Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Circe, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power, Fear, and Self-Preservation
Women, Power, and Misogyny
Change, Initiative, and the Self
Mortality, Fragility, and Fulfillment
Family and Individuality
Summary
Analysis
When Circe wakes up, Prometheus is gone. In the hall, his blood has been washed away. One of her cousins delightedly tells her that Zeus has declared Prometheus’s eternal torment: he is sentenced to be chained to a cliff, and every day, an eagle will rip out his liver. Chilled, Circe regrets that she didn’t think of arming Prometheus with a spear or something useful, but then she remembers that he wouldn’t have been interested in weapons, since he turned himself in.
Circe’s cousin’s callous delight at Prometheus’s punishment once again demonstrates the gods’ general lack of empathy. Circe, however, does feel pity for Prometheus, even wishing that she had helped him in a more practical way, such as arming him. But Prometheus wouldn’t want weapons because he isn’t interested in fighting or trying to get his power back. He has sacrificed his power totally in order to help humans, which sets him apart from the rest of his immortal family.
Themes
Circe often asks her Titan uncles for updates on Prometheus, but they dismiss her with a frown—what news could come from someone’s unending punishment? Instead, they move on to the latest gossip, such as how Titan Boreas and Olympian Apollo have fallen in love with the same mortal. The mortal in question dies shortly thereafter; Boreas killed him, just to spite Apollo.
Circe’s uncles’ disinterest in Prometheus’s fate is two-fold. For one thing, they lack empathy and therefore aren’t concerned about his pain. For another, there is nothing new in an unending punishment, the other Titans are only interested in novelty. Meanwhile, the latest gossip reveals another example of the gods’ callousness: Boreas killed a mortal just to spite another god, which demonstrates how careless the gods are with mortals’ lives. Additionally, while the gods say that Boreas “loves” this mortal, it is quite evident that Boreas doesn’t really love him, as he cares more about spiting someone else for a petty show of power than he does about this mortal’s life.
Themes
Perse has another son, but after Helios doesn’t have a prophecy for him, she spurns her newborn. Knowing that the infant will otherwise be neglected, Circe steps forward to care for her new brother, who is named Aeëtes. Circe raises him and, the more time they spend together, the deeper she comes to love him. To her wondering delight, Aeëtes appears to love her in return. He finds a deserted beach for the two of them to meet and talk away from Pasiphaë and Perses. To Circe, this barren strip of land is a bounteous haven.
Perse again demonstrates her prioritization of power over love when she rejects her newest son, Aeëtes, because Helios doesn’t prophesize anything about Aeëtes that would bring her clout. Her disinterest in forming meaningful connections with her children is reflective of how the gods—selfish and fixated on power—rarely experience love. Circe, however, does feel love as she cares for her Aeëtes, and the effect is significant. The fact that a sandy beach feels like a lush haven symbolizes how enriched Circe’s life feels now that she loves someone who loves her in return.
Themes
Very quickly, Circe is astounded by Aeëtes’s intuition, knowledge, and understanding. He becomes Helios’s favorite son and is invited to sit as council in meetings. Aeëtes teaches Circe some of what he learns, such as the name for the powerful herbs that Zeus used to kill Kronos: pharmaka, a plant that grows when divine blood falls on earth. He likes philosophy and asks Circe questions such as: “How does your divinity feel?” She responds that she feels like a conch shell with nothing but air inside.
Circe’s response to Aeëtes’s question regarding her divinity reveals her budding dislike of her immortality. It makes her feel empty, which suggests that there is something about immortality that can make a person feel lifeless and meaningless.
Themes
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Philosophy is rarely a topic that interests gods and Aeëtes’s passion for it reminds Circe of Prometheus, so she one day tells him about how she met the infamous Titan. Aeëtes is quiet after the story. After a moment, he tells her that Prometheus, as a god of prophecy, must have known his fate before he helped the mortals. Aeëtes then orders Circe to not tell anyone else the story, especially Helios.
Besides Prometheus and Aeëtes, the story hasn’t included any other gods interested in philosophy, which reflects the vapidity of most gods. Circe and Aeëtes’s conversation reveals that Prometheus’s sacrifice was even more generous than Circe realized. The fact that he knew his punishment prior to helping the mortals illustrates the profundity of his self-sacrifice, as well as his determination to disrupt the abuse of mortals at the hands of the gods. Prometheus’s sacrifice in light of his prophetic knowledge sets him apart from his relative Helios, who, in the Titan-Olympian war, used his prophetic powers to ensure his own security. Although most of the gods are selfish, Prometheus refused to be like them, demonstrating that it is possible to break free of one’s family’s faults.
Themes
Surprised at Aeëtes’s certainty of Helios’s fury, Circe reminds him that Prometheus is Helios’s cousin. Aeëtes derisively responds that they “are all cousins, including the Olympians” and that, regardless of family ties, Helios would unflinchingly destroy Circe if he knew of her conversation with Prometheus. Laughing at Circe’s dismay, Aeëtes tells her that, should she ever disobey the gods again, she should “do it for a better reason.”
Aeëtes’s certainty that Helios would destroy Circe for her disobedience points out a reoccurring truth in the story: that family ties are meaningless to the gods in the face of personal gain. The gods are far more interested in gaining and exercising power than they are in maintaining healthy familial relationships, which is another way that the gods deprive themselves of love. Even Aeëtes appears to subscribe to this heartless philosophy—he certainly doesn’t believe that Circe should have helped Prometheus, which seems to him a foolish decision given that she could have been severely punished. Helping others is not a good enough reason, in his eyes, to risk losing his power. In this way, Aeëtes is like so many of the other gods, as he is focused only on himself and his own power.
