Personally, I never really thought about psychoanalyzing a fictional character from any books, movies, shows, or video games, but now I realize how important a someone’s mental state determines their characterization and, specifically, what psychopathological phenomenon they could be experiencing. Conversely, understanding psychopathological phenomenon can help people write their characters better. By doing this, they can seem more relatable and, very importantly, more human to the audience.

For example, the main character of “The House of Asterion” uses this type of characterization as well. Asterion knows he is different from the rest, and at first it isn’t clear why everyone avoids him. With the way Asterion was characterized and his viewpoint towards his existence, I thought Asterion was a person like me, albeit a very unfortunate one. Even when he is revealed to be the Minotaur, traditionally considered a “monster”, this did not change the fact that the audience can easily sympathize with him. Asterion never bore any ill will towards those who entered the labyrinth to slay him and I am not sure if he ever knew that murder was considered an evil thing, possibly because no one ever bothered to teach him otherwise. Because they saw him as a monster and treated him so.

Like any person, Asterion yearned for freedom from his labyrinth, even if it meant dying at the hands of his prophesied redeemer, Theseus. A lonely outcast born from cruel fate fits the tale of the Minotaur seemingly far better than a monster born to kill.

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