Circe's Power Questions

Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.

  1. If you were to retell this part of The Odyssey, how would you tell it? From whose perspective would you tell it? How would it be different or similar to Louise Glück's version?
  2. Do you blame Circe for turning Odysseus' men into pigs?
  3. If you were to treat this poem as a monologue, who would you cast as Circe and how would you direct the monologue?
  4. Circe says that she hates Odysseus' world where everyone puts on a front and where the truth is disguised. However, is she completely honest in this poem? Do you think she is being honest when she says, "If I wanted only to hold you/ I could hold you prisoner" (22-23)?