How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Gladiator.
Quote #4
MARCUS AURELIUS: Commodus is not a moral man…Commodus cannot rule, he must not rule.
Marcus Aurelius wants politics to be pure and noble, not the haunt of morally questionable people. This is why he doesn't want Commodus to rule—he knows that evil people with power are the worst.
Quote #5
COMMODUS: That's the very problem, isn't it? My father spent all his time at study, reading books, learning his philosophy. He spent all his twilight hours reading scrolls from the Senate. All the while, the people were forgotten.
These are some of the most ironic lines in the film. Commodus pretends to be a politician that speaks for the people, and thus attempts to assume the position of the Senate (they're supposed to represent the people). This goes hand in hand with his attempts to eliminate the Senate, and is doubly ironic because Commodus only cares about the people insofar as they gratify his lust for attention and power.
Quote #6
COMMODUS: A vision. I will give the people a vision and they will love me for it. They will soon forget the tedious sermonizing of a few dry old men. I will give them the greatest vision of their lives
Despite the fact that he's totally nuts, Commodus is a shrewd politician. He and Gracchus understand how important the "people" are to the smooth running of the political machine, empire or not. Commodus knows that if he distracts the people with a "vision," they'll forget the "dry sermonizing" of the senators about republican government.