Although the story of the Minotaur is only a myth, there is much one can learn by thoughtfully considering each of the various characters and their behaviors or reactions. In the story, one can observe how Minos, the King of Crete and the stepfather of the Minotaur, was cruel, ruthless and selfish. As the story continues, one comes to understand that how one behaves impacts countless others not just him- or her- self. When Minos was selfish and did not sacrifice the white bull, not only were his wife and “son” affected, but also countless innocent Athenians. As time went on, the king became more cruel and ruthless, rather than learning from his selfishness and striving to repair the damage he had caused. Today, one can envision that egocentricity occurs countless times in this present society. Granted, there are several generous people who offer great empathy to several who might never receive kindness. Just so, there are those who are not generous with their resources and often become figuratively cruel and vicious. Most of today’s difficulties are results of one’s selfishness. Those often affected are the unborn, the elderly, and the neglected child. If one had altruism and compassion for others, our world would not be as it is today.
In the Minotaur’s story, his mother, Pasiphae, experienced much disgrace and heartache from the hands of the god Poseidon. Because she was under Poseidon’s curse, she had no way of defending herself against such an abominable act of