How we cite our quotes: Chapter, Paragraph
Quote #4
I was betraying my father's last words to me: "Be proud, Edmund." Proud meant virtuous, above any thought of wrongdoing. His breath so thick in his throat the words were like ice breaking underfoot, his lips ash-black and cracked. (5.26)
Pride equals virtue in this book. It's the most important principle—so much so that it's the last thing Edmund's dad tells him before he dies. This really sticks with Edmund, too; it's kind of like a voice inside his head when he knows he's doing something wrong. In this case, he's remembering the words as he gets ready to run away from Nigel's fortress with his money.
Quote #5
To have no regard for one's soul was like caring nothing for one's mother—it was impossible to imagine a man so callous or wicked. (7.14)
We all have different ideas about what it means to take care of our souls, but pretty much everyone agrees that it's a dark and horrible thing to not care about your mom. Someone makes a comment about Rannulf not caring about his soul, and here Edmund explains just how offensive that claim is.
Quote #6
It was a strange, delicious feeling to see fear light a man's eyes, and all because of the strength of my hands. I lifted the man from the ground by the fabric of his cape, a small man, under all his clothes, and a weak man, now that he was tired.
I could not suppress a troubling thought: how easy it would be to take his life. (16.45-46)
It's kind of a weird clash of principles when you're training to fight in a war, act nobly, and kill people. But at the same time, virtue is a good thing to practice if you're going to be swinging a sword. Here, Edmund has a weird moment where he actually has the power to take somebody's life. He kind of likes the power, but recognizes that it's not the appropriate time or place to use it. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.