“They grappled for a long time in the water, and Fraech went under. Cuchulainn dragged him up. ‘Now,’ Said Cuchulain, ‘will you give in, so I can spare your life?’

The concept of Cuchulainn is of a person who cannot lose and one who is gives off a bloodthirsty vibe. The reason for the quote is due to the concept of honor and mercy. The honor of a man is staked when single combat is invoked. Such is shown on many different occasions throughout act VI, when Cuchulainn is attempting to hold the army off. However, in Cuchulainn’s case,  it is possible to provide a point that he is not necessarily out for blood. The quote is only the first example of him asking someone to yield as to avoid spilling blood. Other such cases occur in meetings with Fergus in addition to the charioteer interaction. While all those interactions end with the death of each respective character, there was a base justification. In the above quote, the man refused to yield, thus forcing Cuchulainn to kill. The incident regarding Fergus and his escort was caused due to the escort continuing to assert his battle prowess and threatening to kill Cuchulainn, regardless of his actions. Often times these deaths are not due to the lack of compassion shown by Cuchulainn, but the constant push to for an honorable death.