Oh good it wasn't just me who was thinking this.
Author. You're not going to redeem her. You're not gonna walk back that statement of "If she hadn't already had those desires, the gods wouldn't have been able to do anything to her". The desire was there, so they did, so she did. Stop wiggling the handles and looking over at the audience like "Is it working? Are you sympathetic yet?" because for most of us it isn't gonna work.
Move On.