Gladiator is a tragedy, a drama, an action, an adventure, and a love story. It develops on many themes including; revenge, honor, loyalty, deception, power and perseverance. The director's primary thematic purpose, however, is a constant throughout the entire film that holds the plot together to revolve around this goal. The author uses various characterization techniques such as; indirect character development, caricatures to advance the progression of dynamic characters, and including tragic events that immediately alter the character's state of mind to build on the main thematic purpose of needing to achieve one's goal at all costs. The opening scene of a film is always important as it establishes the main character and the setting. Ridley Scott uses a lot of imagery and symbolism in the opening sequence to manipulate the viewer's emotions. The film opens with a scene in which the main character and protagonist, Massimo, runs his hand along the tops of a corn field in a tranquil setting that we assume is his home. The public's perception of this man is immediately that of the typical family man, kind, thoughtful and gentle. Almost immediately the scene shifts to a battlefield where Maximus is seen as an eminent leader and dignified general. The scene is dark, cloudy and snowy, and Maximus, the father of the family, immediately transforms into a robust and tenacious warrior. The director symbolizes these two personalities of Massimo by showing the rows of wheat in his house where he is a serene family man and the rows of tents on the battlefield where he is a powerful soldier. It is obvious in the introduction of Maximus' character that his main goal or purpose is to return home to his family. Scott's use... middle of paper... the mob and through his actions overthrew a powerful and ambitious dictator and provided a “democracy” in Rome. The audience might be confused as to what Massimo's goal is, revenge or returning to his family, but Massimo's main goal is to return to his family after avenging their honor and thus he achieves both. Gladiator includes many themes such as revenge, power, duty, and honor, but the main theme involved all those parts in the struggle to achieve the main goal. The director takes liberties in characterization by using indirect characterization through imagery, symbolism, and actions, including caricatures, to influence the perception of other characters and the occurrence of a crucial tragic event that significantly changed the main character to achieve the thematic purpose main of the need to sacrifice oneself to achieve one's main goal at all costs.