How we cite our quotes: (Stanza.Line)
Quote #7
"We have a mighty small company"
Roland replies: "My determination is greater because of it." (86.1087-88)
It's unclear what "mighty" means here. Does it mean "very," as in, "we have a very small army," or does it actually mean "powerful," as in, "our army is small but ferocious"? Roland takes it the first way, but that doesn't discourage him. On the contrary, his commitment to honor becomes even stronger as the odds of success dwindle. As he puts it himself, "One must suffer hardships for one's lord." (79.1010)
Quote #8
Roland is worthy and Oliver is wise:
Both have amazing courage. (87.1093-94)
For Roland, being worthy means knowing when to do your duty. For Oliver, being wise means the opposite: knowing when to not do your duty, for example, when an enormous army is going to obliterate you.
Quote #9
Roland replies: "Don't say such an outrageous thing!
Damn the heart that turns coward in the breast!
We shall make a stand in this place.
The first blow and the first cut will be ours." (87.1106-09)
Roland's been miffed at Oliver since he mentioned the oliphant, but here he finally erupts into full-on scold mode. He doesn't exactly say Oliver is a coward, but he implies that anyone who wants to flee the battlefield or call for help is not a true knight. He suggests that it's "outrageous"—not just a bad idea, but appallingly and absurdly bad.