“It is no overimaginative to see in Anne’s attempts to comply with her father’s wishes a desperate effort by an unloved child to gain her father’s affection.”

This quote reinforces the toxic nature of Anne’s relationship with her father. As a female child, Anne relied on her parents to support her. If she refused to participate in this elaborate ruse that her father orchestrated, she could risk not only adding to the resentment her father felt for her, but also being cast out on her own. As such, Anne was unfairly coerced into faking these possessions and other witchcraft; she did not have the means to abandon her family even after the guise started taking an extreme toll on her.

“But certainly one of her reasons for disliking war was that it gave others a chance at glory at her expense” (Levin, 139)

Queen Elizabeth was a master of self-projection and boosting her image, which was a vital skill to possess considering the commonly held belief was that women were naturally inferior to men. As a woman holding a position of power, Elizabeth constantly had to prove herself and her abilities. Similarly, she was even more vulnerable to criticism because people would blame her mistakes on the natural weaknesses of women. As such, Elizabeth would have preferred to avoid war because if she lost, other nations would disgrace both England’s reputation, as well as Elizabeth’s.

“It is I who will be thought stupid, not the prior, not the sacrist, not the convent, but I alone, because I am their head”

When Jocelin first introduces Samson, he appears to be a model religious figure whose qualities everyone should strive to imitate. As he assumes the role of abbot, however, it becomes clear that the amount of power he is responsible for is beginning to take a toll on him. He places himself much higher than other members of the Abbey, and justifies his irrational behavior by claiming that no one else understands the amount of pressure he is under. He begins to prioritize wealth and power instead of the members of his church and community. As such, Samson demonstrates that no one is immune to the temptations of power.

“Tell him that to take me on is not the act of a true warrior” (89)

Cu Chulainn responds in this way when he learns that his foster brother, Fer Báeth, has joined Medb’s side and plans to confront him in battle. Cu Chulainn may feel threatened by his foster brother because he is one of few who evenly matches Cu Chulainn’s abilities, but his primary concern is how their kinship means nothing to Fer Báeth. In Celtic society, war frequently threatens family ties because family members may lie on opposing sides, but they are loyal to their respective factions. This contributes to the overall dysfunction of society because familial relationships are devastated for violent, and sometimes unnecessary, causes.