Persuasive Techniques In The Great Dictator

The Great Dictator was written, directed and produced by Charlie Chaplin and released on October 15, 1940. The film was released as a satire of Hitler and the Nazi regime with the intent to persuade the target audience to fight against human inequality and injustices that were being committed against victims of Nazi persecution. The Great Dictator was released during a historical period when the United States and the United Kingdom were still placating and appeasing Hitler to avoid the outbreak of another World War. This essay analyses the persuasive techniques of character, semiotics and repetition, as well as the effective use of the pathos appeal throughout the final speech at the end of the film. This is when Chaplin’s main character ‘the Barber’ poses as ‘the Dictator’, and addresses two target audiences: the fictional ‘Tomanian’ audience, and viewers of the actual film.

Chaplin uses character arguments to portray the ideology that any person or group of people have the power to change history for the better or worse. This is clearly evident when the Dictator states, “Not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power”. Chaplin enforces this ideology by acting as the two main characters within the film: ‘the Barber’ who is a Jewish war hero with amnesia, and ‘the Dictator’ who speaks with German-type linguistics, is identified as of ‘Tomanian’ descendant and aspires to ‘conquer’ the world. However, both the Barber and the Dictator played by Chaplin shows they are essentially the same character throughout the entire film, reiterating the ideology that all men are equal and have the power to cause change.

Barthes’ theory of semiotics is employed because the target audiences immediately ident...

... middle of paper ...

... he effectively uses of phrases such as, “We think too much and feel too little”, which invokes remorse and conviction. When the audience is faced with this discourse and judgment they are persuaded to attempt to find ways to fix it.

The Great Dictator’s speech uses persuasive techniques to convince the target audience to believe that the “free and beautiful” way of life that is inherent in humans has been overtaken by violence and greed. Chaplin calls the audience to action and persuasively encourages a change in society’s behaviour to “Fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance”. Chaplin’s effective use of character, semiotics and repetition intentionally persuades the target audience both in the film and those viewing the film to “unite” and be kind to each other for the prosperity of the human race.