How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"I don't see myself as a king. Half a king, perhaps, or more likely a quarter—the little bit that sees and thinks, but can't do. Perhaps Uther and I between us might make one, if you go? He's larger than life already, wouldn't you say?" (II.12.79)
Merlin tries to reassure his dad that he has no desire to be High King of Britain. For a minute, Ambrosius has heart failure: he's so glad to have his son around, but that means there will be problems with Uther, who really does want to be the next king. Merlin's humility and strong sense of purpose keep him out of an inheritance squabble with one of the strongest soldiers in the kingdom. That's good politics.
Quote #5
"I cannot yet afford to throw aside valuable tools because I don't like their design," he said. "He is useful, so I use him. You will do the same, if you are wise." (II.12.88)
Ambrosius is not only ambitious—he's also straight up clever. He teaches young Merlin to use people for what they're worth. In this case, he's talking about the wicked Belasius. Sure, he's a shady dude who sacrifices people just because he feels like it, but he's also smart, and he has a kind of power himself. Ambrosius wants Merlin to understand that you don't have approve of people or even like them to learn something valuable from them.
Quote #6
The enemy was at the gates, and what Vortigern needed now was not logic and an engineer; he wanted magic, and something—anything—that promised quick safety, and kept his followers loyal. (III.10.37)
At this point in the game, Vortigern's only ambition is to live one more day. Merlin reads the situation correctly and knows that he has to give the panicky king a little hocus pocus to settle him down—and that's exactly what he does. Instead of giving him an engineer's explanation for why his tower walls won't stand, Merlin goes the supernatural route. He throws in a dire prophecy for free.