“I never tell anyone exactly how clever I am. They would be too scared.”
This quote, delivered when Holly and Mulch are skeptical of Artemis's genius when on the plane to intercept Spiro, reveals the depth of Artemis's ego. He believes himself to be a nearly invincible genius, essentially discounting the opinions of everyone else as below his level of intellect. This quote accurately encapsulates Artemis's character while providing a striking contrast to the beginnings of humility that begin to show through by the novel's end.
“And one more thing. About my name — Artemis — you were right. In London, it is generally a female name, after the Greek goddess of archery. But every now and then a male comes along with such a talent for hunting that he earns the right to use the name. I am that male. Artemis the hunter. I hunted you.”
This paragraph is delivered by the hologram of Artemis to Jon Spiro, whom he has tricked into breaking and entering a secure building, surrounded by SWAT. Artemis references Spiro's earlier insult that Artemis is a girl's name, but he turns it into a compliment: only very rarely are men worthy of such a name, and he certainly has earned it by hunting Spiro into a corner. This quote highlights Artemis's genius and his penchant for dramatic monologues.
“No, mademoiselle, I would not like to see the children's menu. I have no doubt that the children's menu itself tastes better than the meals on it. I would like to order à la carte. Or don't you serve fish to minors?”
This quote illustrates Artemis's nature at the novel's inception: he is a haughty, pretentious teenager with a strong attitude of condescension toward everyone he believes to be intellectually inferior to him, which is nearly everyone. Butler points out his rudeness, and he responds unapologetically. By the end of the novel, however, Artemis has begun to change his ways: he no longer looks upon people with as much condescension, and he realizes that the lives of others matter as well.
