Monday, February 9, 2009
Exit Ticket - Spartacus, part I
Okay, now that you have seen the first part of this wonderful, brilliant, and groundbreaking movie (ok, perhaps I have exaggerated), comment on the social issues that might divide Rome during this late Republican era. By this point in the movie, you have been introduced to the patricians (Crassus and Glabrus), the plebeians (Lentulus Bitiatus and later Gracchus), and the working people or the slaves (Spartacus). They all have different agendas for Rome and their classes. Are these social issues irreconcilable? That is, is conflict inevitable amongst these groups?
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There are many social issues that divided Rome during this era. There is an obvious difference in wealth. The slaves in this movie are constantly working to become strong individuals. The higher classes are buying slaves like when varinia [i think thats how you spell it] was bought. Wealth you could say is an obvious conflict, Slaves were abundant in Rome, and many have been slaves since they were teens. Power also divided these classes. The slaves had the lest amount of power, judging on how they had no choice of who they were sold to or what they did. Spartacus was accused of being animal like and was thrown into a cage type thing. The higher classes obviously held higher power, they could boss the slaves around, buy them, sell them and such. They put the slaves through intense training, and taught them skills on how to kill, cripple, and slowly kill their opponent. They fought to the death, that was their job, and the people who owned them made sure they were capable of this. Social issues divided Rome weather it be because of power in the social classes, or the wealth. In this case the slaves like Spartacus had no power or wealth, they just had to obey their "master". However the higher classes were well set, and had power to do whatever, or mostly whatever. Rome was divided due to these social issues presented in the movie.
Social issues that divided Rome are seen through the movie. As we saw, Spartacus is held as a slave like many others. Women during this time are able to be "bought" for marriage. Also, women can be kept as slaves to wait on the men. Women in the movie were offered as a type of "prize" for the men who worked hard as slaves. This social corruption among genders, economic status, and social classes ultimately would divide Rome. In general, this type of life style destroys many societies and even still exists today in some forms.
It defiantly seems in the movie that there is a distinct shift when dealing with people from a different class. Like when the women slave was serving wine to the higher up class people she didn’t have any emotion and she seemed even afraid because when she spilled wine ion them she ran away in fright. Also when in the beginning the man was buying slaves they took a man like an animal and showed them their teeth and it was like they were dogs or something. It is really interesting to see how the lower class people react to the higher class of people.
Megg
There were many social issues that caused Rome to stand divided. The caste system disabled Rome to be unified. As you could see there was a large difference between the rights and privledges of the slaves and the wealthy. The power was not at all evenly distributed through the classes. This caused a lot of conflict within Rome. These issues are still present and pertainant in todays time. Discrimination against classes divides civilizations.
Although I was not in class to see the beginning of the movie, Spartacus, I looked it up on Google and read the plot summary of the first part of the movie. Working in the mines, Spartacus and the slaves were used as labor and were treated as “non-people”. When Spartacus was selected to be trained as a gladiator, he became part of the “entertainment” for the upper class when the wealthy Roman Senator, Marcus Crassus came to the area and wanted them to fight to the death so he and his lady friends could watch. When Spartacus does not play by the rules, it causes rebellion and chaos. This was inevitable as the many social classes had hard feelings amongst each other to begin with. Even women are treated as things to be owned. The Roman social system did not expect someone like Spartacus to organize a revolt that would actually be a threat to the Roman army. The Senate can’t stand to let him go and this shows that each part of the society in Rome was obsessed with gaining and showing power.
You could clearly see the social issues in rome in this movie. Sparticus and the other slaves weren't even considered people more like animals, although animals were probably treated better. What I was surprised to see was that they kept women as slaves. I was surprised to see that and what they did to the woman. The wealthy people bought men to fight to the death for their own entertainment. Then that one man just decided to buy Varinia like she was just an object.
In the Roman era the people who were considered at the top of the chain were the wealthy with power. The ones that were at the lowest were the slaves such as Spartacus. Throughout the movie you can see how the slaves are treated compared to the wealthy. The slaves are located in dark rooms. Having no rights they are "bought" by the wealthy. However this time Spartacus as well as other slaves are "enrolling" at the school of Capua. There we see multiple examples of condescending people. From the most cared to the least noticed. While the wealthy are in extraordinary positions enjoying life, "buying" the less important, ignoring the fact of equality, although they could be given a chance because some could of been taught this way rather than normaly be.
A slave or a noble certainly shows the different social issues in Rome. The nobles could buy the slaves and make them fight to the death if they choose to where as the slaves could do nothing but just try to survive everyday. The women slaves were just used for physical pleasures for the gladiators or nobles and took cook to. *Typical Women Jobs* I think there will be a conflict between these classes because one would be tired of being control and the fear of not knowing of having to fight your best slave friend in a gladiator battle to the death.
rome and its three classes have drastic differences in attitude and lifestyle. the patricians are head and shoulders above the rest in terms of wealth. this means that they can also be generous (as demonstrated with the gladiator school guy). the plebians are just trying to live comfortably and the slaves just trying to live.
I just want to commend Katelyn on her perseverance and dedication; most kids would use not being in class to their advantage and skip the blog. If I were your teacher I would give you a gold star*. In the movie there were several levels of power that I saw. Obviously the slaves (Spartacus) were at the lowest level. This fact was easily discernable due to the fact that they were being worked to the max. The slaves were pushed around by people who were not covered in sweet and blood from relentless work and enjoyed little to no freedom. On the next level were people like Lentulus, Bitiatus, and, Gracchus. They were the second to last class out of the three and they were the people who sold the slaves. (I may be wrong about that last part…the movie was a little difficult to understand.) The next class would most likely be politicians and senators and the people who baught the slaves.
