43 pages • 1 hour read
Rick RiordanThe Chalice of the Gods
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Character Analysis
Percy Jackson
Percy Jackson is the protagonist of The Chalice of the Gods and all other books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He appears in many other books by Rick Riordan as well. Percy is the son of Poseidon and Sally Jackson. Percy struggles in school; like all demigods, he has ADHD and dyslexia, which makes academic work challenging. Nevertheless, Percy works hard and dreams of attending New Rome University, a college for demigods in California. Percy looks forward to the future when he is an adult who can leave behind most of The Challenges of Being a Demigod. Monsters usually stop attacking demigods who reach adulthood.
Percy is well suited to confront and overcome Geras, the god of old age, because he has already thought a great deal about his own mortality. He has already chosen not to become immortal, even though the thought of a mortal future can be daunting. In contrast to gods like Ganymede and Hebe, who are disgusted by the idea of growing old, Percy sees the future as a gift that he can share with his loved ones. Percy realizes that the only alternatives to growing old are dying young or becoming immortal and never changing. Neither of these options appeals to him, so Percy realizes that Embracing the Passage of Time is better than trying to defeat Geras.
Percy lives with Sally and her new husband, Paul Blofis. Paul is a kind and supportive stepfather who knows that Percy is a demigod. In The Chalice of the Gods, Percy learns that Sally is pregnant; he will soon have a younger half-sibling. Although Sally and Paul cannot keep Percy safe during his many dangerous quests (they are both fully human), they ensure that he has a safe home to return to at any time.
Annabeth Chase
Annabeth Chase is Percy’s girlfriend and a daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She is very smart and resourceful. Like Percy, Annabeth has dyslexia and ADHD, though she does not struggle as much as he does in school. She also plans on attending New Rome University. Annabeth and Percy were friends for several years before they started dating, and they now have a solid and loving relationship. They both understand The Challenges of Being a Demigod and are able to support each other through whatever the gods throw at them. Annabeth assures Percy that she will always be there to help him with his quests.
Annabeth has a closer relationship with her mother than Percy does with his father, though Athena has not historically approved of her relationship with Percy. The Chalice of the Gods is the first book where Athena appears to change her mind about her daughter’s boyfriend. Annabeth believes that Athena’s silent decision to help Percy complete his quest indicates that she respects Annabeth’s decision to date him and recognizes how serious the relationship has become. Annabeth and Percy have always connected over their shared understanding of what it means to have a divine parent. Demigod children have to be more independent and self-assured than their human counterparts.
Grover Underwood
Grover is a satyr and Percy’s best friend. He and Percy have been friends since before Percy knew that he was a demigod; the Council of Cloven Elders sent him to watch over and protect Percy several years ago. Satyrs mature half as fast as humans; though Grover looks and acts like a teenager, he is actually in his thirties. The Mist makes it easier for Grover to hide his goat legs and horns from humans. Over the years, Percy and Grover have faced many dangers together, deepening and solidifying their friendship.
In The Chalice of the Gods, Grover is anxious about what will happen in their future when Percy and Annabeth move to California for college. Grover will not be able to come with them, as he has responsibilities in New York. He still lives and works at Camp Half-Blood, and his girlfriend, Juniper, is there too. He worries that his friends will forget about him. Percy assures Grover that their bond is strong and that they will always have each other. The Power of Friendship between Grover and Percy is integral to Percy’s ability to overcome Geras. When Percy imagines the future, Grover is always there. Percy and Grover have faced many dangers together; growing old is just another challenge that will bring them closer together.
Ganymede
Ganymede is the cupbearer to the gods. He looks to be around 20 years old, and he is extremely beautiful. He was human until Zeus brought him to Olympus and made him immortal, drawn by his youth and beauty. Ganymede waits on the gods at their feasts and does not want to lose his immortality even though he hates his job. Because he cannot age or grow, Ganymede is a static character. He is a character foil for Percy, who recognizes the value in continuing to age and even eventually die. Percy has to decide whether to give Ganymede back his chalice or whether to allow Zeus to rescind his immortality. Even though Percy thinks Ganymede would benefit from mortality, he decides that, unlike Zeus, he values Ganymede’s ability to choose his own destiny.
