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Pasiphaë
Daedalus is an ingenious craftsman, whom Pasiphaë and Minos imprison to work for them. When Pasiphaë wants to get close to a sacred bull that the gods sent to Crete, Daedalus constructs an artificial cow that Pasiphaë crawls into. Using this invention, Pasiphaë has sex with the bull and conceives the Minotaur. Daedalus feels terribly guilty for his complicity in the Minotaur’s existence, which is similar to how Circe feels over the existence of Scylla. He and Circe bond over their regret and their love for their work (he has his inventions and Circe has her witchcraft) and they become lovers. Circe loves Daedalus’s scars. To her, his scars are the unique markers of his identity and they show his development as an inventor—he has only attained the success he has because he has learned from his failure. When Circe leaves Crete, Daedalus gifts her a beautiful loom. Long after they have parted ways, Circe thinks of Daedalus with love. He is the first person who treats her with kindness and respect, something that she rarely experiences as a powerful woman in a misogynistic society.
Daedalus Quotes in Circe
The Circe quotes below are all either spoken by Daedalus or refer to Daedalus. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 9 Quotes
“You fools,” I said. “I am the one who made that creature. I did it for pride and vain delusion. And you thank me? Twelve of your men are dead for it, and how many thousands more to come? That drug I gave her is the strongest I have. Do you understand, mortals?” […]
The light from my eyes beat down upon them.
“I will never be free of her. She cannot be changed back, not now, not ever. What she is, she will remain. She will feast on your kind for all eternity. So get up. Get up and get to your oars, and let me not hear you speak again of your imbecile gratitude or I will make you sorry for it.”
The cringed and shook like the weak vessels they were, stuttering to their feet and creeping away […] I yanked off the cloak. I wanted the sun to burn me.
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Daedalus Character Timeline in Circe
The timeline below shows where the character Daedalus appears in Circe. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
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...
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Chapter 9
When the man arrives, Circe recognizes him at once—it is Daedalus. He greets her without fear, which Circe interprets as a sign that he is used...
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Daedalus adds that Pasiphaë requires that they travel through Scylla’s strait, which Circe recognizes as her...
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...at its artistry, particularly the beautiful figurehead, which is a young girl. Circe knows that Daedalus had created it and that the ship—so impressive yet sent to dangerous seas—is proof of...
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Daedalus approaches, and in reference to his being searched when they boarded, Circe asks why Pasiphaë...
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...the ship lost 12 men on the way over. Circe feels sick with guilt as Daedalus describes the monster. She tells him that Scylla is her fault, but he merely nods...
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...of Scylla as she had once been, often flirting with Perses. Circe’s thoughts turn to Daedalus, and what Pasiphaë has of his. At first, Circe thinks it may be a lover,...
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Circe uses a paste to transform into Perses, telling Daedalus that Scylla had loved her brother. She orders the best men to the oars and...
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As Scylla screams in the distance, Daedalus and the other men—battered from the encounter—fall to their knees, thanking Circe and offering sacrifices....
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Chapter 10
Circe and the men keep sailing. Daedalus continues to be civil, but he no longer converses with Circe. Regretting her Helios-like outburst,...
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As soon as they land, Polydamas orders Daedalus and Circe to the palace. He leads them to Pasiphaë’s rooms and knocks on the...
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...Circe, who knows nothing of childbirth, cut out the “thing.” When Circe hesitates, Pasiphaë orders Daedalus to do the cutting and hints that it’s his duty to do so. He steps...
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Daedalus offers to kill the creature, but Pasiphaë demands that it live. He and Circe capture...
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...saying that “gods love their monsters.” After Pasiphaë’s maids carry her to take a bath, Daedalus approaches to thank Circe, telling her that, had she not been there, he would have...
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When Circe tells Ariadne that she must speak with Daedalus, the young girl offers to take her to his workshop. When they arrive, Circe tells...
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Chapter 11
...to her room, which is near the servants’ wing of the palace. The next day, Daedalus visits her and brings her down to the underground corridors of the palace. As they...
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Daedalus and Circe arrive at the cage that Daedalus has built. He acknowledges that it will...
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As Daedalus and Circe climb upstairs to the main halls, she tells him that she will not...
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Circe enjoys the ease of her conversation with Daedalus. They talk of the similarities between their arts and lifestyle, and he expresses sympathy for...
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After Daedalus gives Icarus a goodnight kiss, Circe comments that the boy is very happy. Daedalus agrees,...
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Circe returns to her room, mulling over her conversation with Daedalus. She is enraged on his behalf that Pasiphaë and Minos keep him imprisoned for their...
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...the Minotaur is a victory for Pasiphaë: Minos’s humiliation, the subjugating terror of the Cretans, Daedalus’s guilt and his obligation to help, and even Circe’s obedience. Her fury mounting, Circe storms...
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Circe numbly returns to her quarters, where she is surprised by Daedalus waiting outside her door. At first surprised by his boldness, she realizes that exceptional people...
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As Circe and Daedalus lie together afterward, Circe realizes that she can feel the Minotaur shaking the palace foundations....
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For the next few days, Circe enjoys her nights with Daedalus and avoids Pasiphaë during the day. Finally, Minos allows her to leave. When she boards...
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Years later, Circe hears of Daedalus’s escape. The craftsman made wings for himself and Icarus to fly away from Crete to...
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Chapter 12
...life: she sings, practices spells, and learns how to weave. But her mind returns to Daedalus’s words: “A golden cage is still a cage.”
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Ariadne fell in love with Theseus. Before he entered the Labyrinth (the lair that Daedalus had made for the Minotaur), she gave him a sword and taught him how to...
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Chapter 15
...shocked; not a single one of the countless men she has greeted has ever mentioned Daedalus’s loom. The man continues to praise the design, mentioning that his wife is a talented...
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Chapter 16
...for conversation. She impresses him by informing him that her loom had been made by Daedalus, whom Odysseus always admired as a child. After a few tales of the war, including...
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Chapter 21
...She says that he had spoken favorably of Circe and had also told her of Daedalus’s loom. Circe is surprised at how much Penelope knows about her, but then she admits...
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...no, that she doesn’t have one, but that Penelope is welcome to weave one at Daedalus’s loom.
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Chapter 26
...harvest food, and she tells him her past. For some stories, like with Prometheus and Daedalus, Circe loves being able to bring them to life. Other stories, however, are grisly, and...
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