Romans are bums. They were clear socially divided during their earlier days. Who does that sound like…? Correct us. Like in the film through the vision portrayed upon Spartacus and his men, alone, shows social division. But the thing to take note of was their advantage upon women. In the movie the woman directly tells Spartacus that she is not a piece of meat which is what she has been portrayed as her life in Rome. Spartacus being the gentleman he is returns her robe and she covers her exposed breasts.
I wasn't in class today because the band had to play for Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday stamp. So I tried to look up the movie at home. Unfortunately the only online movie I could find of Spartacus was in Japanese, so It didn't help very much. As Katelyn did I looked up the plot summary. Very intriguing movie I might add.
The biggest social issue was that the Roman slaves were inferior to the upper class. This caused a revolt of the slaves, which upset Rome's upper class. The slaves worked hard to earn money and gain respect, all they got in return was fighting each other for entertainment purposes. That doesn't sound very fair to me. The upper class seemed to get everything they wanted whenever they wanted, because they were rich and powerful. To answer Mr. Yip's question the conflict could be completely avoided if the upper class wasn't so self-centered and believing that they had control over the slaves. I know it sounds cliché, but if everyone would just get along, and treat people the way they want to be treated, there would be no problems with the social classes. This would make life in Rome a lot more enjoyable and peaceful.
I agree with Zach that our society is just as much split like the Romans. Before this big economic crisis people would be judged on how much money they had and how important their names were. I love how our country follows the same mistakes that other countries have made before us. History just keeps repeating itself.
Okk. So Rome has its few classes which bring up a few social issues or clashes for another term. The slaves are always working and they make up the major role of Rome in my mind because they do all the work! Then you have the Plebeians who are the common people who do their fair share by serving in the military and pretty much just minding their own business. And then you have the wealthy Patricians who just buy slaves to do their dirty work for them because their to good for that. (BTW Mr. Yip, I don't know what irreconciable means so I can't answer that question.) Confict is not inevitable for these groups and as we later find out, I beleive, Spartacus leds a slave revolt, which most likely ends up killing some of the Patricians and Plebeians of that area. So, effectivly, the slaves will end up getting more power, for to them it is power in numbers and power in freedom, rather than power of money and wealth for the Patricians. I don't think that the Plebeians will be brought into this fight though unless Rome's army is somehow summoned for these Revolutionary Rebels.
AHH KATELYN THANKS ALOT. I JUST READ YOUR BLOG AND IT RUINED THE FIGHT SCENE THAT WE HAVN'T SEEN YET. THANKS (:
Matt Hoey
In my opinion, i agree with Sarah on how women were treated like a "prize" for slaves and could be bought by other men. But the slaves didn't have it that much either. Since they were training to become gladiators, they would only have respect if they would win. They were used as "entertainment"(As Katelyn said) for the upperclassman and even the people who had only a little bit of higher respect than them. Plus the slaves were even treated as people but as john said "animals>" In this movie you can definately see the division beginning in Rome.
As the different social classes have different agendas, agendas that mingle with one, and may clash with another, conflict between classes is inevitable. Alex said it best when he said "the patricians are head and shoulders above the rest in terms of wealth. this means that they can also be generous. the plebians are just trying to live comfortably and the slaves just trying to live." This is a great point because it shows the different needs and wants of the classes. When you have a bunch of people who all want different things, conflict is unavoidable.
I also agree with Kelly and Sarah. The many social classes in Rome, while have different agendas, will always clash. The power and wealth seperated the two groups and this can create many problems for the lower classes not having power or comforts like the upper classes do. As Kelly had said, the high classes thought that they had a right over the lower classes and would make them kil eachother and lock them up. The wealthy group, who bought woman trophies and slaves, will undoubtedly tempt the lower classes to revolt because of all the unfair things that wealth power and prestiege can get you.
the main issues that Rome faced socially are the differences in wealth. the differences in wealth cause some to gain more power than others. the wealthy patricians bought slaves and trained them to become gladiators. they were taught where to strike and trained vigorously. the women also could be enslaved. they, like Sarah said, were used as prizes to the gladiators that trained hard. Mr. yip, i checked on the ninth when i got home but the blog was not up. i am going to wait before doing the next blog because have no idea what is going on.
I didn't watch the first part yet.
There were many social issues in Rome. Spartacus was held as a slave. Both men and women could be bought and sold as slaves. Then there are the senators who make up a majority of the wealthy class. The upper class thought as though they were a part of a different world in comparison to the slaves. They had all the luxury and the slave had nothing.
Rome was clearly divided by class, but the division also showed how people in the different classes behaved differently and had a different outlook on life. The wealthier people feel that they are better then the slaves/ gladiators. As you see when they are picking out who should fight, the women treat the gladiators as if they are not human. It is as if they feel the slaves lives are not worth as much as their own. Which I have come to figures, is how it was back then. The wealthier women are treating the gladiators like pieces of meat when earlier (as Zack said) the slave woman said that she was being treated like a piece of meat. In the same scene you see how Spartacus is more of a gentleman then some of the wealthier and more powerful men, because of the way Spartacus treats the woman. Event thought the wealthier people generally seem to be more civilized then the "savage" slaves, there are exceptions.
i think that the current state of their government creates an uncomfortable environment between the two political parties. the state of the military and domestic situations were in disarray. the relations between the conservatives and the peoples parties were severed beyond repair. the character Gracchus seems to be in a constant feud with Crassus. its feuds like this that caused conflict between the parties. in conclusion, it was not a matter of if they fought, it was a matter of when.
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