“Revenge is bittersweet,” some like to say. Well, say what they will: William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” and the 2000 film “Gladiator” have many similar aspects to their stories, but the main similarity lies in the desire for revenge of their main characters, Hamlet and Maximus. The similarity between their quests can be seen in the words they speak about revenge. Hamlet declares that he will avenge his father in a short speech. Hamlet says the following of the perfect lines for his act: “A villain kills my father; and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (Hamlet 3.3.77-79). Upon discovering his murderous uncle praying alone, Hamlet is giving his reason for why he will not kill Claudius while the latter is praying, referencing that, according to Christian beliefs, if Claudius is to end up in hell where Hamlet wants him, he must be killed without having had a chance to pray for his soul.…show more content… When Maximus faces the disloyal Commodus for the first time since becoming a gladiator, he tells him, “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the north, general of the Felix legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next” (Gladiator, 2000). This is the first time Maximus clearly states his desire for revenge, and it is a powerful statement because it ties his identity to his resolve to kill Commodus -resolve so firm that, should he not succeed in his current life, he will certainly succeed in
Maximus from Ridley Scott's Gladiator or characters from ancient literature like Achilles from Homer's The Iliad, all tragic heroes possess this potential for greatness,…
