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Perses is a son of Perse and Helios, and the brother of Circe, Aeëtes, and Pasiphaë. He is a sorcerer, like the rest of his siblings. Perses is named after his mother, Perse, who was inspired by Helios’ declaration that “Every son reflects upon his mother.” Although Perses shares Perse’s malice, he doesn’t appear to harbor any special sympathies for her. Her naming him after her has less to do with encouraging a sympathetic bond, and more to do with her egotism. Circe has no fond memories of Perses, as he is cruel to her from childhood. Perses exhibits the vices of the gods—cruelty and egotism—and the misogynistic and abusive behavior against women that is prevalent in the novel. Later in the story, Circe hears that he has “some goddess of Sumeria he keeps in chains for a wife.” Clearly, he takes part in the subjugation of women and uses his wife to simply breed with. Even Pasiphaë, who Circe always thought was close with Perses, hints at his cruelty. He, like so many of the other gods, is devoid of affection.
Perses Quotes in Circe
The Circe quotes below are all either spoken by Perses or refer to Perses. 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 7
Quotes
Witchcraft is nothing but such drudgery […] Day upon patient day, you must throw out your errors and begin again. So why did I not mind? Why did none of us mind?
I cannot speak for my brothers and sister, but my answer is easy. For a hundred generations, I had walked the world drowsy and dull, idle and at my ease. I left no prints, I did no deeds. Even those who had loved me a little did not care to stay.
Then I learned that I could bend the world to my will, as a bow is bent for an arrow. I would have done that toil a thousand times to keep such power in my hands. I thought: this is how Zeus felt when he first lifted the thunderbolt.
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Chapter 24
Quotes
My island lay around me. My herbs, my house, my animals. And so it would go, I thought, on and on, forever the same. It did not matter if Penelope and Telemachus were kind. It did not matter even if they stayed for their whole lives, if she were the friend I had yearned for and he were something else, it would only be a blink. They would wither, and I would burn their bodies and watch my memories of them fade as everything faded in the endless wash of the centuries […] For me there was nothing. I would go on through the countless millennia, while everyone I met ran through my fingers and I was left with only those who were like me. The Olympians and Titans. My sister and brothers. My father.
I felt something in me then […] I seemed to hear that pale creature in his black depths.
Then, child, make another.
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Get the entire Circe LitChart as a printable PDF.
Perses Quotes in Circe
The Circe quotes below are all either spoken by Perses or refer to Perses. 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 7
Quotes
Witchcraft is nothing but such drudgery […] Day upon patient day, you must throw out your errors and begin again. So why did I not mind? Why did none of us mind?
I cannot speak for my brothers and sister, but my answer is easy. For a hundred generations, I had walked the world drowsy and dull, idle and at my ease. I left no prints, I did no deeds. Even those who had loved me a little did not care to stay.
Then I learned that I could bend the world to my will, as a bow is bent for an arrow. I would have done that toil a thousand times to keep such power in my hands. I thought: this is how Zeus felt when he first lifted the thunderbolt.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24
Quotes
My island lay around me. My herbs, my house, my animals. And so it would go, I thought, on and on, forever the same. It did not matter if Penelope and Telemachus were kind. It did not matter even if they stayed for their whole lives, if she were the friend I had yearned for and he were something else, it would only be a blink. They would wither, and I would burn their bodies and watch my memories of them fade as everything faded in the endless wash of the centuries […] For me there was nothing. I would go on through the countless millennia, while everyone I met ran through my fingers and I was left with only those who were like me. The Olympians and Titans. My sister and brothers. My father.
I felt something in me then […] I seemed to hear that pale creature in his black depths.
Then, child, make another.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
