Emperor

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In the midst of the Warring States period in China, one man sought to cease the fighting. Chin Shi Huangdi started off as just the king of the State of Qin, but his harsh and bloody actions led to the unification of China. This is just one of the reasons that he has been remembered throughout time. Though Chin Shi Huangdi has long since been dead, many still speculate his peculiar character and great accomplishments such as the Great Wall and China's unification. Because of this his character is thrust into movie and stories, each with a different interpretation of Chin Shi Huangdi. There are four particular works of literature and film that really focus on the Emperor Qin, these are Hero, The First Emperor of China, Kingdom, and Bridge of Birds. Some of these literary and film works are similar in the way they present the emperor, while others are completely separate in their portrayal. One of the most famous portrayal of the first emperor happens in the movie Hero. The movie Hero is special because it shows the emperor as a calm and almost kind man. This differs from the man that is shown in The First Emperor of China, Kingdom and Bridge of Birds. In the movie, when Nameless tells the emperor lies, the emperor doesn't instantly kill him. By then, the emperor knew that Nameless meant to kill him, and he just sits there calmly having a discussion with Nameless about what he thought happened. In the documentary The First Emperor of China, the emperor is everything but calm. He finds out that his mother had been sleeping with one of his advisers, creating two illegitimate children that the adviser planned to make emperor. While the adviser is launching an attack on the castle, the emperor commands that the two children are to be k... ... middle of paper ... ...ied China. Today, the people of China retain this ideal of unification that was brought forth by the emperor. Though his success in bringing China together was short lived, China became one again just like he always wanted. Since the emperor is associated with a variety of things, apathy, immortality, unity, strength, it is no wonder that there is such a contrast in the ways he is depicted. He is such an interesting man because of his insanity but also because of his ability to run government and bring people together. Most rulers are seen as either benevolent or evil, but the Emperor Qin acted both ways. He sought to protect his people while continually oppressing them. As time goes one his legend will continue to pass on. His image may change depending on the time but no matter how the future treats his image he will always be known as The First Emperor of China.

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