Greek mythology, like most of its classical counterparts, is wild, wicked, and wonderful, filled with epic sagas of love, betrayal, and redemption, and stories of triumph, glory, and great loss. We, as readers, clap and relish at the heroism of little Perseus, as he defeats all odds when he slays snake-headed, fearsome Medusa Fry, You grow to love these characters, grieve with them, cheer with them, and marvel at their bravery, courage and determination.
Yet, Greek mythology, like many of the greatest literary texts, is laced with a subtle poison that begins to dull its marvellous, mystical spark. If you look closely between the large, lengthy conquests of heroes, it is difficult not to read these stories and flinch, when woman after woman is raped, assaulted, ostracised, punished and misunderstood, or worse, erased altogether. It is hard to cheer on the murder of Medusa when you consider she was punished and turned into an evil monster solely for being⦠raped?
Fortunately for us, we have our answer. Unlike the poor women of Ancient Greece, who were represented by the works of those such as Hesiod, who nonchalantly declared women the root of all sin and evil and punishment for men, we are fortunate enough to be blessed with the retellings and translations that finally start balancing the scales. Consider Circe, famed Greek witch and goddess. She throws herself desperately at Glaucus, a small fisherman, begging for him to lie with her, going so far as to grant him divinity for an ounce of his affections.
Poor, pathetic Circe could not be loved by a man even when she turned him into a God! Of course, Glaucus chose the beautiful nymph Scylla, who was subsequently turned into a monster by the raging witch. How can you not hate this wretch, so detested by the Gods and humanity, that Zeus himself exiled her onto an island Wells, ?
Madeline Miller thinks otherwise. She presents Circe, from the first time, from her own perspective. We get to see Circe not as isolated and desperate, but powerful.
