Circe

“You cannot know how frightened gods are of pain. There is nothing more foreign to them, and so nothing they ache more deeply to see.” 

The gods have a morbid fascination with pain and appear to enjoy the suffering of others, but as their lives are fundamentally endless, they do not understand the nature of death or pain. Fear of the unknown is also a present theme, even among the gods, as shown by their reaction to witchcraft. It follows that Circe’s perception of the gods’ love and fear of pain may be right.

“Not every god need be the same.” 

Prometheus’s words to a young Circe shape her personal development. Her uncle becomes her conscience and gives her the critical, fundamental lesson that she does not have to be cruel and vicious like the other gods. Instead, she can choose to be like him. This revelation is the foundation of the story and Circe’s moral character.

“That is one thing gods and mortals share. When we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world.” 

After feeling love for the first time, Circe believes nothing could possibly stand against it. When her grandmother dismisses her certainty that her love for Glaucos will have a happy end, she is stubborn and selfish. Later, seeing her niece Medea demonstrate the same behavior, Circe recognizes it as the childish arrogance of youth.