beginning of the film, wherein the dog accompanying Maximus in the battlefield is innocent and loyal and the horse is a symbol of Maximus’ upper class whilst he rides it into the battle. The contrast in the animals shown in the beginning to the enslaving scene emphasises the drastic change of fortune and situation of Maximus. Maximus is now surrounded by camels, is reliant on the maggots cleaning his wound and is imprisoned alongside a monkey, this animal imagery and the dialogue “don’t die they’ll feed you to the lions”, indicate that he is nothing more than a beast or animal in the great chain. Scott uses animal imagery to indicate just how much Maximus’ experience of peripeteia has lowered him in terms of social ranking, causing the audience to pity him since he has sunken so far in comparison to his noble and fortunate beginnings.

Hero must be noble in nature but imperfect so that the audience sees themselves in him

The camera tracks Maximus as he walks among the lines of soldiers, the audience noticing the gestures of respect and admiration from the soldiers and implying that he is seen as a noble leader who inspires and reassures his people. Also noticeable, is the fact that all of the soldiers wear the same dark iron armour and leather straps whereas Maximus wears shiny steel armour of a lighter colour and is the only person wearing a fur coat. These techniques by Scott establishes him as one of “royal or noble descent” and that he is more important than everyone else. Before the battle, Maximus is seen rubbing dirt on his hands it, a reoccurring action before Maximus is about to battle throughout the film to both better grip his sword and ground himself to aid in his calm composure. Soil reminds him of his farm back home, reminding himself of what he is fighting for and therefore humanising himself to the audience. Maximus values his family and home, something that most viewers can relate to and understand that losing our family and home would cause immense suffering, thus allowing us to achieve a cathartic experience since we pity him. Even taking over the homeland of the Barbarians, this action can be seen as imperfect or selfish, yet the viewer can relate to this since we too would likely defend our race and nation from outside threats. It is in human nature to either ‘fight or flight’ when faced with a threat, fighting being seen as heroic or brave in the eyes of other people, so most of us would fight a battle in the face of danger. The close-up shot of a brooding Maximus at the beginning of the film highlights this moral dilemma which he faces, the audience understanding his struggles and relating to his character. Yes, Maximus can be considered a typical ‘vanilla’ hero portrayed constantly in media. However, this stereotypical nature makes him more recognisable to modern audiences and without great explanations we already understand Scott’s intention of the character type of Maximus, one who tries to be the perfect heroic figure but is flawed, and therefore true to life.

When we think about out villains in King Lear, what similarities can you draw between them and Commodus? What are their motives? Any particular actions or language that they do/ say that is similar?

In terms of tragic villains, Commodus is very similar to Edmund, both not being chosen to rule or gain power.