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 the injustices committed against the victims of Nazi persecution. The Great Dictator was released during a time in history when the United States and the United Kingdom were still trying to appease and please Hitler to avoid the outbreak of another world war. This essay analyzes the persuasive techniques of character, semiotics and repetition, as well as the effective use of the appeal to pathos in 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 the 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 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 reinforces this ideology by acting as the film's two main characters: "the Barber", who is a Jewish war hero suffering from amnesia, and "the dictator" who speaks with German-like linguistics, is identified as a "Tomanian" descendant " and aspires to “conquer” the world. However, both the Barber and the Dictator played by Chaplin show that they are essentially the same character throughout the film, reiterating the ideology that all men are equal and have the power to bring about change. Barthes' semiotic theory is used because the target audience immediately ident... middle of paper... effectively uses phrases such as "We think too much and feel too little", which evokes remorse and conviction. When the audience is faced with this discourse and judgment, they are persuaded to try to find ways to resolve it. The Great Dictator's speech uses persuasive techniques to convince the audience to believe that the “free and beautiful” lifestyle that is inherent to human beings has been overtaken by violence and greed. Chaplin calls the audience to action and persuasively encourages a change in society's behavior: “Fight to free the world, eliminate national barriers, eliminate greed, hatred and intolerance.” Chaplin's effective use of character, semiotics, and repetition intentionally persuades the target audience both in the film and those watching the film to "unite" and be kind to each other for the prosperity of the human race.