Speech On The Great Dictator

In his first speaking role, Charlie Chaplin makes one of the most moving and thought-provoking speeches in history. The Great Dictator, a movie written, produced, directed, and starring Charlie Chaplin, premiered on October 15, 1940, while the United States was still promoting appeasement with Nazi Germany. The plot circles around two characters, both played by Chaplin. One is a dictator and the other is a Jewish barber who is a doppelganger of the dictator. Ultimately, the barber is confused with the dictator himself. The core of the film is when the barber is given the opportunity to speak to the people of two combatant countries as the dictator; however, the speech is more directed toward the viewers outside of the film than to the dictator’s

audience within the movie.
The delivery of the speech seamlessly maintains the mockery of Hitler as Chaplin directly mirrors the common pattern Hitler used in addresses. Hitler had a very specific strategy to his speeches; he would begin calmly and quietly, and as the speech progressed he became increasingly impassioned. Chaplin, posing as the dictator begins his speech speaking delicately. As the speech progresses, he becomes more and more emotionally involved and passionate about what he is saying. His voice level rises, he begins gesturing wildly, and everything he is saying becomes more relatable because of his delivery. Before the audience even takes into account what is being said, they are intrigued by the simple fact that the presenter is so captivated with his subject. The audience is immediately more attuned to the speaker because of his intensity. They are captured by his delivery, and thus are exhilarated about the plea to better humanity.
Once Chaplin captures his audience by his delivery tactic, he is in the key position to provoke his listeners to react to his appeal. He claims that humanity has sacrificed the responsibility to provide a quality life to all people with the responsibility of greed, hate, pessimism, and violence. He uses intensely charged words that cut straight to the core of human emotion. One of the most electrifying statements he makes is that “We think too much and feel too little: more than machinery, we need humanity; more that cleverness we need kindness”. Humanity is immediately criticized, but the critique is necessary. Chaplin’s use of pathos to call his audience to action is outstanding. He uses phrases such as “We think too much and feel too little” to conjure up feelings of remorse and conviction regarding the current state of affairs in the human population. When the audience is faced with this judgment and experiences these emotions, they immediately begin looking for ways to reverse the opinion.
By this time in the speech, the audience is seeking a call to action.

His claim that “the very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all” supplies hope to the population that not all is lost. He states, “The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress” supplied the perfect pathos at that moment. At a time when the dictator, Hitler, was spreading his hatred all around Europe, the future looked unwelcoming. However, Chaplin provides the perfect channel to those listening to realize they can become stewards of the beautiful and free life. This channel is fully opened when he pronounces that “the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. And then in the name of democracy, let’s use that power, let us all unite.” Chaplin’s emotionally saturated statements instill a series of feelings in his audience, beginning with penance, leading to hope, and then finishing with elation, motivation, and a call to action.

At a time when the world seemed to be crumbling, Charlie Chaplin provided a call to action to revive the state of humanity. By accessing a powerful delivery and a very stimulating emotional proposal, he effectively conjures up the deterioration of liberty and energizes his world audience to “fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance”. He fully evokes his audience to stand against injustice and to unite together against the “unnatural men”, mainly the great dictator Hitler. He provides the world with a reason and avenue to better life for

all.