THE POWER OF WORDS HOW A TYRANT INSPIRES HOPE AND ENLIGHTENMENT
Using the archetype “Power of Words” a famous speech was delivers on the stage by one of the greatest pioneers of the film industry Mr. Charlie Chaplin. “The Great Dictator’s Speech” was a mythical moment in the history of film for two reasons. The first being, this was the moment the most beloved and famous tramp of all, became a dictator. The second was, the words spoken by this tyrant were to become timeless words of hope and enlightenment.
It is the Intention of this paper to identify and discuss the archetype, the power of words. Therefor, a brief introduction explaining Mr. Carl Jung’s concept will precede the discussion. An archetype can be, Carl Jung suggested, some sort …show more content…
It will now be demonstrated how this archetype exists in the film presentation “The Great Dictator’s Speech”. The character of the dictator was created at a point in history when many around the world were suffering great inequalities, none more so than the people in Germany. The people of Germany were being collectively subjected to punishment because their leaders had just lost a massive war, World War One. The Great War as English edited history books record it involved Germany, his European neighbors and two greater powers, Russia and the United States of America. Germany was collection of German speaking nations that was formed by force into a federal nation under the absolute power of the Prussian elite; Emperor Fredrick the Great and Otto von Bismarck, 43 years earlier in 1871. This was a response to a power struggle between the Prussian Empire and the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Incidentally, after a very bloody four year war from 1914 to 1918 the people of this fledgling federation were ordered to pay reparations for the destructions that were a direct consequence of that war. This created much suffering and germinated the seeds that grew a tremendous vine of hate that spread its life chocking tendrils deep into mainly the working class but also some of the upper class society of Germany. Adolf Hitler’s release from prison …show more content…
In his book “My Struggle” he showed people like Mr. Chaplin how words have a power to unite people who ordinarily would never share the same ideology. Nevertheless, Hitler’s position as chancellor of Germany gave him a platform to speak to the world. His rhetoric while not being pleasant, was eloquent in its tone and delivery, it successfully conveyed the will of the people by satisfying their appetite for unity against an unjust economic oppression being leveled against them. Interestingly, the desire to be united behind words that offered compassion through anger, were the words Mr. Chaplin and other intellectuals became aggravated by. The very way how Hitler used his voice to convince people of his empathy and how his way of speaking hypnotized millions was not only remarkable but helped Mr. Chaplin make “The Dictator’s Great Speech.” Also, at the same time the power of Hitler’s rhetoric caused millions to cower in fear that they would be seen as unpatriotic if they did not accept those words. Patriotism was used as the doctrine to unite a people who believed that, they were being unfairly mistreated and this was sufficient to force a collective consensus with his message. Interestingly, even though it was later shown the majority did not support the racist components of that message. He spoke to, the many ethnic Germans living in mineral rich territories not under the rule of
Using the archetype “Power of Words” a famous speech was delivers on the stage by one of the greatest pioneers of the film industry Mr. Charlie Chaplin. “The Great Dictator’s Speech” was a mythical moment in the history of film for two reasons. The first being, this was the moment the most beloved and famous tramp of all, became a dictator. The second was, the words spoken by this tyrant were to become timeless words of hope and enlightenment.
It is the Intention of this paper to identify and discuss the archetype, the power of words. Therefor, a brief introduction explaining Mr. Carl Jung’s concept will precede the discussion. An archetype can be, Carl Jung suggested, some sort …show more content…
It will now be demonstrated how this archetype exists in the film presentation “The Great Dictator’s Speech”. The character of the dictator was created at a point in history when many around the world were suffering great inequalities, none more so than the people in Germany. The people of Germany were being collectively subjected to punishment because their leaders had just lost a massive war, World War One. The Great War as English edited history books record it involved Germany, his European neighbors and two greater powers, Russia and the United States of America. Germany was collection of German speaking nations that was formed by force into a federal nation under the absolute power of the Prussian elite; Emperor Fredrick the Great and Otto von Bismarck, 43 years earlier in 1871. This was a response to a power struggle between the Prussian Empire and the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. Incidentally, after a very bloody four year war from 1914 to 1918 the people of this fledgling federation were ordered to pay reparations for the destructions that were a direct consequence of that war. This created much suffering and germinated the seeds that grew a tremendous vine of hate that spread its life chocking tendrils deep into mainly the working class but also some of the upper class society of Germany. Adolf Hitler’s release from prison …show more content…
In his book “My Struggle” he showed people like Mr. Chaplin how words have a power to unite people who ordinarily would never share the same ideology. Nevertheless, Hitler’s position as chancellor of Germany gave him a platform to speak to the world. His rhetoric while not being pleasant, was eloquent in its tone and delivery, it successfully conveyed the will of the people by satisfying their appetite for unity against an unjust economic oppression being leveled against them. Interestingly, the desire to be united behind words that offered compassion through anger, were the words Mr. Chaplin and other intellectuals became aggravated by. The very way how Hitler used his voice to convince people of his empathy and how his way of speaking hypnotized millions was not only remarkable but helped Mr. Chaplin make “The Dictator’s Great Speech.” Also, at the same time the power of Hitler’s rhetoric caused millions to cower in fear that they would be seen as unpatriotic if they did not accept those words. Patriotism was used as the doctrine to unite a people who believed that, they were being unfairly mistreated and this was sufficient to force a collective consensus with his message. Interestingly, even though it was later shown the majority did not support the racist components of that message. He spoke to, the many ethnic Germans living in mineral rich territories not under the rule of