Autumn Richard
Paper 2
English 2027-01
April 11, 2014
Another Side of Circe
We are never truly ourselves around people until we sincerely know them; and even then we sometimes pretend to be something we are not. How many times have you been upset, or hurt, or furious by someone’s actions and instead of talking about the actual problem you say you are fine and scream at them for something else you do not like about them? In Circe’s Power this is exactly what we see; Circe is hurt when Odysseus leaves but she does not want him to know this. Circe’s Power is written by Louise Gluck; Gluck’s poem shows a completely different side of Circe, or perhaps many sides. When the lyric poem begins we see Circe, the speaker of the poem, trying to stand up for her actions by saying she is a good person. Next her demeanor changes and we see her angry until yet again her attitude changes and becomes softer, and sad. Lastly, Circe ends by being her “true” self, cold and powerful.
As the Odyssey reveals, Circe is a powerful sorceress; but people also see her as a temptress. In stanza one however, Circe sets the record straight by explaining that she did not turn anyone into pigs, but simply makes the men into pigs. Circe continues her defense by clarifying that she did not transform anyone into pigs that were not ones already. She was simply showing the true colors of the men, what lied within. Moving on to stanza two, Circe goes from playing defense to offense. She expresses her disgust for Odysseus’s world, explaining how everyone hides from what they really are. Instead of being truthful, everyone pretends to be something they are not and no one will call anyone out on it.
In stanzas one and two we can hear the tone of frustration and anger in ...
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...g happy together? Women who have no feelings for a man, would never bother trying to convince a man to stay. Adding on to that statement, women who are not madly in love with a man would not seem so crazy and flip flop their emotions like Circe does in the poem. Circe cares for Odysseus, and because of that she lets him go instead of keeping him prisoner. If letting go of him and lying about her true feelings will make him happy then it is what must be done; this is proof of her love.
The last theme of Circe’s Power is lies vs. truth. People have always known Circe as the mean sorceress who turned the men into pigs, but she defends herself by saying they were already pigs on the inside. Not only that, but Circe tells how everyone lies all the time. People do not want to show their true selves and that a lot of them love the lies they tell more than the actual truth.
In the third stanza, the language becomes much darker, words like: anger, explode, and against make this stanza seem even more warlike than the first stanza.
This myth is about the great Odysseus on his return from the Trojan War. On his way home, he washed up onto the isle of Circe, a great and powerful magician, famous for turning unwanted guests into animals. His men went first and only one came back, he told Odysseus that all the men had been turned into animals. Odysseus goes to confront Circe and ends up being invited to a banquet. In the end, Odysseus managed to bribe Circe to turn his men back and to let him leave the island. The first thing I noticed when looking at this painting is the architecture and how much of the canvas it takes up. This represents the power and strength of Circe. On the bottom right and left corners, you can see beautiful women on one side, and men turning into animals on the other. The beautiful women were used to lure them men and are separated from them in the painting. In the back you can see the messenger, Hermes, who gave Odysseus a plant to void all of the magic. Pannini also used directional lines and the geometric shape of the architecture to direct the eye into the arch where Odysseus and Circe were
3. Do you think Franklin should have shared her information more freely with the others? Why or why not?
Circe feels as if it is her job to make the men how they should be by taking them in and caring for them. Circe even goes as far to think that “Under the care of [herself] ladies along [her] ladies the men sweetened right up.” This being said it seems as if Circe assumes the role of being a parent or caregiver over the men but this is not all Circe does for the men. Circe takes action and “reversed the spell, showing you [her] goodness as well as [her] power.” In a sense this can mean multiple things in this text it seems as if she is telling you directly that she wants you to know who in charge and whom the boss really is. Circe is teaching these men what it really takes to be a man in other words grow
Again Odysseus shows a lack of self discipline while with the witch Circe. Odysseus chooses to stay with Circe instead of trying to make it back to his wife, Penelope, and his kingdom of Ithaca. In the Odyssey it says "he enjoyed the many pleasures of Circe." (Page 913). This proves that Odysseus, once again has no control over himself when he is tempted. He choose the beautiful witch over his very own wife who has been waiting for years for him to return.
An epic hero is almost overwhelmed with difficulty, often beyond that which a normal man could withstand. Not only is he confronted occasionally by danger or hopelessness; it is the entire premise of the poem. “Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy” (Fagles 77). This it the first line of the whole poem, summing up what is going to happen as the speaker prays to the Muses, goddesses of stories. There is in fact, no other person, fictional or otherwise, in all of history, ever so besieged with difficulty, as Odysseus. Women and goddesses often tempt epic heroes, and Odysseus is tempted too. The goddess Circe is one of the many people who tempt him, “Come, sheath your sword, lets go to bed together, mount my bed and mix in the magic work of love-we’ll breed deep trust between us” (Fagles 240). Though Odysseus does bed with her, he never loses sight of his hope of coming home to his wife, Penelope.
