گلادیاتور

My decision disappoints you?

You wrote to me once…

listing the four chief virtues.

Wisdom, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

As I read the list, I knew I had none of them.

But I have other virtues, father.

Ambition. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel.

Resourcefulness, courage.

Perhaps not on the battlefield, but there are many forms of courage.

Devotion to my family, to you.

But none of my virtues were on your list.

Even then it was as if you didn’t want me for your son.

Commodus, you go too far.

I searched the faces of the gods for ways to please you, to make you proud.

One kind word, one full hug, where you pressed me your chest and held me tight.

All I’ve ever wanted was to live up to you.

Your faults as a son is my failure as a father.

I would butcher [slaughter] the whole world, if you would only have loved me!

When the Emperor tells Commodus that he won’t be the next emperor. he replies…

Which wiser, older man is to take my place?

Did you notice the use of the present simple to refer to the future?

This use of grammar is not common in colloquial speech, but it’s present in this representation of classical English.

Here he also uses the present simple.

Rome is to be a republic again.

You’ll notice something similar in news reporting, especially in headlines where the future is expressed with a verb in the infinitive.

Here’s an example of a headlines:

President to visit Canada for further talks.

New Covid-19 vaccine to be tested this month.

My powers will pass to Maximus, to hold in trust, until the Senate is ready to rule once more.

As a verb, to rule means to have the official power to control a country and the people who live there.

You’ll hear this word in movies or in historical accounts of kings or queens from the past.

Example: Queen Victoria ruled England for 64 years.

However, nowadays, we would use the word govern.

You wrote to me once, listing the four chief virtues.

Chief means most important.

Example: One of the chief causes of crime today is drugs.

A virtue is particular good quality in someone’s character. We’ll see the opposite in a bit.

Wisdom, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

Wisdom is the knowledge that a person has obtained throughout their life.

We have a man who starves himself to death, a man who lets his own brother murder him, and a man who thinks that winning and ruling are the same thing.

What do they all lack?

Wisdom.

Yes!

Wisdom is what makes a good king.

Yes.

The adjective from is wise.

In the beginning of the clip he asks what wiser man is going to replace him as the emperor.

Fortitude means courage shown when you are in great pain or experiencing a lot of trouble.

Which of the words below do you think we’d use more in everyday English?

A: Strength

B: force

C: Leadership

The next word is temperance.

If a person shows temperance, they have a strong mind and are self-disciplined, especially with the things they eat, drink or do.

A more common word for this nowadays is moderation.

But I have other virtues, father.

Ambition. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel.

If something drives us to do something, it strongly influences us to do that.

We generally use this to talk about the desires or feelings that make us do something.

He may be nervous, it may be a daunting prospect.

but he’s got ambition. It drives him, and I admire that.

Good.

If ambition drives us to excel, it causes us to achieve excellence in something.

Check out this example where they also use drive, but as a noun.

Ever do yoga?

No, not usually.

I don’t really excel at athletics unless there’s somebody to beat.

I’d like to avoid competition.

I think that drive may have triggered your abuse in the first place.

Resourcefulness, courage.

Perhaps not on the battlefield, but there are many forms of courage.

If you’re a resourceful person, you’re good at finding ways of dealing with problems.

Resourcefulness is the noun form of this word.

We would say this in a phrase like: “ He showed resourcefulness in dealing with the issue. “

The battlefield refers to the physical area where a battle is contested.

We see plenty of that in Gladiator.

Devotion to my family, to you.

If you’re devoted to something, or if you devoted yourself to something, you spend a lot of time and energy doing it.

Devotion is the noun form. This is also often used to talk about one’s devotion to a deity: devotion to God.

My only remaining wish… is to devote my life to the Seve.

All I’ve ever wanted was to live up to you.

What he means here is that he wished to become a leader as good as his father.

We commonly use this expression to talk about expectation.

meaning, how good we think something will be.

For example. if you say:

“The movie didn’t live up to my expectations.”

You’re saying that the movie wasn’t as good as you thought it would be.

Endings are never easy.

I always build them up so much in my head, they can’t possibly live up to my expectations, and I just end up disappointed.

Your faults as a son is my failure as a father.

A fault is a weakness or a bad quality a person has. It’s the opposite of virtue.

After killing his father, Commodus claims the throne and asks for Maximus’ loyalty.

Lament with me, brother. Our great father is dead.

Your emperor asks for your loyalty, Maximus.

Take my hand…

I only offer it once.

When Maximus refuses to accept him as the Emperor, Commodus’ army tries to kill him.

He escapes and later is captured and sold as a slave, then made to fight as a gladiator.

When the Emperor enters, raise your weapons, salute him, and then speak together.

Face the Emperor and don’t turn your back on him.

Go, and die with honor.

Anyone here been in the army?

Yes. I served with you at Vindobona.

You can help me.

Whatever comes out of these gates, we’ve got a better chance of survival if we work together.

Do you understand?

If we stay together, we survive.

Lament with me, brother. Our great father is dead.

When we lament something, we express feelings of sadness.

As used in this clip, this often collocates as in, “To lament the death of someone.”

Example: The nation lamented the death of its great war leader.

Your emperor asks for your loyalty, Maximus.

If someone shows loyalty or is loyal to someone, they show support and follow the rules imposed by a person.

This is common in movies and TV shows about kings.

We both saw that… thing.

and I’m not looking forward to seeing more of them.

But I’m loyal to the Queen, and you’re loyal to Sansa and her dolt brother.

