In the movie The Great Dictator, Charlie Chaplin depicts a dictator named Hynkel who is racist, opportunistic, and a totalitarian ruler of a fictitious country called Romania. Chaplin uses a great deal of sarcasm in the movie to present ideas that influence viewers. Sarcasm used in the movie effectively shows us with humor and pointed messages how fascism is used to consolidate Henkel's power by blaming Jews for everything and how that is against humanity. One example that is full of sarcasm is that Hynkel wants to invade the country of Osterlich but needs money to fund the invasion. He decides to change his policy of retribution against the Jews until he gets his loan. He decides to borrow money from a Jewish …show more content…
He runs haplessly away from the gestapo-like soldiers, alternatively scared, fumbling, dropping his hat and cane, and at times heroic standing up to protect his girlfriend Hannah and his people. When in an ironic twist, he is able to switch roles with the dictator Hynkel due to their looking alike, he uses the ironic sarcasm of the moment in his final, powerful speech at the end. In his speech, the Jewish barber speaks up for what is good in humanity, how we deserve to live by each other's happiness, and how dictators have lost the way due to greed and lack of recognition of how important humanity is.
In conclusion, sarcasm is used very effectively in the movie The Great Dictator by Charlie Chaplin to teach us that totalitarianism and racism are destructive and immoral policies. Chaplin uses many examples, both humorous and full of pathos in his movie to show how the dictator Hynkel, although bumbling is yet deadly in his ability to carry out deadly policies against the Jews in his country. His film is more easily able to teach viewers that message because Chaplin uses sarcastic humor in such an effective