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Quote (pg. 9): Her eyes are yellow as piss. Her voice is screechy as an owl. She is called Hawk, but she should be called Goat for her ugliness.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Once Circe's siblings are born, they are blessed by Helios as their mother is delighted with their prophecies. On the other hand, when Circe was born, she did not receive recognition for her abilities. Therefore, Circe is taunted by her siblings for her looks; a goddess born without beauty or a purpose...

Analyze (5-7):

Circe is facing the conflict of shame and pressure. By her siblings' ridicule of her physical appearance, we can conclude that Circe is different compared to the other gods. She was rejected by her mother because of her prophecy of marrying a mortal. She was declined marrying a son of Zeus by her 'ugly' nature. To take steps to face the conflict, she's practicing medicine to overcome her useless nature the people see in her.

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Quote (pg. 49): Past brown it went, past purple, spreading like a bruise until his whole body was the deepest sea-blue. His hands were swelling, his legs, his shoulders. Hairs began to push out from his chin, long and copper-green. Where his tunic gaped, I could see blisters forming on his chest. I stared. They were barnacles.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Circe wanted to live forever with Glaucos; she was in love. Knowing Glaucos was a mortal, she secretly fed him the sap of pharmaka (a herb sprung from the fallen blood of gods) to turn him immortal and love her for all of eternity. This quote describes the transformation Glaucos goes through, immediately after the sap is fed. And now, he is permanently a god...

Analyze (5-7):

Glaucos is the love interest of Circe. She risks her life by using pharmaka, showing how devoted and loving she could be. However, later in the book, Glaucos leaves Circe for Scylla, his powerful stature turning him arrogant and full of hatred. This leaves Circe heartbroken, stirring jealousy inside of her. In the quote, we can visualize the changes he goes through, taking a glimpse of what motivated Glaucos' ignorance.

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Quote (pg. 56): All her ugliness would be revealed. Her eyebrows would thicken, her hair would turn dull, and her nose would grow long and snouted. The halls would echo with her furious screams and the great gods would come to whip me, but I would welcome them, for every lash upon my skin would be only further proof to Glaucos of my love.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Circe was furious of Glaucos' new-found love, Scylla. Therefore she would get punished for turning the nymph into a three-headed monster. Yet, Circe wasn't afraid of any punishments. Instead, she embraced the whippings as it left deep gashing wounds in her skin, only to prove the weight of her love.

Analyze (5-7):

Circe is bound to get punished for her actions. She was motivated to seek revenge based on jealousy and heartbreak. As the reader, we can observe this conflict in the story when Glaucos professes his love for Scylla, after all the sacrifices Circe had made for him to transform into a god. The protagonist had already accepted her fate, embracing her punishments for what she had done. Circe is sincere about her feelings for Glaucos, never doubting the depth of her love.

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Quote (pg. 66): His face had grown sharp with manhood, his tawny beard was thick as bracken. He was dressed opulently even for a god, robed in indigos and purples, every inch heavy with embroidered gold. But when he turned to me, I felt the shock of that old love between us. It was only my father's presence that kept me from hurtling into his arms.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Aeëtes was rejected by his mother, suffering the same fate as Circe with no given prophecy. Therefore she took him under her care, where she finally experienced the feeling of reciprocated love. However due to his intellect and self-founded power in pharmaceutics, Aeëtes and Circe were separated. The day he was summoned to visit after her use of Pharmaka, she describes her emotions and his unfamiliar appearance.

Analyze (5-7):

The quote helps us analyze how Aeëtes indulges in luxurious fashion and maintains his looks to a tea. Circe is absolutely awestruck by the change in his appearance and how age has influenced his demeanor. Yet, even with her attachment, he remains stoic and slightly arrogant with his actions. This hinders the protagonist in a situation where she must remain composed, after receiving punishment from her wrong doings.

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Quote (pg. 95): He wanted to see how moonish I was over him, But all the sop in me was gone. I did not lie dreaming of him during the days, I did not speak his name into my pillow. He was no husband, scarcely even a friend. He was a poison snake, and I was another, and on such terms we pleased ourselves.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

After Circe's banishment to Aiaia, she's devoted to witchcraft; learning how to source the power in the natural herbs growing around her. However, when Hermes comes to visit her home, Circe's sense of freedom has quickly dissipated through the news of Scylla's monstrous form murdering passing sailors. Circe and Hermes become lovers, though she rejects bearing his child.

Analyze (5-7):

Because of Circe's banishment and lack of human interaction, Hermes has become her only source of dependency. Therefore it is explained in the story that this circumstance had occurred only because, nothing more. She didn't consider him as great of a husband, nor at most a friend; just a source of human connection she couldn't have experienced otherwise.

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Quote (pg. 127-8): I understood something then. My sister might be twice the goddess I was, but I was twice the witch. Her crumbling trash could not help me. And my own herbs from Aiaia would not be enough, strong as they were. The monster was bound to Crete, and whatever would be done, Crete must guide me.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Horror awaits in Crete when Pasiphaë, Circe's pregnant and laboring sister calls for her help to deliver her baby. From her stomach, a great monster called the Minotaur is birthed, a result of Pasiphaë coupling with a magic bull. Circe enchants this creature to a cage by potion with the help of Daedalus.

