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Circe by Madeline Miller - Analysis

four/five

In this vivid retelling of a well-known Greek myth, Circe, the daughter of Helios, is banished to a deserted island because of the magic running through her veins. Here, she hones her witchcraft and meets some of the most famed heroes and gods of ancient Greece including Jason and Medea, Daedalus, Hermes, the Minotaur, and Odysseus. However, she still faces many dangers on her island, including the wrath of one of the most vindictive and terrifying Olympians: Athena. Madeline Miller employs characterization, imagery, and irony within the novel Circe in order to portray Circe as a dynamic character, convey a feeling of terror, and emphasize her independence.

In this novel, characterization is often utilized to show the changes in Circe’s personality. At the start of the novel, she is timid and shy, always striving for other’s love and acceptance and letting them dictate her life. This can be seen in the passage, “I stood there a long time fearing such things and waiting, as if someone would come and reassure me, say yes, you may go, it will be safe… It is too late to go now, I told myself. Tomorrow,” (P. 78). Soon, she begins to realize that no one will be coming to help her, and thus commences her new life. “I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, I thought, too dull to fly even when the door stands open. I stepped into those woods and my life began… I did not mind [my house’s] shadows anymore, for they meant my father’s gaze was gone from the sky and the hours were my own,” (P. 81-82). By using characterization to establish Circe’s newfound independent nature, Miller showcases one of many changes that mark Circe as a dynamic character. Through showing the multiple facets of her persona, and the “before and after”, Circe becomes more lifelike and realistic, allowing a connection to be formed with her. Characterization is used to exhibit Circe’s dynamic nature.

A sense of terror is carefully evoked through the usage of imagery within the text. An example of this can be seen in the passage, “The fear sloshed over me, each wave colder than the last. The still air crawled across my skin and shadows reached out their hands. I stared into the darkness, straining to hear past the beat of my old blood. Each moment felt the length of a night…” (P. 81). This imagery cultivates an intense feeling of dread and unease within Circe brought upon by a night spent in an unfamiliar place. This also gives an important glimpse into the character’s emotions when confronted with something that frightens her. Imagery is used in order to convey an ominous and fearful mood within the mind of Circe, and hopefully the reader.

Irony is employed in specific passages within the story so as to emphasize Circe’s independence. Madeline Miller writes, “‘What a relief to hear of my reprieve,’ I said. ‘I cannot wait to be freed from my terrible prison,’ The terraced hills around us glowed with spring,” (P. 104). As Circe states the opposite of what she truly means, this may lead to a double take, or a scrutinization of the passage, which conveys her independence upon a closer look. Previously in the novel, Circe would’ve jumped at the chance to leave her island and be reunited with her family. However, she has now cultivated a new home for herself and become entirely self-reliant. Her self-sufficiency is established once more through the use of irony within the novel.

Circe by Madeline Miller deserves four-out-of-five stars. This novel is beautifully written, and teeming with details and description, alongside bloodshed, magic, betrayal, adventure, and monsters. Circe is a very complex character with multiple parts to her personality, her flaws and weaknesses just as evident as her strength and power. Characterization, imagery, and irony are used to show her as a dynamic character, create a mood of unease, and establish Circe as independent.


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