The Saga of Kirke

The Saga of Kirke.

In various situations in the Kirke episode the themes of false

paradise and loyalty are present. The Island of Kirke gives itself a

false appearance of divinity. The goddess Kirke gives off a false

appearance of enchantment and courtesy. Odysseus and his men convey

the theme of loyalty throughout the episode of Kirke to each other.

Odysseus shows loyalty not just to his men, but to his wife and his

homeland as well.

From the ship's arrival on the shore the island gives itself a false

appearance of divinity. Odysseus narrates that an unseen god has lured

them into the cove: "We came/ washed in our silent ship upon her

shore/ and found a cove, a haven for a ship-/ some god, invisible,

conned us in" (154-157). False appearance of divinity comes out on

third day on the island of Kirke. On Odysseus's way back to the

seashore from the observation rock he comes across a big buck, which

he kills to feed his men. Odysseus perceives the buck as a gift from

the gods: ", some god's compassion/ Set a big buck in motion to

cross my path-/ So hands were washed to take what heaven sent us"

(173-200).

Kirke herself gives off a false appearance to the men. When the first

group of Odysseus's men come to the house, they were enticed by the

goddess's song: "In the entrance way they stayed to listen there:"

(240-241). She shows the men that she is courteous by inviting the men

in and giving them food and drink. The goddess works her magic on the

men by giving them temptations to deal with. She gives them food to

eat, and wine that she has laced with some sort of potion that causes

the men to lose desire to go home. Kirke then turns the men into pigs.

She uses false appearance as a courteous enchanting god the lure the

men in.

"/ to call them in./ While she prepared a meal of cheese and

baley/ and amber honey mixed with Pramnian wine./ adding her own vile

pinch,/ / all/ swinish now" (253-265).

The men are not the only ones that have to deal with the deception of

Kirke. She tries to deceive Odysseus with the same food and drink that

she offered his men, but with the knowledge attained from Hermes he

was able to out wit the goddess. When her first attempt fails she then

tries flattery to dupe Odysseus into the bedroom to lie with her: "

'What a champion, of what country, can you be?/ We two shall

mingle and make love upon our bed.