While Circe is right that Athena does pose a constant threat, Telegonus makes the argument that a life lived in fear is not worth living, a philosophy that Circe herself embodies. After all, she defied Athena because she knew that she would rather keep her son than obey the gods out of fear. Just as she has decided to live life as independently as her exile allows, Telegonus is seeking his own freedom. His struggle for independence enrages Circe, which shows that she still has Helios’s anger when she is disobeyed. To keep control over Telegonus’s, she makes him afraid, threatening to wipe away his mind, an act that Aeëtes committed. Her reaction shows that she is still resistant to letting go of her power, even if she is using it to keep her son safe.