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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:
).
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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Explanation and Analysis:
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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:
).
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.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
