About Circe

I have read a book named The Odyssey and I would like to talk about a specific character, Circe. Before introducing the character, I would like to provide background information about the book, The Odyssey. The Odyssey is an ancient Greek poem that mainly centers on the Greek hero Odysseus or Ulysses, which is his Latin name and his long journey home following the fall of Troy. It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the ten-year of Trojan War.

Circe is a woman and her age is unknown. She is the nymph with lovely braids, who is living in AEaea. She is the only one living in that island, so she is very lonely, and lucky for her, a handsome man, which is Odysseus, appears and makes Circe to love him very passionately. In addition, she is similar to a witch for she has magical power that she can use. She also owns awesome power to speak with a human voice. For she has much power, she is fearless. She usually uses her power to turn people into swine, and by this we can say that she is kind of evil. Also, she is the true sister of murderous-minded AEetes, and the aunt of Medea.

I would like to tell how Circe and Odysseus got to meet. Ulysses’ crew went on again till they arrived at AEaea, the island that Circe is living in. Here Ulysses’ crew was separated into two groups, one leaded by Ulysses which stayed at the ship and the other headed by Eurylochus which found the beautiful palace home to Circe. The others went into the palace while Eurylochus stayed outside, lingering on the porch, cautious of the danger that might occur. I personally think that was a very clever decision to make. At first, Circe greeted and welcomed them very much. She served them much food to eat and the men enjoyed and feasted themselves. Time flowed, and suddenly Circe started from her seat, waved her wand over their heads, and turned them into swine.
“ Then instantly
She touched them with a wand, and shut them up
In sties, transformed to swine in head and voice,
Bristles and shape, though still the human mind
Remained to them. Thus sorrowing they were driven
Into their cells, where Circe flung to them
Acorns of oak and ilex, and the fruit
Of cornel, such as nourish wallowing swine.”

I included this part because I think it is a very important scene. This major situation has led Circe and Odysseus to meet and fall in love.
Fortunately, there was clever Eurylochus and he reported the situation and Ulysses comes and solves the problem with the help of the herb that Hermes has given him. However, he falls in love with Circe. As the time flows, the crew wants Ulysses to leave Circe and go back home. Odysseus feels sorry for Circe, and Circe doesn’t want him to go due to the lonely times after he leaves her. However, Circe let him go and Odysseus makes a clever decision to go back home. It is a sad love story. I think that even if Odysseus did not leave her and live with her in that island, he would have felt very guilty for the family he has in Ithaca. Circe seems mean and evil, but it is because she has a wound in her mind. And I think that the characters that are villains are because they have a scar or a wound in their hearts and it’s same with Circe. Although there are many negative aspects of her, we shouldn’t look Circe with a negative gaze.