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Aubrey Luttrell
Greek Literature In English
Essay 3
October 30, 2014

Homers Odyssey centers on Odysseus extensive journey home to Ithaca after the
fall of Troy. Since Homer writes the epic poem in the perspective of Odysseus, he
ultimately includes a number of secondary characters, including the sorceress Circe, who
simply hinders and advances Odysseus journey. Though Homer silences Circe, other
artists give her a voice. One such artist is Romare Bearden, who created The Black
Odyssey, a series of collages based on episodes from Homers epic. This collection
includes a collage centered on Circe, communicating Beardens distinctive perception of
the sorceress. Contemporary poet Louise Gluck also conveys a unique perspective of the
sorceress in her poem, Circes Power. The work of Gluck, however, brims with the
complexity of a woman, while the works of Homer and Bearden lack this kind of depth.
This notion of complexity, or lack there of, manifests in the motivations that each work
offers for Circes behaviors: turning Odysseus crew into man-animals, sleeping with
Odysseus, restoring the man-animals humanity, facilitating Odysseus return to Ithaca,
and avoiding valediction.

Homers depiction of Circe in The Odyssey offers little insight into what
stimuli might motivate her behavior. According to Homer, Circes actions are driven
more by an obligation to Odysseus and his journey rather than by her personal thoughts

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and emotions. When it comes to her decision to turn Odysseus men into swine, Homer
simply writes the following:
She brought them inside and seated them on chairs and benches,
and mixed them a potion, with barley and cheese and pale honey
added to Pramneian wine, but put into the mixture malignant
drugs, to make them forgetful of their own country.
When she had given them this and they had drunk it down, next thing,
she struck them with her wand and drove them into her pig pens,
and they took on the look of pigs, with the heads and voices
and bristles of pigs, but the minds within them stayed as they had been
before (Odyssey, X, 233-241).
In the quote above, Homer uses nine lines of poetry to explain how Circe turns
Odysseus men into swine. At the same time, never in these nine lines of poetry does he
mention why she decides to turn Circe into swine. In other words, stating the obvious in a
poetic manner is more important to Homer than providing any reason as to why Circe
behaves in this way. Thus, in this part of the episode, it is clear that Circe is only present
to fulfill her calling as a hindrance to Odysseus journey. When it comes to her decision
to sleep with Odysseus, Homer has Circe state to Odysseus the following:
There is a mind in you no magic will work on.
You are then resourceful Odysseus. Argeiphontes
Of the golden staff was forever telling me you would come
To me, on your way back from Troy with you fast black ship.
Come then, put away your sword in its sheath, and let us

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Two go up into my bed so that, lying together
In the bed of love, we may then have faith and trust in each other. (Odyssey, X,
329-335)
This quotes encompasses seven lines of poetry coming straight from the mouth of
Circe, but it still lacks any emotional substance. In fact, the lack of emotional substance
makes it again seems as though some social calling motivates Circe to sleep with
Odysseus. In other words, since he is the first man to remain immune to her magic, she
feels compelled to reward him with sexual pleasure. After Odysseus request that Circe
restore his crews humanity, Homer states that Circe does the following:
So I spoke, and Circe walked on out through the palace,
Holding her wand in her hand, and opened the doors of the pigsty,
And drove them out. They looked like nine-year-old porkers. They stood
Ranged and facing her, and she, making her way through their
ranks, anointed each of them with some other medicine,
and the bristles, grown upon them by the evil medicine Circe
had bestowed upon them before, now fell away from them,
and they turned back once more into men(Odyssey, X, 388-395)
Similar to the first quote, this quote has a more important purpose of showing
Homers poetic strength rather than Circes motivations for submitting to Odysseus
wishes. One would think that it might be important to know why Circe even bothers
taking the time out of her day to turn them into swine if she would so easily restore them
to men later. The lack of explanation makes it seems as though Circe, subservient to
Odysseus, must abide by Odysseus wishes due to some sense of social obligation. When

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it comes to her decision to facilitate Odysseus journey, Homer has Circe state the
following:
Son of Laertes and seed of Zeus, resourceful Odysseus,
you shall no longer stay in my house when none of you wish to;
but first there is another journey you must accomplish
and reach the house of Hades and of revered Persephone,
there to consult with the soul of Teiresias the Theban,
the blind prophet, whose senses stay unshaken within him(Odyssey, X, 488-493)
In these lines, Homer utilizes Circes voice to give insight into the background of
Odysseus, the stature of Persephone, and the abilities of Teiresias, but never touches on
why a powerful sorceress decides to let and help Odysseus leave. Again, it seems as
though she has a social calling, perhaps to xenia, to help him leave whenever he desires.
Finally, when it comes to her decision to avoid valediction, Homer writes the following:
When we came down to our fast ship and the sand of the seashore,
we sat down, sorrowful, and weeping big tears. Circe
meanwhile had gone down herself to the side of the black ship,
and tethered aboard it a ram and one black female, easily
passing by unseen. Whose eyes can follow the movement
of a god passing from place to place, unless the god wishes? (Odyssey, X, 569574).
In these lines, Homer found it important to talk about weeping of Odysseus and
his men, as he always does, and the reader can imply that the men cry about the recently
extended journey ahead. Though he uses a few lines to talk about the emotions of

