Circe Discussion Questions

How is the theme of transformation significant in Circe?

Transformation is important not only symbolically but as a critical driver of the plot. Circe’s transformation of Glaucos and, most pointedly, of Scylla triggers the crisis that leads to her exile. Life on the island of Aiaia allows the freedom and opportunity for Circe to transform into a witch with extraordinary power. The island itself has been transformed by the Titan blood that showered it, rendering the flowers and herbs growing in that soil with the power to injure and heal. Circe’s use of transformation also shifts as the story continues, from innocent use to use that is more intentionally destructive. Ultimately, Circe’s transformation to her “true self” is what gives her tale its happy ending. Taken together, transformation powers the novel in both literal and figurative ways.

How does Circe’s character develop differently in contrast to her siblings, particularly her sister?

The influence of Circe’s early years have a defining impact on her. She is cruelly teased and ostracized because of her appearance, a fact that develops her sensitivity to others who are abused, such as Glaucos. The influence of meeting Prometheus also profoundly affects Circe. She is moved by his kindness toward and regard for mortals and his willingness to accept eternal punishment for his actions. Her early experience with Daedalus as a gifted and decent man also confirms her respect for mortals.

Circe initially lacks power, which is a distinct contrast with her siblings. Even before they recognize their powers of witchcraft, Pasiphaë’s beauty and her position as her mother’s favorite gives her power. She has no reason or inclination to consider the needs of others or concepts related to justice and fairness. Perseus is not present in most of the story but as Pasiphaë’s twin and also a favorite, he follows the same character trajectory. Aeëtes is nurtured by Circe when he is rejected by Perse and does not know or feel deprivation or ostracism. As the sibling who discovers their shared power of witchcraft, Aeëtes is highly empowered by it. The contrast of Aeëtes’s character with Circe’s, and particularly Pasiphaë’s with Circe as her only sister, is dramatic

If Odysseus’s heroic journey was about finding home, what is Circe’s heroic journey?

Circe’s heroic journey is to find her true self. It is the potion she uses initially in her transformation of Glaucos and Scylla and the catalyst that sends her into exile. Throughout the novel, Circe struggles with understanding herself and what she is capable of: how she created such a monster in Scylla, for example, and the true nature of her powers of witchcraft. She loves her son fiercely but also recognizes that she wants to control him, to keep him on the island with her, to imprison as she has been imprisoned. However, as Circe continues on her journey—one not of miles but internal insight and coming to “know thyself”—she ultimately is successful as she transforms to her true self, a mortal.

Might Circe have come to regret her decision to give up her immortality? Why or why not?

It is unlikely that Circe would have come to regret her choice. Throughout the story she is repeatedly skeptical of the value of immortality. In her disdain for her fellow gods, she sees their eternal years as wasted in petty meanness. As mortals come into her life whom she deeply loves—her son Telegonus, Telemachus, their daughters, even Penelope—she clearly is pained at the thought of losing them and living on without them. She also knows she will be united with them in the underworld, where immortals cannot enter. So taken together, it seems unlikely she was ever sorry to give up her immortality.

How is Circe representative of the genre of the retelling of a classic story, and how is it reframed for a modern audience?

As a memorable character in The Odyssey, Circe is primarily known from Homer’s tale. Circe features many characters and events that are true to those in The Odyssey. The hero Odysseus comes to her island on his perilous journey home from Troy. He remains for a year, and she bears his child. He relates familiar stories and characters from the Trojan War. The trials of Penelope, his wife, and the challenges of his return to Ithaca are all contained and presented faithfully in Circe. In this way, The Odyssey as the “original” tale is confirmed.

The uniqueness of this retelling is the act of pulling this one essentially minor character from The Odyssey and weaving a vast tale from her point of view that goes far beyond the bounds of The Odyssey. Circe’s telling fills in details that explain how she comes to be alone on the island where Odysseus will find her. But far beyond that, her telling expands Circe’s character and presents a rich and layered picture of a compelling personality.