Circe loves her son so much that she is willing to be tortured for eternity, which shows that she is willing to sacrifice herself in order to protect someone else. Trygon recognizes Circe’s selflessness and decides to give Circe his tail without her needing to experience the poison. The implication is that, because Circe understands the meaning of sacrifice, she will not take his sacrifice lightly in turn. Circe does indeed appreciate the weight of Trygon’s sacrifice, even becoming reluctant to cut the stinger off. She would have fought Trygon for his tail because she is used to defending herself against people who want to harm her. By offering her his tail, Trygon makes Circe understand the selfishness of causing someone else pain in order to achieve one’s own goals. When she cuts off his tail, he bleeds gold, symbolizing how he is losing his power for her, which is a great sacrifice in a world where power is the most prized thing a person can have. Circe feels cursed as she watches him bleed because she knows that she is weakening this creature for her own benefit—she is participating in the cycle of power and abuse, committing a bloody act for her own gain (even if her goal is to help someone else).