Hebe, Iris, and Geras
Hebe is the goddess of youth and a former cupbearer to the gods. Annabeth mentions that she is married to the immortal hero Hercules. She takes the form of a young teenage girl and later clarifies that she must always be the youngest person in a room. She prizes youth and beauty above all else and cannot understand Percy’s decision to turn down immortality. Like many gods, she is easily insulted and turns vengeful when she feels she has been slighted.
Iris is the goddess of the rainbow and a messenger for the gods. She is also a former divine cupbearer. She facilitates communication for demigods through Iris-messages. Like all the gods, Iris has human children; her daughter, Blanche, seems to be her opposite. Blanche only photographs things in black and white, and her mother struggles to connect with her. Iris refuses to give Percy and his friends information until they clean her staff, even though she could easily clean it herself. She is afraid of Geras because he represents changes to the status quo and forces her to think about the passage of time.
Geras, who goes by the alias “Gary,” is the god of old age. He takes the form of a tiny, withered old man. The only person to have faced him in a fight is Hercules, who wrestled him to a standstill using his superhuman strength. This fight was declared a tie, as it is not possible to defeat old age. Geras scorns the other gods for their fear of old age and reveals that he stole Ganymede’s chalice because he does not believe that any mortal should be able to escape aging and death. Percy defeats Geras not by overpowering him but by embracing him and accepting that he will grow old. Geras is disarmed by this gesture, remarking, “Old Age is never embraced” (255). Geras gives up the chalice to Percy because he is impressed by Percy’s commitment to Embracing the Passage of Time.
Other Greek Deities
Elisson is a river god. He looks like a stereotypical yoga instructor but without any “calm, meditative energy” (156). He does not appreciate Percy’s falling into his waters to clean Iris’s staff, though he eventually thanks Percy for cleaning the pollution from his river. He is frightened by Percy’s powers, but Annabeth calms him down. Like most deities, Elisson is not interested in mortal affairs; he makes no effort to rescue Grover and the others from the serpents.
Poseidon is the god of the sea and Percy’s father. He is a largely absent father who pays little attention to Percy’s life, rarely helping him or acknowledging his accomplishments. All gods have somewhat strained relationships with their demigod offspring, but Poseidon is especially distant, even compared to Iris and Athena. Like all gods, Poseidon wants to uphold the status quo; he spends most of his time renovating his underwater palace. At the end of The Chalice of the Gods, Poseidon finally acknowledges Percy’s accomplishments and calls his school to excuse his absence, which is a small step toward improving their relationship.
Zeus is the god of lightning and the king of the gods. He is married to Hera. He is arrogant and loves talking about himself and his great deeds. Zeus is the one who decided that Percy had to get recommendation letters to attend New Rome University, a requirement that no other demigods have to fulfill. Percy knows that Zeus dislikes him and could easily kill him if given the chance. That is why Percy has to be so careful when he gives Ganymede back his chalice: Incurring Zeus’s wrath could be fatal, and nobody would likely be able to help him. Zeus is the reason Ganymede is immortal in the first place, and he treats his cupbearer poorly. Like all gods, Zeus represents the status quo and is wholly uninterested in changing for the better. He enjoys his status as king of the gods and actively wants others to serve him instead of doing anything himself.
Eudora is a Nereid who works as a guidance counselor at Percy’s high school. Technically, she is not a goddess; she is a water spirit who works for Poseidon. Her attempts to help him get into New Rome University are well-meaning, but she often neglects to give him adequate information. She does not tell him how to get dual credit so that he can get his letters more quickly, and she refuses to tell him anything about Geras.
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By Rick Riordan
