The Shakespearean play, Hamlet, and the movie Gladiator are tragedies about heroes trying to get revenge against people who wronged them. In order to do this, the main protagonists, Hamlet and Maximus, had to go through great lengths of planning and sacrifice. Both heroes had to make elaborate revenge plans. Hamlet and Maximus also gained assistance from trusted friends. The protagonists needed to go through a significant change in character in order to obtain vengeance. While there are many differences between the characters of Hamlet and Maximus, in both dramas various elements merge to make them similar tragic figures. .
One similarity between Hamlet and Maximus is that they had similar revenge plots. They are both trying to kill a person who acquired a position of power. Claudius killed Hamlet's father in order to gain control of Denmark and Commodus became the new emperor of Rome by killing his father. Both of the protagonists' need for revenge is fueled by the loss of loved ones. Hamlet wants to kill Claudius to avenge his father's death, and Maximus, who refused to swear his allegiance with the new emperor, wants to kill Commodus for executing his family. They also received instructions from the previous ruler of the state. Hamlet was given instructions by his father to avenge him. Marcus Aurelius, the previous ruler of Rome, gave instructions to Maximus that Rome would be a republic again and he would become its leader. Since Claudius killed Hamlet's father for power and Commodus killed his father to prevent a republic of Rome from surfacing, both of the antagonists can be seen as sources of corruption in the state.
Therefore, by killing off the antagonist and restoring order, both protagonists are also taking revenge for the sake of the state. Maximus and Hamlet also faced the antagonist in a duel, where they were both at a disadvantage. Claudius poisoned a sword that was used in the fight against Hamlet and gave it to Laertes.