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Odysseus and his crew, he fails to allot any to the emotions of Circe. In fact, Homer
utilizes five lines to explain how Circe avoids valediction, but never explains why. Again,
the reader is left in the dark about Circes emotions, as Circe simply fulfills her purpose
as the provider of the offering necessary for Odysseus upcoming sacrifice to the dead
Teiresias. Perhaps another author can give more depth to Circes actions than Homer,
who perceives her actions as simply fulfilling a social obligation to the hindrance and
advancement of Odysseus journey.

Unlike Homer, Romare Beardens collage of Circe in The Black Odyssey does
provide some insight into what stimuli might motivate Circes behavior, but his analysis
is one-dimensional. Bearden floods one collage of Circe with his total perception of the
sorceress throughout the episode. This flooding impels a viewer of his collage to believe
that Circes behavior during Odysseuss entire time on her island influences the contents
of the collage. Prior to the first encounter between Odysseus and Circe, she decides to
trick Odysseus crew into drinking a potion that turns them into animals. Beardens
collage makes one believe that loneliness motivates this action because he pictures her
surrounded by animals, but abandoned by humans. This inclusion of animals and
exclusion of men shows Bearden believes that Circe turns men into animals so that they
cannot leave her island, for she knows that no man will willingly stay on her island, in the
middle of the ocean. This exclusion of humans in the collage also influences Beardens
thoughts about Circes decision to sleep with Odysseus. According to Bearden, Circe is
not simply seeking sexual pleasure, for he does not picture her as a sexual being. In fact,
due to the lack of hair on her head and curves in her body, Bearden pictures Circe without

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any true marks of feminine sexuality. In the same way, Bearden does not see Circe as a
power-seeking sorceress, trying to control Odysseus in any way, because his collage
excludes any symbol of power, even her sorcery. In his eyes, Circe needs to find a new
way to quench her loneliness because magical force has failed her. Consequently, Circe
tries to persuade Odysseus to stay through lovemaking. Likewise, Circe must submit to
Odysseus request to restore his crews humanity because she cannot use love to persuade
him to stay if Odysseus cannot trust her. If Circe wants to keep Odysseus on her island on
account of her loneliness, then why does she facilitate his return to Ithaca? According to
Bearden, this act functions as her final attempt to gain Odysseus love and trust. If she
submits to his request to leave, then maybe Odysseus will reward her goodness with love
and dwell on her island, in the middle of the nowhere, just a little bit longer. Unfortunate
for Circe, Odysseus still wanted to leave her. Her posture and facial expression in the
collage show the sadness she felt as she saw him prepare to leave. Instead of facing this
sadness, she disappears avoiding valediction. Ultimately, Romare Beardens depiction of
Circe throughout the episode is overly simplistic. In his eyes, only loneliness fuels her
actions. Perhaps there is a more in depth interpretation of what motivates Circes
behavior.

While Homer and Romare Beardens artistic representations of Circe lack depth,
Louise Glucks articulation of the sorceress thoughts in the poem, Circes Power, is
rich with a womans true complexity. Gluck addresses her thoughts of what motivates
Circes action in different sections of the poem. Prior to the first encounter between
Odysseus and Circe, she decides to trick Odysseus crew into drinking a potion that turns

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them into animals. In the voice of Circe, Gluck argues, I never turned anyone into a pig./
Some people are pigs; I make them/ look like pigs./ Im sick of your world/ that lets the
outside disguise the inside. Here, Gluck has Circe explain her reasons for transforming
the men into animals. Basically, she is tired of men disguising how they really act with
their outer appearance. Circe believes that Odysseus men in particular act like animals
because they cannot control themselves. First, they break the oath of xenia by stealing her
food. Then, the men leer at her due to her beauty. Gluck believes that Circe turned the
men into pigs as punishment for acting as such. Who else will exact justice on Circes
island? Just as Circes Power offers an explanation for the sorceress decision to turn men
into animals, it also offers an explanation for why Circe chooses to sleep with Odysseus.
In the voice of Circe, Gluck argues, we could be happy here,/ as men and women are/
when their needs are simple. Basically, Gluck believes that Circes is lonely. It is difficult
for Circe to maintain a relationship with a man, because she cannot get a man to willingly
remain on an island in the middle of the ocean. The quote above shows her loneliness
because instead of comparing her love affair with Odysseus to one of her previous
experiences with a man, she compares it to the experiences of others that she has heard.
Therefore, if Odysseus needs encompassed the same simplicity, if Odysseus only needed
sex and nothing more, they could be happy together on her remote island. She knows,
however, that Odysseus needs are not simple. As a mortal, he constantly longs to add
more meaning to his mortal life through kleos and he cannot accomplish this goal in a
place where no people live to hear or remember his story. Still, desiring to experience
what it may feel like to have easy love, she sleeps with him. Gluck also offers
explanation of why the sorceress chooses to restore the humanity of Odysseus crew. As

