Alke is the first nymph who is sent to Circe’s island. Circe tries to welcome her, but Alke is rude and sulky. When Circe tries to dismiss her, though, Alke defiantly stays put, telling Circe that she has no power in comparison to the gods who sent her. The gods who sent her are men, and therefore they have more power than Circe, a woman. Alke is used to the sexism of ancient Greece, so she accepts these gods’ power as “natural . . . like the movements of the spheres.” Instead, Alke uses her energy to defy Circe who, as an unmarried woman, is “in her reach.” Alke’s actions show how the women of ancient Greece often scrabble among themselves for power because they see taking down each other as their only chance to advance—the men are beyond their reach.