Religion and Theology

Three different steps in the journey of the hero
The hero in literature goes through the journey that is deemed impossible by others and succeeds in it.  The journey is psychological as well as physical.  It depicts the different stages in the growth or change, in the psychological set up of the hero.  This Hero Journey, according to Campbell, consists of three stages Separation or Departure, the Trials and Victories of Initiation, and the Return and Reunion. The knowledge that he acquires in the journey, through numerous trials and tribulations, is used by the hero to achieve personal greatness (Spiegel.D. 1998).

The plot of the film THEGLADIATOR
The film, directed by Ridley Scott, with Maximus played by Russell Crowe, was released in 2000. Marcus Aurelius, the dying emperor of Rome has named Maximus, Decimus Meridias as the keeper of the empire, as a first step towards democratization of the country. But Commodus, the power hungry son of the emperor, steals the life as well as the crown of the emperor.  The general escapes the execution and goes to save the wife and kid.  He is too late to save his family and is taken as a slave and trained to be a gladiator.  They perform in the arena and Maximus soon gets involved in a plot to bring the emperor to his knees.  Even though the coupe fails, the emperor is killed and Maximus is stabbed with a poisoned knife, to which he succumbs.  He joins his wife and kid in Elysium (Plot Summary for  HYPERLINK httpwww.imdb.comtitlett0172495 Gladiator, 2010).

The Journey of the hero  applied to the film THE GLADIATOR
First Stage The journey must begin with the call to adventure  our hero should be summoned to the journey by either some external or internal force. It could be the bidding of an external person or the call for self-growth in the person.  Here, Marcus Aurelius is called by the emperor to fight for him as a general to his army.  He is so beloved to the emperor that he is considered by His Majesty the emperor to succeed him to the throne.  This information proves fatal to the emperor and the general as very ambitious Commodus gains knowledge of this information.  The general tries to escape but is caught.  His wife and child are murdered and he is sold to the slave traders. He is attacked by the slave traders, captured and taken in a stretcher. It is here that the transition of the hero to the stage of initiation takes place. The stretcher on which the general lies moves over the desert.  The movement is in and out of consciousness.  The general loses his identity and only the man is left behind. The movement of the stretcher and the varied angle of the shot transcend the hero to the next stage of the journey (Spiegel.D. 1998).

The Initiation
The second stage is of high importance.  This stage converts the innocent child into the hero of magnificent stature. This stage must be completed and the goal should be attained.  The hero is faced with a succession of trials, which he must complete in a dream landscape, says Campbell.  Even though there is the physical aspect of the journey, the psychological aspect of the journey should also be considered.  Maximus first faces the selection process to be a gladiator, then the arena.  He hides his real identity behind an assumed name and a mask.  He cleverly manipulates the resources that he has and with some luck is able to inform friends in the high positions that he is back in Rome.

All the heroes are given mentors.  There is Athena for Odysseus, Apollo for Orestes and Thetis for Achilles. Maximus is provided by a number of mentors too.  First, he receives Proximus, who, even though unknowingly, helps Maximus.  Then there is Lucilla, the half sister of the emperor.  She is in love with the man and his heroic demeanor. Finally, we have Gracchus, the democratic senator. These mentors actually appear towards the end of the film as part of the plot rather than at the beginning of the Initiation stage (Spiegel.D 1998).

In the next step of the journey, the Belly of the whale, the hero shows willingness for rebirth and coming back to life. Maximus determination to face the murderer of his wife and son adjusts him to his situation.  His comrade gladiators are amazed at his skill as they are unaware of his identity. Often his behavior is not comprehended by his friends. It is in this stage that he prefers to hide his identity under the mask.

The hero goes through the Road of Trials, which is a major part of initiation.  The hero must suffer these trials and win over them so that they can be utilized as stepping stones in his path to glory.  These trials change him from the child-like stage and alter his vision.  Maximus main trial is the murder of his wife and son at the hand of Commodus.  The rest is actually done to a dead man.  His only motive in life is to have revenge on the murderer.  Most of the graphic fights in the arena are not trials at all since he has faced the real battle field.  But his preparation to confront the emperor, his manipulation of the Roman people, his attempt at the coupe and his magnificence in protecting his fellow gladiators are all trials from which he comes out with flying colors.

Lucilla, the sister of the emperor acts both as the goddess and the woman as temptress part of the initiation.  She is in love with Maximus from the beginning of the film.  He is faithful to his wife though.  She is attracted to his character when she comes to visit him in prison and it is only expected by the viewer.   It is to her that the tagline of the film is uttered by the hero Father of a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife and I shall have my vengeance in this life or the next and it is vengeance that this hero has (Summary of the heros journey, 2010).

Maximus continuous acts of selfless heroism earn him the right to be a great hero.  Rome presented in this film is not at all romantic, but this Roman is not found to be wanting in heroism.  He is great enough to forgive Lucilla, and agrees to help her. He also agrees to help the Senator, Gracchus to give Rome back to the people.  He magnanimously helps many slaves to keep their lives and takes on five enemies once in the arena, protecting the others (Taglines for  HYPERLINK httpwww.imdb.comtitlett0172495 Gladiator, 2010).

Conclusion
The Reunion The film is rated R , but can very well be used to teach about the archetypal hero.  The music and light setting of the film are also used to reinforce the Greek hero archetype.  Elysium is always set in contrast with the commotion-violence filled backgrounds that Maximus finds himself.  He yearns to visit them in his farmhouse, where his wife and son live.  This farmhouse later turns into Elysium.  It is where he returns, completing the full cycle of the journey of the hero (Maximus and Odysseus, 2010).