Half Summary:

By and large wrestling is portrayed as a spectacle which represents and shows agony, succumb
and justice. If we observe a wrestler with a twisted leg and an arm lock it depicts his sufferings
and an intolerable pain. Suffering therefore becomes a concealed action if it’s cause is not clear
and understandable which might go beyond the limits because of the unwritten rules of the
wrestling. In addition, we just not only see the man suffering but also understand the cause
behind his suffering. Wrestling might appear as a sadistic spectacle because of the brutal imagery
it represents an inhumane torture for example to grind the face of one weak and powerless
opponent or to scrape his face with one fist or immobilize the opponent. Therefore, an intelligible
spectacle can understandably perceive these movements such as fore arm smash. This loud slap
of the forearm on the opponent’s chest knocks him out. Such type of actions are going beyond
the limits and the public cheers and shouts because the opponent couldn’t bear that punch and
doesn’t bothers about his pain. This is how wrestlers maneuver by using different tactics which
portrays humiliation and suffering when wrestler becomes inflexible their flesh appears as quiet
mass lay out on the floor and they receive relentless criticism and triumphant which appears here
as a paroxysm of heavy emphasis on Roman victory. Barthes then continues to describe the
ancient archaic posture of wrestling where the petitioner on bended knees and his raised arms
above his head is slowly brought down in an upright manner infront of the victor. Unlikely the
Judo game is bit different, in wrestling defeat is not a regular indication it has taken up the ancient
myths of suffering and humiliation the cross and the pillory referring to the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ. Above all the wrestling is meant to portray Justice and an introduction of the notion of
“paying". Meaning an eye for a eye, a tooth for a tooth. Rules are meant to be violated so that
the bastard or villain may be more violently characterized and the crowd engages in a revengeful
fury that is why out of five wrestling matches only one is fair. Fair fight amid the contestants is
nothing but a portrayal of polite gestures like shaking hand, raising arms, confront each other
with zeal and not losing the temperament. However, the foul play also exists if one observe the
signs such as administering a big kick to one’s beaten opponent, taking refuge behind the ropes,
refusing to shake hand with opponents before or after the match or to take advantage of the end
of the round to move in a cunning manner behind the opponent and fooling him when referee is
not looking but the audience can witness this treachery. Fair wrestling can only lead to boxing or
Judo and therefore it will become a sport not a spectacle. In addition, the ending of boxing or
Judo contests is bit different from wrestling as wrestling depicts grand overflow of emotions, the
recurring paroxysm, the infuriating response in the most baffled dramatic manner. Some
successful fights are crowned by a final mock parade where the rules, laws, the referee’s criticism
and the limit of the rings are abolished. In America wrestling is portrayed as a mythological fight
between good and the evil where the bad wrestler is dressed up in red colour. The process of
generating heroes in French wrestling is based on ethics not on politics. The word bastard or
villain is revealed as a Molieré character or a portrait by La Bruyére. A classical entity an essence
whose acts are only significantly secondary mental phenomena in an arranged time. The wrestler
is called as a Kuzchenko (nicknamed Moustache after Stalin).This bastard functions in a certain
manner like he accepts the rule which gives him advantage and go beyond the limits,
unpredictable acts, take refuge behind the laws, rejects formal boundaries of the ring and
continues to hit an opponent and because of this conflict audience triggers and get exasperated
but when the climax of match reaches and the bastard gets the grand kick it amuses the crowd
so, wrestling should be exactly what public expects. When the hero or villain of the drama is
overpowered by the moral rage no one can doubt that the wrestling holds the power of
transformation which is common to the spectacle and to religious worship. Therefore, in the ring
for a few movement wrestlers act as a god separating good from evil and disclose the form of a
justice which is understandable.

Critical Analysis :

Barthes has repetitively used the word suffering and humiliation. One’s suffering is another’s
jubilation but the audience doesn’t bothers about the rules of wrestling which are going beyond
the limits as rules are meant to be exploited as he states “ this is why all the actions which
produce suffering are particularly spectacle like the gesture of a conjuror who holds out his
cards clearly to the public". He asserts that every act of suffering it becomes a source of
entertainment for the crowd besides acknowledging the throes of others it becomes a moment
of amusement for them akin to the gesture of a magician who beguile the audience by
performing certain trivial tricks.
Then he has discussed and highlighted certain tactics which increases the suffering and
humiliation of the wrestlers by narrating the ancient posture which was in practice at that time
period and has explained in a detailed manner the condition of the wrestlers during the match
and has connected it with the ancient myth by referring to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. “It is as
if the wrestler is crucified in broad daylight and in the sight of all”.

Side by Side, Barthes compares wrestling with Judo and Boxing and enforces that wrestling depict
and conveys the idea of justice. As he has dissscued this notion multiple times in this myth.
“wrestling is above all meant to portray is a purely moral concept: that of justice. The idea of
'paying' is essential to wrestling, and the crowd's 'Give it to him' means above all else. ‘Make
him pay'.” As he says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth which makes his point valid by
addressing that in America wrestling is portray as a mythological fight between good and the evil.
The evil opponent is symbolized as he is portrayed by making him dress up in a red colour. Then
he connects this idea and explain the term bastard or villain and how he functions.
“The 'bastard' is here revealed as a Molière character or a 'portrait' by La Bruyère, that is to
say as a classical entity, an essence, whose acts are only significant epiphenomena arranged in
time.” According to him Bastard appears as Molière play character who is a French playwright
or a painting by a La Bruyère a French philosopher showing a classical allusion whose actions are
only important as a secondary mental phenomenon in the given time. “the wrestler is called
Kuzchenko (nicknamed Moustache after Stalin)”. This nickname moustache was given after the
moustache of Stalin a revolutionary and a political figure from Soviet Union. In the end Barthes
says “In the ring, and even in the depths of their voluntary ignominy, wrestlers remain gods
because they are, for a few moments, the key which opens Nature, the pure gesture which
separates Good from Evil, and unveils the form of a justice which is at last intelligible.” In the
ring or in the sheer of their open humiliation wrestlers act as a god for a few moments the key
which unlocks the true depiction separating good from evil and discloses the form of a justice
which is understandable. Though it all seems trivial but it amuses the audience and asserts how
gestures play their role either the match is fair or foul. “It is therefore easy to understand why
out of five wrestling-matches, only about one is fair.”