Many of the characters who rule in the novel are unjust, selfish bullies. Wynstan abuses his office as Bishop and later elevates himself even further in the church hierarchy. He does not pretend that he desires anything beyond the satisfaction of his appetites: “Two things gave him joy: money and power” (459). Aldred is overjoyed when he believes that he can convict Wynstan of the forgery, finally ending the corruption and restoring dignity to the office of bishop. However, Wynstan’s power and influence—which he has obsessively accrued—allow him to escape judgment by transferring it to Cuthbert.

Meanwhile, Wynstan’s brother Wigelm is a rapist and a sadist. He rapes Ragna, forces her to marry him while holding her and her children hostage, and treats peasants like they are subhuman. Dreng is not a noble, but he torments his wives, his enslaved people, and Edgar’s family simply because he can. The gulf between the common people and the nobles is vast. The poor have little recourse outside of the court procedures, and legal loopholes can be exploited and twisted. For example, Dreng uses his position of modest power to kill Blod’s newborn infant without any serious consequences.