Wartime

Many people will experience a time of war in their lifetime. Using wartime is a common motif since many people can relate to it. In addition, Chaplin was speaking out against the current war, so the setting needed to be realistic in order for him to get his point across.

The wartime motif helps us see all the themes running through the film. We see that we should stop the cruelty when we see how the Jews are being treated and hear the barber's final speech as Hynkel. We see the ridiculousness of dictators when Hynkel and Napaloni act like children during their meeting. We also see that we can all help to stop the chaos by avoiding discrimination and standing up for those who can't care for themselves.

Chaplin effectively shows all three themes through the glasses of the country during wartime. Hynkel becomes ridiculous while the...