Maximus As A Tragic Hero

According to Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, a hero must five different characteristics to be considered a tragic hero. First, they must be of noble birth or they must be wise. Second, they must have a “fatal flaw” or a trait that is unchangeable. The protagonist has to undergo a reversal of fortune where their life gets turned around into a different direction. They must realize that their flaw caused the reversal of fortune before the plot ends or the character dies. Lastly, they must receive a fate greater than they deserve. If one characteristic is absent, Aristotle says they cannot be considered a tragic hero. However, the modern translation of a tragic hero creates exceptions for some of those rules. Such as there is no Hamartia, or closure. The hero often times is a commoner rather than noble.
In the movie Gladiator, the protagonist is Maximus. He was a general in the Roman army who ended up in slavery due to the killing of the caesar by the caesar’s son. The
Maximus is not from noble birth, but he is very wise. He becomes part of the nobility due to his intelligence and wisdom. He came from Spain, but Spain was annexed by Rome. He became a general and was loved by his soldiers. In the beginning of the movie, you see his soldiers bowing to him but also they are friendly. Then, they loyally follow him into the fight, obeying his every command. He’s respected and considered noble. At the end of the plot, Commodus challenges Maximus to a fight. Commodus knows he won’t win so he stabs Maximus with a knife that is believed to be poisonous. Then, they enter the arena and fight. Maximus’ mind is blurred but he still ends up winning the fight. Unfortunately, the sword wound killed him. He didn’t deserve to die by the hand of Commodus. He deserved to see Rome liberated. Thus, he fits Aristotle’s description that the hero must have a fate greater than he