Themes
Meanwhile, Helios has finally picked a husband for Pasiphaë: Minos, Zeus’s mortal son and king of Crete. Both Perse and Perses sour at the announcement—they are disgusted that Pasiphaë will be married to a mortal. Perses even sarcastically questions Helios, but the Titan silences him in fury. Across the table, Circe sees Aeëtes’s disdainful expression and is certain of his thoughts: Pasiphaë’s disappointing engagement isn’t “a good enough reason” to spark Helios’s rage.
Perse’s and Perses’s disgust at Pasiphaë’s engagement to a mortal is likely because they are disappointed that Pasiphaë won’t be marrying a god and, in turn, further elevating the family’s power and status. While Perses expresses his outrage, Circe can see that Aeëtes thinks his brother is being foolish to risk punishment over such a small issue, particularly one that doesn’t affect Perses very much. Aeëtes’s reaction shows his selfishness—he is never willing to risk his power or comfort for anyone else. In this way, Aeëtes embodies the egotism of his immortal family and the gods as a whole.
Themes
Realizing that mortal Minos will undoubtedly invite other mortals to his wedding, Circe is excited at the prospect of finally seeing the “creatures” that Prometheus sacrificed himself for. The celebration does indeed gather together mortals, Titans, and Olympians alike. Circe searches around and spots the mortals clustered at the fringes of the party. She remembers the stories that other nymphs have told about how mortals rape and attack them. But looking at them in the wedding hall, Circe finds them weak and anxious, likely afraid of offending a god. Reflecting on their apprehension, Circe realizes that the relationships between all people—deities and mortals alike—reveal “a great chain of fear.”
The “great chain of fear” is Circe’s theory (and one of the story’s central concepts) that ancient Greek society is a hierarchy in which people are afraid of those who have more power than they do. This fear is reinforced when those in power abuse those beneath them. Circe realizes this “great chain of fear” when looking at mortals—whom nymphs fear, as mortal men are known to sexually assault nymphs—and realizing that the mortals are afraid of the gods at the wedding. The nymphs’ fear of mortals reveals how, even though they are gods, their rank is inferior to men on the hierarchy of power because they are vulnerable to sexual abuse at the hands of men. Circe’s revelation regarding the “great chain of fear” and women’s place on that chain (the bottom) further establishes the misogyny of ancient Greece.
Themes
Uninterested in mortals, Aeëtes leads Circe to the Olympians. After looking at them from afar, they then catch sight of Minos who, although an impressive figure among other mortal men, pales in comparison to stunning Pasiphaë. Circe perceives Minos’s sullenness over being outshone by his wife. Meanwhile, Circe is sure that Pasiphaë will adore all the attention that she will receive in Crete.
Minos’s annoyance at being outshone by his wife suggests that he resents being inferior to a woman in any manner. As a man in a misogynistic society, he is not accustomed to a woman usurping him, even if it is simply because of her beauty.
Themes
Aeëtes abruptly points out another man, a mortal and ingenious craftsman by the name of Daedalus. When Aeëtes becomes a king, he says that he will surround himself by such mortal marvels as Daedalus. At first Circe thinks he is joking, but Aeëtes informs her that Helios is indeed gifting him a kingdom. Circe asks if she can come with him to his kingdom, but Aeëtes refuses, coldly telling her “to get [her] own.” Stunned and horrified, Circe pleads with him, but Aeëtes continues to rebuff her.
Aeëtes’s interest in Daedalus is not to be confused for admiration or even respect. Aeëtes sees Daedalus as a potential tool to use for his own gain and as an ornament to display as a show of power. Although Aeëtes has shown many signs of being an egotistical person, Circe is surprised when he coldly refuses to bring her along with him to his kingdom. Circe has been blinded by her love for him—unlike so many of the other gods (her beloved brother included), Circe shows a capacity of love. Aeëtes’s callousness at this point throws many of his previous unfeeling statements into relief, and it now raises the question of whether conforming to his family’s selfish ways drowned out his love for his sister. Or did he simply never love her and only care for himself from the beginning? At this point in the story, it is unclear. Either way, Aeëtes appears to be more and more like his father, Helios, while Circe’s empathy and ability to love makes her an outsider among her family.
Themes
Aeëtes leaves for his new kingdom right after the wedding. Shortly after, Perses leaves for Persia, where he hopes to find demons. Circe abruptly finds herself alone once again in Helios’s halls. Dejected and despairing, she often visits the “old deserted shore” that Aeëtes used to take her to. There, while pacing across the sand that had once marked Aeëtes’s steps, she recognizes that she was “Not a good enough reason” for him to stay. In the depths of her loneliness, she regrets not having asked one of the mortals at the wedding to marry her. And then, one day, she sees a boat.
While her brothers leave for adventures, Circe stays put. While it is not explicitly stated, it is likely that Circe remains because, as a woman, she is expected to stay at home until Helios marries her off. Circe has even internalized this unfair expectation, as she laments not having thrown herself at one of the mortals at Pasiphaë’s and Minos’s wedding in hopes of marriage. Circe’s attitude also betrays her inaction: instead of taking matters into her own hands and scheming a way to leave Helios’s halls, she passively hopes that someone will marry her. She hasn’t learned yet that she cannot wait for other people to bring about the change that she longs for.
Themes
