A Critical Analysis Of Circe By Augusta Webster

Circe by Augusta Webster explores themes of love, sexuality, and the monstrosity of man. Webster retells Circe’s story through her own perspective, revealing that Circe’s magical powers of transforming men into beast is not, in fact, magical at all. The provided insight of Circe’s perspective challenges the masculine point of view of sexual entanglement by revealing that the wine the men drink only reveals their true nature.
In The Odyssey, Circe is depicted as a somewhat cruel enchantress. Her magic is not only the ability to alter men into animals but to ensnare them with her beauty and sexual allure. Webster creates a unique contrast to Circe’s depiction in The Odyssey by giving her a voice and perspective that counters her portrayal in

The Odyssey. Circe describes the men as “Crowding around me when I pass their way” (l. 178). This description of “crowding around” provokes a sense of enclosure and depicts the men as predatory. The depiction of the men as predators counters how Circe is presented in The Odyssey as a predator herself.
Through her monologue, we learn that Circe longs for love, however she is repeatedly disillusioned by the true nature of the men that she meets. Not only do the men behave as predators but also as vengeful, merciless creatures meant to scare Circe into a form of submission. “To scare me into mercy, or creep near / With piteous fawnings” (ll. 182-183). The implication of men being or becoming predators is shown through their transformation into animals, especially predatory animals such as wolves, snakes, and wild-cats. There is also an implied predatory sexuality to “All false and ravenous and sensual brutes” (l. 198).
Circe argues that the very nature of man is hidden behind a disguise of nobility. “Change? There was no change; / Only disguise gone from them unawares” (ll. 188-189). The repeated use of questions towards Circe’s character could be seen as a prompt for reflection of her treatment or as pointed accusations for the very nature of man. Circe argues that it is not her drink or magical ability that alter the nature of man, but rather that the nature of man itself is not of a “nobler beast” (l. 195). The monstrosity of man is believing that they are noble.