Circe and Calypso are believed to be monstrous but are they really? In The Odyssey written by Homer, a man named Odysseus tries to get home after fighting at the Trojan War for nine years. Throughout this epic, all Odysseus wants is to return to his home in Ithaca where his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus, are waiting for him to come back. He faces many hardships and must overcome many obstacles including Circe and Calypso. Circe is the enchantress who transform the crew of Odysseus into swine and who, when she finds that she cannot conquer Odysseus, takes him as a lover and gives him advice and supplies for his voyage home. Calypso is a sea nymph who keeps Odysseus captive for nine years after he has fought the Trojans. Both females are believed to be monstrous and they use creative and destructive tactics to trick Odysseus but represent femininity in such a marvelous way. The journey in which Odysseus travels is not complete without encounter with these characters."Circe has locked your [Odysseus's] friends like swine behind the tight fence of her pens. And have you come to free them? On your own, be sure you'll never return; you'll stay together with the others in her sties" (200.) Hermes, messenger of the gods, tells Odysseus about Circe. Circe, using her creativity turns Odysseus's crew into swine, still with the minds of humans. Odysseus splits his men into group, one to search and island and the other, which he is in, to stay with the ship. Eurylochus' group goes to search the island. However Circe destroys Eurylochus's hope, and scares him, for he comes back to Odysseus saying, ""˜Odysseus, we did follow your commands: we crossed the underbrush and reached the glen. We found a sheltered house with smooth stone walls. And there, intent on her great web, a goddess or women could be heard distinctly singing. My comrades called to her; she opened wide the gleaming doors, inviting them to enter. They, unsuspecting, trailed along. But I held back; I felt this was a trap. They dropped from sight together. Though I kept close watch- I waited long- no comrade reappeared.'" (199) Odysseus knows he must try and go free his crew and asks Eurylochus to show him the way to the house but he replies. "May you, whom Zeus has nurtured, leave me here; don't force me to retrace my path" (199.) Circe destroys all his confidence. Meanwhile, Odysseus must find his way alone. On his way, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, stops him and tells him how to defeat Circe and resist her spells. Once in the house of Circe, Circe tries to defeat him but Odysseus overcomes her. She also tries to get him to sleep with her using her femininity. Odysseus is strong and makes an oath with her, that before sleeping with her, she must promise to forget any further plots and free his men. She sets his men free and they all live together in Circe's house for one year. She hurts him by turning his men into swine and destroys Eurylochus's hope for awhile. Although she...