Analyze (5-7):

Circe is having trouble finding a way to keep the monster sealed to prevent any further attacks in the future. Yet, after many failed attempts, she finally realizes that the Minotaur cannot be prevented only through her power. To face this conflict, she seeks help from Daedalus in which he creates a labyrinth to trap the monster. Circe's growth can be seen through her internal monologues and actions, understanding that fate cannot be changed by force.

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Quote (pg. 146): "Minos does not want a queen, only a simpering jelly he keeps in a jar and breeds to death. He would be happy to have me in chains for eternity, and he need only say the word to his own father to do it. But he does not. He knows what I would do to him first."

Context/Explanation (4-6):

To figure out why Pasiphaë had called Circe instead of Aeëtes or Perses, her other siblings who were much more 'capable', she approached the sister to demand an answer. This confrontation leads to an argument, Pasiphaë reeling back to her past and why she was stuck in this situation.

Analyze (5-7):

This quote helps us readers analyze what kind of character Pasiphaë is, and her influence on Circe, our main protagonist. She hinders the character briefly through multiple challenges, yet helps Circe undergo character development. Through their troubles and argument, she learns her strengths and weaknesses as it is evident in the quote.

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Quote (pg. 152): Daedalus did not long outlive his son. His limbs turned gray and nerveless, and all his strength was transmuted into smoke. I had no right to claim him, I knew it. But in a solitary life, there are rate moments where another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. Such a constellation was he to me.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Daedalus was a skilled architect and craftsman, which Circe had grown fond of during her journey to Crete. He'd been there since she'd met Scylla's monstrous form sailing the ocean; constructing a labyrinth that kept the Minotaur trapped in its mazes. Through thick and thin, they've been there for each other, always supporting one from behind. Yet, the only flaw that kept them apart was the fact that Daedalus was a mortal doomed with inescapable death...

Analyze (5-7):

Daedalus was an important influence to Circe both physically and emotionally. Without his persistence and following, our protagonist wouldn't have been able to successfully accomplish the missions she'd been given. Daedalus was a mortal with a soft heart, yet had the willpower of a god who swayed Circe in unimaginable ways. She'd forever cherish his existence, even keeping the loom he'd given her before his demise.

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Quote (pg. 173): "Let them come at me if they dare. They will never take Jason from me. I have my powers, and I will use them." Every time she said his name, a fierce eagle love flashed in her eyes. She had him in her grip and would clench him till he died.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Aeëtes’s daughter Medea and her husband Jason had come to Aiaia in order to be cleansed. Later, they reveal that Medea killed her own brother in order to aid Jason's purpose, stealing her father's golden fleece in the meantime. After Circe's observation, she confronts her niece to leave him, asking her to practice magic here with her on Aiaia after moving in. Yet, Medea declares her love for Jason, scorning Circe's offer down to her loneliness.

Analyze (5-7):

Medea is a straightforward, stubborn person whose dedication is strong willed. She has great potential if she channels her sorcery into good use, but she'd refuse Circe's proposal due to feeling insulted. She affects the protagonist in a negative light, leaving Circe doubtful of her solitary after she retorted back by bringing up her banishment. We can see Medea's undying, almost overbearing love for Jason through the quote; blinding all her serious troubles with love.

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Quote (pg. 188): I don't know what the men did. Watched maybe. If my lion had been there, she would have clawed down the door, but she was ash upon the winds. Outside I heard the pigs squealing. I remember what I thought, bare against the grinding stone: I am only a nymph after all, for nothing is more common among us than this.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Ships had arrived in Aiaia with stranded sailors who'd lost their way back to the mainland. In the prospect of wanting to be helpful, Circe offered them food, wine, and a place to rest. Despite her precautions, she ends up being taken advantage of, the assaulter covering her mouth to prevent her from speaking any spells. After the incident, Circe turns all the men into pigs and slaughters them.

Analyze (5-7):

Circe is handling a crisis that had occurred to her without any warning. She is overpowered and helpless as the men continue to assault her. Nymphs are often sequenced to sexual assault, proving it quiet common, but she'd never realized it would've happened to her. Circe accepts the act, seeking vengeance by killing them all in a bonfire. This occurrence led her to transform all her visiting sailors, not considering bad or good; into pigs she keeps on her island.

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Quote (pg. 212): When he talked, he was a lawyer and bard and crossroads charlatan at once, arguing his case, entertaining, pulling back the veil to show you the secrets of the world. It's not just his words, though they were very clever enough. It was everything together: his face, his gestures, the sliding tones of his voice. I would say it was like a spell he cast, but there was no spell I knew that could equal it. The gift was his alone.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Odysseus was a new type of figure Circe had never encountered before. He took caution in the way he spoke, never taking a sip of her enchanted wine. Soon she finds herself intriguing by his whole demeanor, something she could never reproduce with her powers. Circe and Odysseus turn into lovers during their time in Aiaia.

