Faith and belief- Enron

'I believe in God, I believe in democracy and I believe in the company' - Lay, Act 1, scene 3

uses parallelism and tricolon structure to syntactically equate Enron with sacred and civic institutions. By placing “the company” alongside God and democracy, Lay elevates corporate capitalism to the status of a belief system, revealing a dangerous conflation of faith and profit. Prebble’s irony lies in the audience’s awareness that this belief is misplaced, exposing how moral authority is transferred from ethical systems to corporate identity.

There is dignity to holding something, Ken. But your daddy was a Baptist preacher. There's dignity giving people something they can't touch'- Skilling, Act 1, scene 3

employs abstract nouns and intangible imagery to legitimise speculation. The contrast between “holding something” and “something they can’t touch” dismisses material reality in favour of illusion, reflecting Enron’s reliance on derivatives and fabricated value. The reference to Lay’s “Baptist preacher” father appropriates religious language to sanctify financial deception, demonstrating how faith is rhetorically manipulated to excuse moral emptiness.

Stage directions of skilling end of act 1- 'messiah like', 'a religious cult'

transform corporate leadership into performative worship. Through visual symbolism, Prebble exposes the irrational devotion surrounding Skilling, suggesting that belief in Enron functions emotionally rather than rationally. This theatrical elevation foreshadows downfall, as messianic figures in tragedy are typically followed by betrayal and collapse.

'side of angels'- skilling, Act 2, scene 7

uses biblical allusion and moral absolutism to frame his actions as inherently righteous. The metaphor reduces ethical complexity to a binary of good and evil, allowing Skilling to position himself as divinely justified. Prebble uses this inflated language to critique how moral certainty becomes a shield against accountability.

'crucifying himself before the market'- stage direction of skilling, Act 2, scene 9

mploys extended Christian metaphor to invert religious values. The market replaces God as the object of worship, while suffering becomes performative rather than redemptive. This imagery exposes capitalism as a pseudo-religion that demands sacrifice without offering salvation, reinforcing Prebble’s critique of corrupted belief systems.

'all humanity is here. There's Greed, there's Fear, Joy, Faith … Hope … and the greatest of these … Money.' - skilling, Epilogue

is a parodic allusion to Corinthians, replacing love with profit. The listing of abstract nouns — “Greed… Fear… Faith… Hope” — suggests emotional and spiritual totality, yet the final substitution hollowly elevates money above human values. Prebble ends the play by showing that Enron’s true faith is not belief in people or ethics, but in capital itself, completing the play’s warning about the moral consequences of financial idolatry.