Samantha Morton turns Circe from a mythical witch into The Odyssey's most human character

Samantha Morton changes the way we see Circe in The Odyssey by turning a mythological witch into the film's most human character. Odysseus meets Circe in Aeaea after she turns his men into pigs. And although he manages to convince her to undo the spell, their encounter reveals there is far more to her story.

In Greek mythology, Circe was far more than just a witch, as she was described as a nymph or goddess. She was the daughter of Helios and Perse and had the ability to transform humans into animals.

And while Samantha Morton's character sounds ruthless and cruel, she was not simply a villain in Odysseus's journey. Instead, she was a character shaped by her own history and pain that she experienced.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

How did Samantha Morton change the way viewers see Circe in The Odyssey?

Samantha Morton plays Circe in The Odyssey - Source: Getty

In The Odyssey, Odysseus's men reach Circe's home in search of food. After she comes back home and finds Eurylochus and the other Odysseus's men, she gets scared and asks them not to hurt her. Eurylochus, after seeing the tension on her face, calms her down by saying that they are only looking for food.

Samantha Morton's character Circe asks the men to leave their armor outside before offering them food. But as they begin eating, she uses her magic to transform them one by one into pigs. At first glance, the scene might seem cruel, as Circe does not realize the men are simply hungry and have no intention of harming her. She believes that they were driven by greed.

But when Odysseus hunts a deer that suddenly transforms back into a man, he goes to find his men and comes face to face with Circe. Circe asks him as well to keep the armor outside, but Odysseus, unlike his men, hides a weapon, which Circe soon learns about. Unlike his men, Odysseus doesn't eat the food she offers and finds a ring that belonged to one of his men.

So why did Circe turn the men into animals?

In this scene, Samantha Morton changes how viewers see Circe, not as a cruel witch but as a woman shaped by the violence she has experienced in her life. Circe argues that the men whom she turned into pigs were not innocent, pointing out their violent past and claiming she mistook their brutality for loyalty. When Odysseus asks if his men meant to hurt her, she simply replies that they could have, indicating that she was just protecting herself.

But why did Circe let Odysseus go? Odysseus realizes the extent of her power and forces her to turn his men back into humans by trapping her sister, who has been transformed into a bird. After seeing his honesty and in the moment of vulnerability, she chooses to let him go and help him.

Why is Circe the most human character in The Odyssey?

Circe, being a witch, didn't want to deliberately harm anyone but just wanted to protect herself, which is the reason why she turned the men into animals. In The Odyssey, she used her power as a shield, and instead of enjoying her powers, she was just using them to survive alone on the island with her sister, whom she turned into a bird.

Morton, through her acting, showed that Circe's power was the only thing that gave her safety and freedom. She seemed like someone who had lost hope of kindness from people and was living in fear and loneliness.

Speaking about playing Circe in The Odyssey, Samantha Morton told Vanity Fair that she saw the character as someone familiar and deeply human. She felt Circe could be anyone's mother, sister, daughter, or friend, carrying the pain and experiences of women throughout history.