Circe Characters

Circe

Title character and famed witch in Greek mythology. In telling her story, Circe transforms from a mythological character associated with comfort and cruelty to one who is more understandable in terms of human emotions, motivations, and needs.

Helios

God of the Sun, a Titan and the father of Circe. Although Helios is always present in the light of each day, he moves in and out of Circe’s story. Ultimately, his role is key in the trajectory of Circe’s life and particularly in terms of the island that Helios chooses for her exile and in ending that exile through his intervention.

Odysseus

Mortal Greek hero of the Trojan War, who devises the famous Trojan horse scheme, and title character of Homer’s The Odyssey. Odysseus stumbles upon Circe’s island of Aiaia on his long journey back to his island home of Ithaca after the war. A favorite of Athena, brutal and wily yet charming, Odysseus unknowingly fathers a son with Circe. In The Odyssey, Circe is but one enchantress of Odysseus. In Circe, although he has a key impact on her life, Odysseus is but one mortal in her life.

Telegonus

Mortal son of Circe and Odysseus, whom Circe births and raises alone. Through Telegonus, Circe is revealed as a lioness much like those on her island who will do anything to protect their cubs. He grows into a bright and shining youth, yet restless and longing to know his father and see the world. That desire becomes a conflict between Telegonus and Circe and the catalyst for dramatic events.

Telemachus

Mortal son of Odysseus and Penelope, the wife who waits for him on Ithaca in The Odyssey. Telemachus is very different from his father, forthright and humble, yet solid and clear-eyed about who he is and what he wants. Significantly, he is the last mortal lover of Circe.

Ae�tes

Youngest brother of Circe and a powerful god. He is ruler of Colchis, an ancient kingdom on the Black Sea. Circe helps raise Ae�tes as a child and loves him deeply, but as an adult he does not return her loyalty. It is Ae�tes who reveals the powers of pharmakeia that lead to Circe’s exile. He is also the father of Medea and the keeper of the Golden Fleece, stolen by Jason. Medea and Jason make brief but memorable appearances in Circe’s story.

Pasipha�

Goddess younger sister of Circe, also a witch. She is queen of Crete, the mother of the Minotaur, which she conceives with a sacred bull. She brings Circe to assist when the Minotaur is born. Pasipha� is as beautiful by goddess standards as Circe is not. As children, Pasipha� and her twin Perses are their mother’s favorites and constantly mock Circe. Pasipha�’s heartlessness is a contrast to Circe’s compassion and conscience. Perses is not present in most of Circe’s story.

Scylla

Beautiful sea nymph whom Circe transforms into the terrifying six-headed, twelve-legged monster of Greek mythology. Circe’s spell was only meant to reveal Scylla’s true self. Scylla becomes part of a dreaded peril for sailors; they must navigate between the whirlpool of Charybdis (believed based on a whirlpool in the Strait of Messina) and the consuming Scylla. Many fail, and Circe is deeply troubled by the suffering she brings to mortals through Scylla. Circe eventually defeats her.

Glaucos

Poor young mortal fisherman whom Circe falls in love with and transforms into a god in her first act of pharmakeia, in hopes that they can marry. Through Glaucos, elements of Circe’s character are also revealed: her basic kindness, her strong desire for love, and the discovery of her witchcraft, which leads to her exile.

Daedalus

Great craftsman of Crete and first mortal lover of Circe after they deliver the Minotaur and then contrive to keep the flesh-eating creature contained. When she leaves Crete, Daedalus gives Circe a magnificent loom he has made for her; thereafter, weaving is a key activity in her solitude on the island. As one trapped herself, Circe is sympathetic to Daedalus’s longing to escape Crete, where Pasipha� and her husband keep him captive for his artistic skill.

Penelope

Mortal wife of Odysseus and cousin of Helen of Sparta, whose kidnapping triggered the Trojan War. As mother of Telemachus, the man Circe comes to love deeply, Penelope’s significance comes late in the story. Ultimately, she becomes an ally of Circe and eventually takes her place on the island, with the suggestion that Penelope also achieves witchlike powers.

Athena

Greek goddess of war and wisdom, favorite daughter of Zeus. She fought beside Odysseus in the Trojan War and loves him for their shared warrior traits. Athena is a vengeful presence for Circe after she gives birth to Odysseus’s son, Telegonus. In her confrontations with Athena, Circe demonstrates her power as a witch and her fierce love for Telegonus.

Hermes

A son of Zeus, brother of Apollo, messenger of the Olympian gods and leader of souls to the underworld. He is Circe’s first lover, and she initially welcomes him in her exile, although eventually banishes him. Hermes is a trickster who manipulates for amusement and encourages the climactic events around Telegonus.

Perse

Beautiful sea-nymph mother of Circe and a schemer who insists that Helios must marry her before he can bed her. He does, and this gives her children by Helios a unique prominence. Perse is not maternal; when Circe lacks beauty and marriage prospects, Perse abandons and ostracizes her. Perse also has no interest in Ae�tes when he is born, which results in Circe taking over his care and forming a crucial relationship between them.

Prometheus

Titan god who gives mortals fire and is consequently punished for eternity. It is a brief interaction with Prometheus that demonstrates Circe’s compassion, profoundly influences her, and leads to a secret that ultimately frees her from her imprisonment on Aiaia.