Analyze (5-7):

Odysseus is a clever Greek king, visiting Aiaia to return his men, unfortunately turned into pigs back to Ithaca. He uses his charms in order to escape his fate of also turning into an animal, instead impregnating Circe with his son Telegonus. He accompanies Circe for the year, entertaining her with his stories during the Trojan War. Even with his influence, she also feels bitter that Odysseus still has a family back on the mainland.

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Quote (pg. 222): Yet he had stayed, month after month, and I had let myself be lulled. Now I saw more clearly: all those nights in my bed had been only his traveler's wisdom. When you are in Egypt, you worship Isis; when in Anatolia, you kill a lamb for Cybele. It does not trespass on your Athena still at home.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Circe is rampantly turning sailors into pigs after getting raped by a group of men. Odysseus, the leader of his sailing crew waits by the shore after hearing the news of their arrival. For the first time, Circe finds someone who is a match for her wit. Intrigued, Circe allows him and his crew to stay for a year, during which time Odysseus and Circe become lovers. He tells her stories about his adventures, including the Trojan War and goddess Athena, but he eventually leaves to return to his wife and son. Yet, to his oblivion, Circe is pregnant with his child.

Analyze (5-7):

Circe had fallen for Odysseus' compliance; the way he entertained everything she'd asked him to do. She compares her case with a traveler's knowledge, respecting traditions wherever they are staying. Odysseus had a family back home, yet still followed through Circe's indulgence in gratitude. She's changing through experience, growing as a character with every new encounter she endures.

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Quote (pg. 244): A dozen times grief had scorched, but its fire had never burned through my skin. My madness in those days rose from a new certainty: that at last, I had met the thing the gods could use against me.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Telegonus was Circe's only source that the gods could use to sway her. Many times previously she had lost the things she loved; banishment, loss of her family, her lovers, her home. Never once did they matter just as much as Telegonus had meant to Circe. She would sacrifice herself in order to protect and keep him safe.

Analyze (5-7):

Circe finally found her weakness after giving birth to Telegonus. With this quote, we can understand the value the baby had towards the goddess. She had gone through many different trials and pain, but nothing would compare to the agony she would face later in the story. Circe had sourced a spell on the island, every month going through a long process of collecting, brewing, and casting, just for Telegonus' safety.

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Quote (pg. 248): Armed and armored, she was, from head to foot, helmet, spear, aigis, greaves. A terrifying vision: the goddes of war, ready for battle. But why had she assembled such a panoply against me, who knew nothing of combat? Unless there was something else she feared, something that made her feel somehow stripped and weak.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Athena visited Circe in Aiaia after she'd given birth to Telegonus. According to the prophecy Apollo had given her previously, he must be killed before any trouble was stirred. Athena demanded the baby to be slaughtered by her spear, but Circe adamantly refused. She describes the outfit the titan had worn once she entered her cottage...

Analyze (5-7):

We can speculate based on the quote that Athena was afraid of the power Circe withheld, therefore wearing the armor she'd worn to Aiaia. Athena, both petrified and increased Circe's protectiveness towards Telegonus. With the titan's threat, the goddess put a spell over the island to keep the baby safe. If she weren't afraid of the powers Circe held, knowing that she could not fight, Athena wouldn't have worn her gear.

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Quote (pg. 271): "No!" He slammed the table between us. "I will not do it! There is nothing for me here. Even if another ship comes and I beg you to let it land, what then? A few day's respite, then they will leave, and I will still be trapped. If this is life, then I would rather die. I would rather Athena kills me, do you hear? At least then I will have seen one thing in my life that was not this island."

Context/Explanation (4-6):

When Telegonus is born, the goddess Athena visits Aiaia and demands the baby to be killed. Circe, through her love for her son, summons all her powers over the entire island to protect Telegonus. Sixteen years later, he reveals that he wants to go find his father and see the world. Circe refuses adamantly, terrified of what would happen if he'd left the zone of protection.

Analyze (5-7):

Telegonus was a curious, wild figure in the story that impacted Circe. He was tired of living in Aiaia, mortal after all, trapped in one place with the whole world beyond the shore. Yet, he hindered the protagonist, handing her troubles she'd never experienced in her life; death threats, worry, sorrow, grief.. We can see this through the quote and after, when Circe finally snaps, she shows him the reality of her true powers.

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Quote (pg. 294): My mind leapt with images of destruction: the earth sent spiraling into darkness, islands drowned in the sea, my enemies transformed and crawling at my feet. But now when I sought those fantasies, my son's face would not let them take root. If I burned down the world, he would burn with it.

Context/Explanation (4-6):

Telegonus had returned to Aiaia with Penelope and Telemachus after he had killed Odysseus by accident. Circe had warned him repeatedly about how Telemachus would murder in order to avenge his father's death, yet he refused. He threatened Circe with leaving the island once more if she's unwelcome of them. Then she felt a flare of anger, the past coming to haunt her once more.

Analyze (5-7):

Circe is faced with the conflict of choosing between danger and grief. Would Telemachus kill Telegonus or would they leave all together with the fate of never being seen again? With this in mind, Circe is angry that he would always go against her words ever since young. With that anger, her brain goes to the thought of burning the whole world to keep her son safe. Yet, with the realization that he is mortal, she is heartbroken...