Gladiator Research Paper

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Recommended: Roman influence on western civilization

Rome has always been an inspiration for me. Some readers would argue that Rome wasn’t as great as people think it was; however, just thinking about Rome makes my heart fill with joy. The magnificent monuments that the Romans built and the ones that are still standing these days inspire me so much. Also, the Roman culture that helped them rise and fall as an empire and later as a republic makes me want to know everything about them. Overall, just thinking about the gladiators makes me smile and get excited. It is a feelings that I can’t explain and I bet that many people feel the same as me about gladiators. All of those feeling come together every time I watch the movie, the Gladiator. When I watched the movie for the first time, I got so excited. …show more content…

However, many people would argue that this movie isn’t that great. For example, reviewer Stephen Hunter argues, “the movie is a kind of meltdown of plot fragments from the two greatest Roman films from Hollywood's Grandest Age, "Ben-Hur" (1959) and "Spartacus" (1960). It's about a fallen and betrayed high-born lord seeking revenge, and it's about a gladiator revolt”. Yet, I do not agree with this argument. I could prove that Stephen opinion isn’t totally right. The movie starts with the last battle against the Germanic tribes and Rome that was led by Marcus Aurelio. Then, it shows the rise of Commodus, Marcus Aurelius’ son, as an emperor of Rome. It shows how Commodus ruled Rome. Commodus was a great fighter and it is known that he fought many times as a gladiator just like he did in the movie, Gladiator. According to M R Reesse “He believed himself to be a reincarnation of Hercules and he enjoyed fighting in an arena as a gladiator”. Moreover, Gladiators were part of the Roman culture and that is why they created such an amazing structure like the Colosseum and many others. Gladiators were expected to die in the arena not just for the entertainment of the Roman people, but also they believed that dying while fighting in the Colosseum would bring them

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