CIRCE

John William Waterhouse, Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses, 1891, Gallery Oldham, Oldham, oil on canvas

Jennie Jeon

In John William Waterhouse’s Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses, the Greek sorceress Circe sits at her throne, with boar-turned army men of Ulysses lying at her foot, as the mirror reveals the cautious Ulysses himself. By painting Circe to be of pale skin tone, her slim figure highlighted by her beautiful gown, fiercely brandishing a sword at Odysseus, Waterhouse implies her purity and vigor. Additionally, her depicted position of power, elegant posture, and desire to conquer Odysseus along with his crewmen, reinforces her strong character–a blend of intense, human emotions and remarkable sorcery. The painting highlights Circe as a empowering, relatable character in Greek and Roman mythology; she is a minor goddess or sorceress with human-like impulses and even an arguably feminist touch.

One of the earliest introductions to Circe is the myth of Glaucus the sea-god. Although Glaucus fell in love with Scylla and asked the great witch Circe for help, Circe’s jealousy drove her to poison Scylla’s bath–transforming her into a supernatural monster (Morford et. al 169). Another famous myth regarding Circe appears in the Odyssey. During Odysseus’s journey, he and his crewmen stop at the island of Aeaea. Circe turns Odysseus’s men into pigs and Odysseus is advised by Hermes with a herbal antidote to Circe’s charms. This leaves him unharmed after joining Circe’s feast, even threatening Circe when she attempts to turn Odysseus into a pig as well. However, Circe falls in love with Odysseus (despite his devotion to his wife at Ithaca) and keeps him on Aeaea for a year. This results in a son named Telegonus and Odysseus eventually heading to the Underworld, with a mission to discover a way home (Morford et. al 522-523).

Waterhouse’s portrayal of Circe strikes as revolutionary. Her irresistible charisma and elegance, as she sits upon her throne in a beautiful, sheer gown, directs viewers to a different perspective. Her presence fills the painting, overshadowing Odysseus’s defensive stance in her mirror and a surrendering boar beside her feet. For centuries, Circe has been recognized as the evil witch who turns the men on her island as pigs. But like humans, could it be possible that mythical beings are multi-faceted?

There lies undeniable beauty in Circe’s character, beyond Waterhouse’s painting. Her history of acting upon jealousy and yearning for love only reminds me of the human desire for connection. To describe her as a witch who commits evil sorcery for personal advancements is superficial. Circe is a character of livelihood, as her intense emotions mainly drive her incredibly clever witchcraft–such intensity reflects the human depth and wit. Although transforming those who prevent her from pursuing certain men and unfavorable males into swine might be more correctly described as reckless, Circe’s daring nature to punish men in a male-driven world and rely on her brilliance at her island suggests feminist values. Waterhouse’s glorious depiction of such a complex female mythical character only bolsters that claim.

Grace Beasley

The subject of the painting Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses by John William Waterhouse is an iconic sorceress named Circe. The scene depicted occurs in the Odyssey when Odysseus and his men visit Aeaea, Circe’s island. The primary source for the story of what we see in the artwork here may be found in Book 10 of the Odyssey. According to the textbook, Classical Mythology by M. Morford, R.J. Lenardon, and M. Sham, the story goes as follows(pp. 522-523).

Odysseus and his men arrived on the island and they split up, with half of the men heading in the direction of Circe. When they happen upon her residence, they consume her food and are turned into pigs. They have the likeness of pigs but are still aware of their being as people. Eurylochus was able to return to Odysseus and relay the story of the men being turned into pigs upon ingesting Circe’s food.

On his way to retrieve his pigs, Odysseus happened upon Hermes, the god of road and commerce. Hermes told him about Circe’s magic and provided Odysseus with an herb to counter her spells. So when Odysseus found Circe, he ate her food without turning into a pig, and when she threatened to turn him, he brandished his sword.

        At this point, Circe recognized Odysseus, and rather than forfeit power she suggests they climb into bed and have some sex. This quick thinking is demonstrative of the qualities and multi-faceted personality that make Circe such an iconic goddess. When she appears to have no way out, after essentially attempting to poison and trap Odysseus, she quickly pivots to regain the upper hand by seducing him and causing him to father her child.

She also feeds him which he agrees to only after his pigs are turned back to appearing human. They both negotiate but she does so more powerfully. After all, it is her island, and it is she who is offering the food. They all then lived together for a year and Circe had a son fathered by Odysseus named Telegonus.

After their stay on the island of Aeaea, the men wanted to leave, so Circe permitted Odysseus to be sent away under the agreement that he promised to visit the underworld to consult the prophet Tiresias. Circe wields an impressive and admirable degree of influence and power throughout this entire story, but sending her lover down to the underworld as the first step to his journey home is perhaps one of the most exemplary moves because it is both for his ultimate good and a total power-move.

Finally, her son, Telegonus, will end up killing Odysseus which establishes the relationship as significant. This isn’t just a one-year fling. The relationship and his not choosing to go along with the previous wishes of Circe ultimately becomes the downfall of Odysseus. Had he respected her and her island, perhaps he would have lived longer, or perhaps he would have died as a pig. One can only speculate. What we do know is that the character of Circe is prominent and powerful.

Circe, even when she ostensibly has the lower ground, is an iconic goddess. This is demonstrated in Waterhouse’s painting Circe Offers a Cup to Ulysses. In this painting, we see her powerful figure sitting on a throne, having already turned half of his men into pigs, she extends an enchanted beverage to him in one hand while brandishing a sword in the other, and she looks beautiful. Circe holds the power of strength, magic, and sexuality. Even when the sword and magic fail, her sexuality ultimately does allow her to end Odysseus.

Works Cited

Morford, Mark, et al. Classical Mythology. 11th ed., Oxford UP, 2019.