Perseverance

Throughout the entire film, we see the importance of perseverance to a person's survival in the worst situations. Maximus faces life with a strong-willed perseverance that encourages those around him. Even when things become unbearable and seemingly impossible, Maximus stays strong.

Maximus finds that his Emperor is murdered and then Commodus comes after his life as well. When Maximus tries to return home to protect his family, he finds that they are already dead as well. Once he realizes that he has been taken into slavery, Maximus loses his faith for a while. He fights in the gladiator fights but he despises the spectators who gloat over the deaths of others.

However, once Maximus discovers that he has the opportunity to once again face Commodus, he begins to perform well so that one day he can compete in Rome before the Emperor. Maximus realizes that succeeding as a...