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Natalie HaynesA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.
Medusa is the mortal, youngest Gorgon sister raised by immortals. Unlike her formidable siblings, she is vulnerable to physical pain and possesses a gentle, compassionate nature. She enjoys watching the sea and observing mortal life from afar, displaying a deep empathy that distinguishes her from the Olympian gods.
Sthenno is an immortal Gorgon who discovers a mortal infant outside her home. She possesses leathery wings, tusks, and a fiercely protective demeanor. She shuns contact with mortals but learns to experience love and fear while raising her vulnerable younger sister.
Older Sister of Medusa
Sister of Euryale
Daughter of Ceto
Daughter of Phorcys
Euryale is an immortal Gorgon who shares a secluded cave with Sthenno. She shows a curious fondness for mortals and animals, often reuniting lost sheep with their mothers. She exhibits immense physical power and uses it to violently alter the earth when her family is threatened.
Older Sister of Medusa
Sister of Sthenno
Daughter of Ceto
Daughter of Phorcys
Poseidon is the Olympian god of the sea and brother to Zeus. He exhibits extreme entitlement, feigning courtesy while using his overwhelming power to coerce women into submission. He aggressively pursues Amphitrite and later corners Medusa inside a newly built temple.
Athene is the Olympian goddess of war and wisdom, born directly from her father's head. She develops a brutal bloodlust during the gods' war against the Giants and frequently aligns herself with patriarchal power structures. She directs her divine anger at mortal women rather than the male gods who cause the offenses.
Perseus is the demigod son of Zeus and Princess Danaë. Raised in exile on the island of Seriphos, he benefits heavily from divine intervention and exhibits a deep sense of entitlement. He accepts a dangerous quest to retrieve a Gorgon's head to spare his mother from an unwanted marriage.
Son of Princess Danaë
Son of Zeus
Hunter of Medusa
Mentee of Athene
Mentee of Hermes
Adversary of King Polydectes
Ward of Dictys
Zeus is the ruler of the Olympian gods and god of the sky. Having overthrown his own father, he constantly fears being overthrown himself by a future son. He frequently abuses his supreme authority to satisfy his desires, acting with extreme violence and selfishness toward mortals and immortals alike.
Husband and Brother of Hera
Attacker of Metis
Father of Athene
Father of Perseus
Attacker of Princess Danaë
Brother of Poseidon
Princess Danaë is a mortal royal locked away due to a prophecy predicting her future child will kill her father. After Zeus forces himself upon her and subsequently frees her, she lives in exile on Seriphos. She focuses entirely on protecting and raising her son.
Princess Andromeda is the mortal daughter of the Ethiopian monarchs. She resents her arranged engagement to her older uncle Phineas and displays a rebellious spirit. Her life is upended when divine retribution targets her home due to her mother's vanity.
Hera is the Olympian goddess of marriage and Zeus's sister-wife. She directs her intense anger over Zeus's constant infidelities toward his female victims rather than holding her husband accountable. She actively encourages Zeus to destroy his rivals.
Amphitrite is a water nymph who seeks refuge from Poseidon's coercion. She eventually yields to his demands, reasoning that he is less violently destructive than other Olympian gods, though she later encourages him to punish mortals.
Wife of Poseidon
Dictys is a fisherman on the island of Seriphos. He provides Danaë and her infant son with shelter, food, and a safe home, acting as a rare source of genuine, unselfish support.
King Polydectes is the arrogant ruler of Seriphos. He attempts to force Danaë into marriage and sends her son away on a seemingly impossible quest to eliminate him as an obstacle.
Gaia is the ancient earth goddess and mother of the Giants. She attempts to protect her children during their war against the Olympians, enduring immense emotional and physical pain as they are killed and absorbed back into her soil.
Adversary of Zeus
Queen Cassiope is the beautiful ruler of Ethiopia. She boastfully compares her appearance to that of the immortal water nymphs, inadvertently bringing divine wrath upon her kingdom and her daughter.
Wife of King Cepheus
Mother of Princess Andromeda
Ceto is an ancient sea goddess and mother to the Gorgons. She commands massive sea creatures and is compelled to obey Poseidon's destructive orders regarding the shores of Ethiopia.
Mother of Medusa
Mother of Sthenno
Mother of Euryale