“Having just escaped the Laestrygonians, my men and I washed up on Circe’s Island, Aeaea. We stayed docked there for two long and relaxing days. We had all just feasted on my great kill, and I was ready to leave the ship. I decided that the best option would be to scope out the island and look for Circe’s house. On the island, there were many colossal mountains and cliffs that would give me the perfect view to look down at the island. I told my men that I would bring Aganon and Iros, two of my most trusted men, and that I would leave Eurylochus in charge of the rest. I informed them that I did not know how long I was going to be gone, so to stay prepared for my return at anytime. I demanded that they must protect the ship and each other from
The image of seductresses is a recurring motif in The Odyssey. These women are a temptation to Odysseus. They attempt to keep Odysseus from accomplishing his goal: his homecoming. Circe is a bewitching goddess. She entices Odysseus’ crew into her palace with her enchanting voice. However, after she feeds them, she promptly turns them into pigs. Circe also succeeds in enticing Odysseus; he stays with her one year as her lover. It is so long that his crew declares that it is “madness” (326). They say that it is “high time” that Odysseus thinks of his homeland (326). Later on, Odysseus and his crew encounter the sirens. Knowing the danger they pose, Odysseus has all his men’s ears stopped up with wax. However, Odysseus wishes to hear their song; so he asks his crew to tie him to the mast. The song of the sirens is so sweet and enticing. Their “ravishing voices” almost make Odysseus forget his desire to return home (349). His heart “throbbed” to listen longer; he signals for his men to let him go free. The grea...
A main purpose of women in the poem is to define the characters of Odysseus and Penelope. Women's seductive natures serve as a test of character for Odysseus. His choice to leave the sexual pleasures of Kirke and Calypso is proof of his virtue and desirability as a husband. The same depiction causes the virtuous Penelope to stand out in the large pool of vileness as a desirable wife. The contradictions also have a significant affect on the poem and the reader.
6. Should individuals and organizations with access to the databases be identified to the patient
In recounting the prophecy to the Phaecians, Odysseus reveals through his emphasis on her separating him from his shipmates that she intended for him alone to hear her advice: “But Circe, taking me by the hand, drew me away / from all my shipmates there and sat me down” (Homer 12.36-7). The enjambment in line 36 leaves unanswered the question of from what Circe drew Odysseus away, which creates anticipatory tension that stresses the following line in which Odysseus reveals that she separated him from his crew. By highlighting Odysseus’ separation from his crew just before he receives Circe’s prophecy not to arm himself to fight Scylla, the text underscores that Odysseus alone is responsible for accepting and executing this prophecy. Therefore, Odysseus is also fully responsible for the consequences of failing to bring Circe’s prophecy to pass, which Circe predicts would be his men’s
...tested Odysseus to make sure it was him for she “feared some man might come and cheat [her] with his tale” (Homer, 226) showing how truly loyal she is to Odysseus. Although Odysseus was unfaithful there is no consequence for his actions for he is a man but for those women who were unfaithful it could be see how they are punished by men. In the case of Odysseus’ maids they were “unworthy” for they laid with the suitors and as punishment Telemachus says that “By no honorable death [their lives will be taken]” (Homer, 220). The difference in expectations between men and women when it comes to loyalty promotes gender inequality which makes the views The Odyssey has on society rather misogynistic.
In The Odyssey women are unequal, treated differently, and are considered inferior to men. Throughout the epic women are not given an appropriate amount of respect by men. The male characters of The Odyssey expect certain traits and characteristics of women that they do not expect of themselves. Men expect that the women in The Odyssey be loyal to them, and not be adulterous or seductive. When Odysseus returns to Ithaca in disguise, he expects Penelope to be faithful and loyal to him. It is doubtful that Odysseus would have stayed with Penelope if he had found her to be unfaithful and adulterous when he was gone. This was while Odysseus had slept with Circe and stayed with her on her island for one year and then slept with Calypso numerous times on the island of Ogygia. What makes this even worse is that Penelope would have had justification to be unfaithful to Odysseus and remarry. As far as Penelope, and almost everyone else on Ithaca, was concerned Odysseus was dead. Penelope had a strong need for a husband, a companion, a strong man to rule Ithaca in Odysseus' place, and a male presence to help ra...
7.What steps should Dr. Lightfoot take to implement his ethical decision and monitor its effect?