Blog Post #16: Character Post #2: Written Response

"In this life or the next, I will have my vengeance" (Gladiator).

In Gladiator, Maximus Decimus Meridius is a Roman general whose family is murdered. He is forced into being a slave and eventually a gladiator. Throughout the entire film, Maximus is motivated to avenge his family's death and kill Commodus, who became Emperor after killing his own father. Maximus eventually gets his revenge, kills Commodus, and joins his family in the afterlife.

I feel for my dear friend Hamlet whose situation is eerily similar to that of Maximus. While Hamlet lost his "dear father", Maximus lost his wife and son (2.2.511). I have been carefully observing the events that are taking place but I removed myself from the conflict for a small amount of time.

Both Hamlet and Maximus use entertainment as a form to achieve their goals. The "masters" and "friends" of Hamlet perform a scene which parallels the murdering of Hamlet's father in front of Claudius (2.2.367-368). Maximus uses his position as a gladiator to gain respect from the people and turn them against Commodus helping him gain his revenge. For both Hamlet and Maximus they are in a prison. Hamlet's is more emotional/psychological because the "prison" he is in formed because of the people and events taking place in the play (2.2.231). Maximus, on the other hand, is physically imprisoned and forced to be a slave and a gladiator.

When Commodus first encounters Maximus after thinking he is already dead, Maximus does not reveal to him his true identity. He is only "gladiator", not the man he once was (Gladiator). Hamlet's facade he creates to make him seem unstable is seen through the conversation between him and Polonius. According to Hamlet he is reading "words, words, words" alerting Polonius that Hamlet isn't who he used to be (2.2.89).

There is a key difference between Maximus and Hamlet. While Hamlet describes himself as a "muddy-mettled rascal" for his lack of action, Maximus continually acts on his plan and has confidence that what he is doing is just (2.2.493). Throughout his entire journey Maximus focuses on the fact that he has "one more life to take" before his life can be over (Gladiator).

As Hamlet's plan continues, I hope that he begins to take action instead of questioning what he is doing. If he was more like Maximus he could both avenge his father's death while also turning Denmark against Claudius as Maximus turned Rome against Commodus.