Previous
Chapter 17
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Circe, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Power, Fear, and Self-Preservation
Women, Power, and Misogyny
Change, Initiative, and the Self
Mortality, Fragility, and Fulfillment
Family and Individuality
Summary
Analysis
As soon as Odysseus departs, Circe is overcome by sickness. Her nymphs recoil in shock—a goddess’s pregnancy is always lovely. Circe orders her nymphs to leave her island, saying that “This is for [her].” They indeed flee—perhaps, Circe thinks, because their fathers were worried their daughters might follow suit and also become pregnant by a mortal.
Circe is insistent on her independence and wants to raise the child herself, without risking anyone else ruining things. People have disappointed her many times in the past—and many of her attempts to persuade people to help her have failed—so, her decision to isolate herself from others could be her way of making sure that she has control over her situation. She can trust herself to achieve her goals, and she isn’t willing to trust anyone else.
Themes
Circe’s sickness is unrelenting. Knowing that she will be unable to defend herself from passing pirates, she casts an illusory spell over her island to make it look inhospitable. But even as she writhes in pain, she is comforted by the purpose growing within her. She can sense that her child is a boy and, as he grows, she becomes increasingly aware of his fragile mortality. But her excitement surpasses her fear, and she imagines the richness that her son will bring to her life. Even as she remembers Odysseus’s wishes for more children, she declares that the child is for her alone.
Circe has been longing for purpose and companionship, which she believes she will get by having a child of her own. She chose to have a child for herself alone, which shows how she is taking initiative to get the life that she wants as.
Themes
Circe’s labor is pure agony. As the hours drag on, she begins to fear that her son will die before he is born. She tries to summon Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, but the goddess does not come. Remembering with a chill that Eileithyia could be held back by another god, Circe realizes that a divinity may be preventing the birth. Emboldened by outrage, Circe performs a cesarean delivery on herself. The operation is successful, and she pulls out her screaming son. Relieved and ecstatic at his cries, she holds him close, telling him that they “do not need anyone.” She names him Telegonus.
The fact that someone is trying to kill Circe’s son suggests that some god has plans that they selfishly prioritize over an infant human’s life. Circe tries to summon another goddess to help, but the divinity doesn’t come, which demonstrates again that Circe cannot rely on others for help. But she doesn’t wait for any other help. She takes initiative by performing a cesarean delivery on herself to birth her child, showing her independence once again.
Themes
Motherhood is like a battle for Circe. Telegonus incessantly screams for her, needing food, a new diaper, or sleep. Once, while trying to rock a screaming Telegonus to sleep, Circe bitterly exclaims that at least his cries mean he isn’t dead. She immediately reprimands herself, and her thoughts are swamped with the many ways that mortals died. Seeing a cut on his cheek, she is paralyzed by the fear that someone may kill him. At this moment, she realizes that Telegonus is her own vulnerability. After a lifetime of persisting through various heartbreaks, she knows that Telegonus, whom she loves desperately and would do anything to protect, is at last “the thing the gods could use” to break her.
Telegonus’s mortality makes Circe aware of how vulnerable mortals are. As a goddess, she never had to worry about death or the fragility of the human body. Telegonus, however, makes her aware of mortality’s weaknesses. Because she loves Telegonus so much, she shares in mortals’ anxieties over death, which no other god—apart from Prometheus—has expressed. Circe is aware of another way Telegonus brings weakness into her life: he is what the gods can use to control her. Because she would do anything to protect him, the gods could threaten Telegonus’s safety to make Circe obey them. The gods have shown themselves to be selfless and uncaring toward others’ pain, so Circe knows that they would not hesitate to harm an infant child to achieve their own goals to gain more power.
Themes
Get the entire Circe LitChart as a printable PDF.
Telegonus grows and his screaming ceases. But as he learns to sit, grab, and crawl, Circe becomes aware of all the many things—from the fire to her knives—that could hurt him. Indeed, there are so many near-accidents that Circe at last grasps that the god that had prevented Eileithyia from coming may be trying to strike again. Needing to know if her son’s life is in danger, Circe visits a seeing pool on her island. When a vision confirms that a god is trying to kill Telegonus, she pleadingly asks who it is, but she gets no response. With mounting panic, she recalls that only the most powerful gods can avoid her vision.