When the Emperor enters, raise your weapons, salute him, and then speak together.

In the context of this scene, to salute means to greet someone in a polite way.

This is also what soldiers in the military do when they see a superior.

Morning, sire.

Get your hands down! Do not salute me.

There’s goddamn snipers all around this area who would love to grease an officer.

Face the Emperor and don’t turn your back on him.

If you turn your back on a person, you stop facing them and turn around, showing your back.

We say this is a literal sense, but also in a figurative one.

If you turn your back on someone figuratively, you ignore them or don’t support them.

I know Cersei better than anyone here.

If you turn your back on her…

You don’t know Cersei better than anyone here.

I only meant to say…

That the woman who murdered my mother. father, and brother is dangerous?

Thank you for your wise counsel.

Anyone here been in the army?

Yes. I served with you at Vindobona.

You can help me.

When we say that a person served in the military, we mean that that person was part of it.

We also use this word to talk about someone’s work or official duties for an organization, country, ect.

Example: He served as an ambassador.

Whatever comes out of these gates, we’ve got a better chance of survival if we work together.

Survival is the noun form of survive.

Here’s another example with “chance of survival”:

Example: The doctors gave him a one in ten chance of survival.

We’ve never been friends.

We won’t become friends today.

This isn’t about friendship…

This is about survival.

You could also say that Maximus is about to fight for survival, as there’s likely to be casualties (deaths) in this battle.

Whatever comes out of these gates,

Now, let’s look at the connected speech in this sentence:

In this sentence, whatever, comes, and, gates are stressed.

They’re the content words of the sentence.

We don’t need to stress the other ones.

These two words connect with comes.

It’s comes-ou-duhv. [cum-zou-duhv]

Try mimicking how he says it:

Whatever comes out of these gates, [cum-zou-duhv]

Also notice the linking and reduction in this other sentence as well:

we’ve got a better chance of survival [wehv gotta better] if we work together.

My history’s a little hazy, Cassius, but shouldn’t the barbarians lose the Battle of Carthage?

Yes, sire.

Forgive me, sire.

No, I rather enjoy surprises. Who is he?

They call him the Spaniard, sire.

I think I’ll meet him.

Yes, sire.

Rise. Rise.

Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard.

I don’t think there’s ever been a gladiator to match you.

As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. Or was it Hercules?

Why doesn’t the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name?

You do have a name.

My name is Gladiator.

How dare you show your back to me? Slave!

You will remove your helmet and tell me your name.

My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the north, general of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife.

and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.

My history’s a little hazy, Cassius,

If an idea, memory, ect., is hazy it’s not clear or exact.

You might end up hurting the wrong people.

You know, I’m a little hazy about this whole right and wrong thing.

Who is he?

They call him the Spaniard, sire.

Spaniard is the adjective used to refer to people from Spain.

Maximus is called this because he is from the part of the Roman Empire that today is the country Spain.

Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard.

I don’t think there’s ever been a gladiator to match you.

Well deserved is a collocation that we say when someone has fully-merited or worked hard for something.

Morning.

As most of you are aware, Father Conroy is on a well-deserved vacation.

Then he says that there’s no match for him or no one can match his fighting skills.

This means that he’s so much better than everyone else.

We say this when there’s a big discrepancy between two things or people.

Mr. President, our statellites are showing Algeria’s military mobilizing to move on the insurgents’ stronghold of Tindouf.

Well there are 10,000 rebels and 40,000 civilians who’ll be no match for Haddad’s tank brigade.

As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. Or was it Hercules?

In Greek mythology, Hector was a Trojan Prince and greatest fighter for Troy in the Trojan War.

Hercules is a Roman hero and God famous for his strength.

You will not to be Emperor.

Which wiser, older man is to take my place?

My powers will pass to Maximus.

to hold in trust, until the Senate is ready to rule once more.

Rome is to be a republic again.

Maximus.

Yes.

My decision disappoints you?

You wrote to me once…

listing the four chief virtues.

Wisdom, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

As I read the list, I knew I had none of them.

But I have other virtues, father.

Ambition. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel.

Resourcefulness, courage.

Perhaps not on the battlefield, but there are many forms of courage.

Devotion to my family, to you.

But none of my virtues were on your list.

Even then it was as if you didn’t want me for your son.

Commodus, you go too far.

I searched the faces of the gods for ways to please you, to make you proud.

One kind word, one full hug, where you pressed me your chest and held me tight.

All I’ve ever wanted was to live up to you.

Your faults as a son is my failure as a father.

When the Emperor enters, raise your weapons, salute him, and then speak together.

Face the Emperor and don’t turn your back on him.

Go, and die with honor.

Anyone here been in the army?

Yes. I served with you at Vindobona.

You can help me.

Whatever comes out of these gates, we’ve got a better chance of survival if we work together.

Do you understand?

If we stay together, we survive.

My history’s a little hazy, Cassius, but shouldn’t the barbarians lose the Battle of Carthage?

Yes, sire.

Forgive me, sire.

No, I rather enjoy surprises. Who is he?

They call him the Spaniard, sire.

I think I’ll meet him.

Yes, sire.

Drop your weapons.

Gladiator, the Emperor has asked for you.

I am at the emperor’s service.

Rise.

Rise.

Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard.

I don’t think there’s ever been a gladiator to match you.

As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. Or was it Hercules?

Why doesn’t the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name?

You do have a name.

My name is Gladiator.

How dare you show your back to me? Slave!

You will remove your helmet and tell me your name.

My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the north, general of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife.

and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.