MOST IMPORTANT / HIGH-VALUE QUOTES:

1) SKILLING: “For those of you who don’t know, I’m the reason you’re here”

  • Where: A1, S1

  • Why: Core hubris; Skilling as overreacher / Faustus figure

  • Themes: Power, arrogance, leadership

2) LAY: “I believe in God, I believe in democracy and I believe in the company”

  • Where: A1, S3

  • Why: Capitalism as religion; one of the most quoted lines in Enron

  • Themes: Faith, ideology, blind belief

3) TRADER 1: “Closest thing there is to hunting, the closest thing to sex. For a man that is”

  • Where: A1, S4

  • Why: Explains Enron’s toxic, hyper-masculine culture

  • Themes: Masculinity, power, aggression

4) TRADER 2: “Someone’s going to fucking die”
⭐ TRADER 5: “That’s the coolest thing”

  • Where: A1, S4

  • Why: Shocking moral collapse and lack of empathy

  • Themes: Violence, greed, dehumanisation

5) FASTOW: “All money is debt. It’s just how you present it”

  • Where: A2, S1

  • Why: Summarises Enron’s fraud in one sentence

  • Themes: Illusion, manipulation, corruption

6) FASTOW: “What if they look and they see that underneath there’s nothing actually there”

  • Where: A2, S8

  • Why: Core fear driving deception

  • Themes: Emptiness, illusion, collapse

7) STAGE DIRECTIONS: “He ends, his arms outstretched, crucifying himself before the market”

  • Where: A2, S9

  • Why: Strong religious imagery; Skilling as false martyr

  • Themes: Faith, self-delusion, downfall

8) FASTOW: “I don't care what they say about the company. As long as they don't make it look bad”

  • Where: A2, S9

  • Why: Perception Vs Reality of the company

  • Themes: Deceit, lies, hubrism

9) SKILLING: “You pour your life into something and, if it doesn’t reflect back at you… I’m so tired”

  • Where: A2, S10

  • Why: Emotional emptiness at the end of the play

  • Themes: Identity, burnout, tragic downfall

10) SOLOMON: “I believed in Enron. Everybody did”

  • Where: A3, S1

  • Why: Shows collective responsibility and blindness

  • Themes: Complicity, belief, systemic failure

11) STAGE DIRECTIONS: “The shredding represents the huge destruction of documents going on at Enron and Arthur Andersen”

  • Where: A3, S1

  • Why: Physicalises corruption on stage (AO2 gold)

  • Themes: Cover-up, crime, institutional failure

12) STAGE DIRECTIONS: “The sound of prison doors slamming”

  • Where: Epilogue

  • Why: Final moral judgement of the play

  • Themes: Justice, consequence, downfall