Circe’s worst fears are realized: a god is indeed trying to kill her son. She doesn’t know why, but a god’s involvement implies that Telegonus somehow threatens a god’s plans or desires. Again, the gods show no mercy or compassion for mortals, whose mortality and vulnerability they do not empathize with.
Themes
That night, after surrounding a sleeping Telegonus with her protective wolves and lions, Circe demands that the god responsible for the attacks on her son step forward. After Circe’s accusation that the god is too cowardly to show themselves, Athena steps out of the shadows. Athena is sharp, her voice heartless. She demands that Circe hand over her child, adding that there is no changing what Athena wishes to happen.
Athena only shows herself when Circe insults her courage. Prior to that, she had no intention of obeying Circe’s demands—to obey Circe would imply that Circe has power over Athena. Athena tells Circe that she cannot change her (Athena’s) mind, which is another way that Athena means to show Circe that she’s powerless.
Themes
Circe trembles, terrified, but refuses. Athena commands again that Circe give her Telegonus, promising that the child’s death will be quick. Knowing that “there [is] no mercy among gods,” Circe is suddenly struck by how Athena, one of the most powerful gods, is asking Circe for the infant. Armed with this realization, Circe then tells Athena that she suspects that, given that Telegonus is still living, Athena is somehow prevented from directly murdering the boy. The flash in Athena’s eyes confirms Circe’s suspicion.
The fact that Athena is asking Circe for Telegonus—instead of simply killing him outright—implies that Athena cannot harm the child. After all, as Circe says “there [is] no mercy among the gods,” who would sooner take what they want than ask for it.
Themes
Athena raises her spear and tells Circe that, although she may not be able to kill Telemachus, she can do as she wishes to Circe. Circe is chilled by the implication but responds that such a move would anger Helios and the other Titans, who may attack Olympus in retaliation. Athena tells Circe that she knows her threats are empty, but she nonetheless hesitates.
While Circe may know that Helios wouldn’t intervene on her behalf, she hopes to scare Athena from harming her, which would leave Telegonus vulnerable to Athena’s attacks. But Circe’s threat that Helios will retaliate with war makes Athena pause, which demonstrates how fear can be used to gain control. By making Athena afraid of the consequences of her actions, Circe keeps herself safe from the goddess’s attacks.
Themes
Circe asks why Athena so desperately wants Telegonus dead, but the Olympian refuses to give her an answer. Her voice softening, Athena tells Circe that it is better for the boy to die before he grows older and Circe becomes more attached. She offers a trade: if Circe hands over Telegonus, Athena will send another man to Circe so that she may bear another son, one that Athena would bless throughout his life. Circe looks into Athena’s smiling face. Despite her softened voice, Circe knows that Athena is not speaking from love; this is all a ploy, and it hinges on the belief that children can be substituted.
In ancient Greek mythology, Athena was one of the virgin goddesses. Given this, Athena will never know what it means to have and love a child, which could partially explain her total lack of empathy for Circe. Having never had a child herself, Athena couldn’t possibly know the attachment a mother can have with her child, so she doesn’t hesitate to demand that Circe let her son die. Athena’s lack of empathy is also evident in her suggestion to exchange Telegonus with another son. Mortals are so meaningless to her that she believes that she can substitute Telegonus with a different child, and Circe would never notice the difference. The implication is that Athena sees most mortals as all being the same, possibly because she has seen so many of them live and die during her existence that they blend together.
Themes
At last, Circe speaks, criticizing Athena for thinking that Circe is “a mare to be bred at [her] whim.” She again refuses to hand over her child. Instantly, Athena’s gentle manner evaporates. She snarls that she will kill Telegonus one day, and that Circe cannot always protect her son. Athena disappears as Circe calls out that Athena does not know her power.
Circe is insulted at Athena’s heartless suggestion that she just have another child at Athena’s convenience, as it implies that Athena has the right to control Circe’s reproduction. When Circe doesn’t obey Athena, she is defying the gods and their power. She refuses to let Athena commit an act of senseless violence, which represents how Circe is refusing to continue taking part in the gods’ cycle of power and abuse. Even though Athena promised her glory and power through a different son, Circe declines; to her, glory isn’t worth losing her son for. Her decision distinguishes her from her mother, who was obsessed with having children for the purpose of gaining power through them. By denying Athena, she also ensures her independent future in raising Telegonus—Athena will certainly not allow others to help her.
Themes
