From Villainess to Misunderstood Woman – a Reimagination of Character in Miller’s Circe (2018)

Författare

Hanna Stranding

Summary, in English

The archaic witch Circe from Greek mythology has been an enduring figure in history in Western literature and English-speaking cultures. The character has undergone multiple adaptations and is seemingly restricted to the archetype of a villainous femme fatale, symbolising the threat of wilderness and female sexuality. In Miller's novel Circe (2018), the character undergoes another transformation and takes on the characteristics of an anti-hero, proving a different trajectory of the character's evolution, which has not been researched in detail. Previous research has identified narrative devices and changes in the reimagination of the character but mainly focused on the elements regarding nature and feminism connected to Circe’s archetypal history. The question remains how Circe’s character has been constructed in the novel genre and brought to a new readership in the 21st century. To analyse this, I argue that the focalisation and Miller’s reimagination of Circe bring the character to life for 21st-century readers. This essay concludes that the new internal narrative of Circe and providing her with a modernised consciousness brings the character from Greek mythology to a life-like character in the 21st century.

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