Circe In Homer's Odyssey

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Come join me on my magical island to experience the wonders of the redoubtable and awe-inspiring Circe. Circe, an immortal sorceress and goddess, uses her power, in The Odyssey, to transform Odysseus’s followers into swine. She lives on the island of Aeaea, a mythical land off the coast of Italy (“Circe”). In many myths, Circe has a variety of qualities and purposes affecting Greek culture.
To begin, Circe displays an assortment of qualities similar to both the average mortal and many divine goddesses.For Example, Circe resembles a human, unlike many other mythical beings. Similar to many humans, she is isolated and lonely. She is all deserted on her island, only having her animals. Furthermore, when Odysseus arrives, she desperately wants his fondness and company. Circe is also extremely seductive; she makes Odysseus stay instead of continuing on his important journey. Gillespie writes, “Odysseus remains on Aeaea for five years” (290). She is also tricky, sly, and mischievous; she “welcomed them and gave them as much food and drink as they wanted-but she also put a powerful drug in …show more content…
Circe is a symbol of an independent woman in a primarily male-dominant society. In Greek society, women were not as powerful, influential, or important as men. Gillespie writes, “Strong women are often portrayed as evil” (290). Circe is an example of Gillespie’s writing; she is an outlier to the Greek culture as she is a forceful and commanding women. She casts “powerful spells” and turns “Odysseus's men into swine” (Daly “Circe”). Plus, women in this society are not as knowledgeable as men due to a lack of education. However, Circe is extremely clever; she knows many “potions and incantations” (“Circe”) and tells Odysseus how to “resist the deadly Sirens and avoid other dangers” (Sacks). Circe is a deviation from the Greek culture being both knowledgeable and

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The Hero's Heroic Journey In Greek Mythology

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