1. Theseus: Courage, Revenge, and Love
- Courage: Theseus is motivated by his intrinsic bravery and heroism to confront the dangerous Minotaur and free Athens from the tribute of seven young men and maidens every nine years.
- Revenge: Having lost his father, King Aegeus, to the machinations of King Minos, Theseus seeks revenge by overcoming the challenges Minos has set for him, including slaying the half-man, half-bull creature, the Minotaur.
- Love: Upon reaching Crete, Theseus falls in love with Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, which further fuels his determination to succeed and free himself and his comrades from the Labyrinth where the Minotaur resides.
2. Ariadne: Compassion, Curiosity, and Strategic Love
- Compassion: Ariadne feels sympathetic towards Theseus and the Athenian youths who are subjected to the deadly sacrifice to the Minotaur. Her empathy drives her to help Theseus.
- Curiosity: Ariadne's curiosity about the Labyrinth and the Minotaur prompts her to explore the palace, which leads her to encounter the captive Theseus and fall in love with him.
- Strategic Love: Understanding the perils her lover is about to face, Ariadne devises a strategic plan to help Theseus escape the Labyrinth. She provides him with a thread that enables him to find his way back out after navigating the intricate and disorienting labyrinthine corridors.
These motivations drive the central conflict, shape character decisions, and form the basis for the plot developments and resolution in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.