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Circe, Gluck explains, Your men werent bad men;/undisciplined life/ did that to them.
As pigs/under the care of/ me and my ladies, they/ sweetened right up./ Then I reversed
the spell/showing you my goodness/ as well as my power. This statement impels one to
believe that Gluck sees Circe having a duty to show Odysseus men how it is done or
how a person with power should deal with crime. It is evident that forgiveness is not a
well-accepted social construct of Greek society. For instance, when Paris of Troy breaks
the oath of xenia, the Greeks start a war to punish every Trojan man, woman, and child.
Gluck believes that Circes idea of justice is more than just eternal punishment. People
must be given a chance to acts more like humans and less like animals. The Greek
society, however, lacks the capacity to forgive. Consequently, Gluck explains that Circes
decision to forgive Odysseus men for their transgressions shows the goodness that she
possesses and that Greek society lacks. Gluck similarly explains what motivates Circes
decision to facilitate Odysseus return to Ithaca. In the voice of Circe, Gluck states, I
foresaw your departure,/ your men with my help braving/ the crying and pounding sea.
You think/ a few tears upset me? My friend This statement oozes with the notion I
dont need you, but you need me. Here, Circe uses phrases that emphasis her
disconnection with Odysseus. For instance, the word departure puts a very formal tone
on this part of the conversation, as if Odysseus is just her friend as she later calls him.
In other words, she could care less about their relationship status, because it is Odysseus
who ultimately needs her. As a sorceress, Circe can see the future and it is her wisdom
that allows him to take the right paths. Gluck believes that Circe enjoys the idea that she
can function as Odysseus saving grace, his superwoman. Just as Circes Power
describes the sorceress motivations for facilitating Odysseus return to Ithaca, it also

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describes why she avoids valediction. The poem states, every sorceress is/a pragmatist at
heart. Nobody/ sees essence who cant/face limitation. If I wanted to only hold you/ I
could hold you prisoner. As a pragmatist, Circe already realizes that Odysseus could
choose to leave her in the same way he chooses to stay with her. Because of this
preconception, Circe never allows herself to get too close to Odysseus. She remains
aloof, especially during his departure, because she does not want to ends up forcing him
to stay on her island. In the end, Circe is powerful enough to have Odysseus if she wants
him, but it takes more strength to let him go. Ultimately, Gluck offers several reasons for
Circes decisions throughout the episode, providing an in depth analysis of her emotional
complexity.

Homer, Romare Bearden, and Louise Gluck present different levels of complexity
in their respective ideas for what motivates Circe to turn men into man-animals, to sleep
with Odysseus, to restore the man-animals humanity, to facilitate Odysseus return to
Ithaca, and to avoid valediction. Homer provides no depth to Circes character. In his
depiction of Circe in The Odyssey, Circe simply fulfills social obligations to advance
and hinder Odysseus journey to Ithaca. Bearden, on the other hand, provides some depth
to Circes character, but limits this depth to one level. In his collage, Bearden interprets
Circe as a lonely woman who will do anything to keep Odysseus on her island and as a
sad woman, when she fails to accomplish this goal. Unlike Homer and Beardens works,
Glucks poem interweaves Circes character will countless levels of depth. To Gluck,
Circe acts as a bringer of justice on her island, a lonely and lovesick sorceress, a
representation of forgiveness in a merciless society, a woman dealing with a case of the

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superwoman syndrome, and an example of strength when it is easy to be weak. Neither
Homer nor Bearden capture the depth of this womans complexity in the way that Gluck
captures it. Perhaps the contrast between the representations of Louise Gluck and of
Homer and Romare Bearden relates to gender ranks, stereotypes, and bias. Homer resided
in an overly patriarchal society, which often neglects a womans thoughts, opinions, and
emotions, her reasons for behaving the way she does. Though Bearden created his work
during a less patriarchal time, he still lived in a period where woman were commonly
stereotypes as weak and emotional. Thus, it makes sense that he categorizes her as lonely
and sad. Though Gluck too created her work in a stereotypical time, she lives during a
period in which women have more control over the stereotypes given to women. Perhaps
she writes to rectify the pigeonholes put on women like Circe. Furthermore, who can
better talk about a womans psyche than a woman?

Works Cited
Bearden, Romare. Circe. 1977.
Gluck, Louise. Circes Power. 1996.
Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. New York: Harper Perennial,
2007