The Gladiator (1831)- Robert Montgomery Bird

The attached photo shows an American actor by the name of Edwin Forrest, portraying The Gladiator in an 1836 theatrical interpretation of the 1831 novel. While the play became much more famous, I am going to discuss the significance of the novel. The novel is telling of a Roman gladiator, Spartacus, and his revolt against the Roman tyrannical government. According to Richards, this novel shows the relationship between American colonists and the imperial rule the British Empire in the 19th Century. Based on the novel, the British Empire is portrayed by the Roman government, and Spartacus is the American revolutionaries. This relates to the classical ideals of the 19th Century by portraying strong nationalism and independence from an over-ruling empire. Americans viewed the characteristics of gladiators as an achievement of "physical force" which was conceived as the American foundation during the 19th Century. Even great Americans, such as George Washington, idealized the Roman gladiators.