You can see tragic heroes in books and movies in any type of genre. However, some characters have the characteristics of the classic tragic heroes other have that modern day version of a tragic hero. From the movie Gladiator (1999) , the main character Maximus who was once a general of the Roman army became a gladiator which leads to him saving the Roman Empire from the notorious Emperor Commodus. Some believe that Maximus is a classic example of a tragic hero and some believe that he is not. I on the other hand believe that Maximus is a tragic hero because his traits apply more on the modern day definition of a tragic …show more content…
However, he does fit some of those traits. For example, Maximus in the beginning of the movie was the general of the Roman army. He originally came from Spain but own land in that area where his family lives. After years with fighting in the Roman army he gain their respect and loyalty. From this it shows that he may not only came from high stature but also his wisdom which results to the loyalty and respect from the Roman army. Another classic example that Maximus portrays in the movie is that he has a fate that is greater than what he really deserves. Meaning to say that Maximus tragically dies because Commodus, the Emperor, stabbed him with a poisoned dagger before they fought in the arena. These traits just show that Maximus could be a tragic hero. It may not fit all of Aristotle 's characteristics but Maximus does cover the characteristics of a modern day tragic