What word would mean "a grand, symbolic action" more specifically, taken in an attempt to prove a point?
For example, I am trying to figure out the word that would fill in the following sentence using the above definition:
"Charlie gave every last dime he had to charity, just to prove that he didn't care about material possessions. That's one hell of a [word-for-grand-symbolic-action]!"
The gift of the signet ring to Mordecai by Ashuerus was an impressive gesture of the honor in which he was held.
Because there's are negative connotation to expressions such as gesture politics, you probably need some kind of positive qualifier for this sense ("impressive" in my example, "one hell of a" in OP's).
Here, we can reach for a French "coup de something" term.
A brilliantly successful action, or something of that sort, is a coup d’éclat.
If we fit this into
"Charlie gave every last dime he had to charity, just to prove that he didn't care about material possessions. That's one hell of a coup d’éclat!"
it seems to work, more or less.
