#Circe epic

[hecates-corner]

When I first heard There Are Other Ways, I was a little disappointed by the fact that Circe didn’t successfully seduce Odysseus, considering the huge Greek Mythology nerd I am.

Bear with me.

Then, I played the saga, and that song, for my wonderful mother tonight. About halfway through, I gasped.

The story is accurate to the Homeric version: he confronts her (clandestinely at first), she fights back, he pulls the sword.

But she’s not afraid. Of course she isn’t.

Why would an immortal being, with the rage and power of commanding a million different beasts if her Plan A goes down, be afraid of a measly man with a flimsy toothpick to her throat, just because he ate a flower and said “Be afraid!”?

That’s right! She wouldn’t.

Because Jay didn’t submit to the blatant misogyny of the tale.

Read this article for incredible information, if you please. It changed the way I saw Circe’s story.

If Circe cowered, simply because a man held a sword to her throat, only then would she have seduced him (if we’re going ultra-canon with the storyline, which Jay isn’t), which would have, yet again, thrown off the balance of power.

Circe could give less of a shit about the sword, in the song. She thinks he’s pretty hot, and maybe she’s manipulating him into coming to bed with her so she can trick him, so she offers a tryst or two. Here, if you read the article, she is throwing off the nature of men and women by being the active sexual partner.

He refuses, too enamored with Penelope, and shuns his curiosity in her. You can hear how it pains him, it’s a struggle to say no. But he does. He’s strong, he’s no god, cheating on his wife for the sake of sex appeal. He’s just a man.

He begs. That’s the thing that got me. Not her, him.

“So I beg you, Circe, grant us mercy, and let us puppets leave~”

Then, Circe offers to help him — not because she’s restoring the nature of being submissive — but because she has empathy and compassion for the man. She helps him because he’s proved himself, to be weary, and faithful, and human. She knows the feeling of love.

So, yes. So many layers. Like an onion, worthy of making you cry.

1. Jay is spitting in the face of misogyny and gender roles, and having her help him because she empathizes. Because she’s in power.

2. It’s sort of a jab, if interpreted a certain way, at sexual assault. He says no, and he holds true to it. Even though everything is telling him to give in, to let it happen, he refuses, and remains as sure as he can be.

3. It shows how very human Odysseus is. Athena forgot it, and somehow held him to it. Even the men forget it. But he never does. There is only so much he can do.

This is my favorite saga so far.

[i-like-her-like-that]

Characters from EPIC: The Musical whose voices I am in love with

Circe <- you don't get it oh my god "Poseidon eh ?" "Ha !" "I've got all the power, yeah, I've got all the power" "No I don't play I puppeteer" HELP ME all of her lines oh my god "You must be a liar, mortals can't acquire, moly without dire consequence"

Poseidon <- Help me he's so voice goals "OOOOOODYSSEUS OF ITHACA !! do you know how I am ?" "Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves, OURSELVES !" "damn you crossed the line... I'VE BEEN, SO GRACIOUS, and yet YOU HURT THIS SON OF MINE... that's right, the cyclops you made blind, is mine ( NO ) I'M LEFT WITHOUT A CHOICE" "a GREEK who REEKS of false righteousness THAT'S WHAT I HATE" "but nooo" "so close your heart, the world is dark and RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY- die."

Calypso <- shjfsgjksdh "I'm not sorry for loving youuu" "I hate that I fell in love with youuuu" "i've got, all you could want here, all you could need here !" i love her voice so much <3333 "you're adorable, bow down now to the immortal calypso" "we're stuck in paradise" "and if i pushed youuuu or if i came on too strong, or if i ambushed youuuu, for that i say i was wrong" "and if you hate me, then i am sorry my love's too much for you ! but im not sorry for loving youuuu ( calypso ! ) let me speak !"

Athena <- "This is my goodbyeeee !!" I don't think I need to elaborate she's so dhdgjkhsjdk "hold your tongue now ! his son's my friend !!" "please reconsider this" "i had a challenge ! a test of skill !" "well done, you lied to me, what's your name ?" "i see you changing from how i've designed you... have you forgotten your purpose ? let me remind you"

Zeus <- his voice is nice for some reason "Thunderrrr... bring her...." "this is the son of none other than TROY's VERY OWN PRINCE HECTOR"

Telemachus <- "i wanna be legendary" dwfjkjsahjdk <33333

Antinous <- "fight little wolf fight, wanna entertain me ?"

[thecrowinacrown]

So.

[nshayden]

Wouldn't you like...?😎🎵

[wolfythewitch]

Favorite frames :D

[illmissthecrowning]

[americassoldierboy]

I love these shots

@wolfythewitch

[pun-ishment888]

Ah, so when Circe wants to send them to the underworld, she is amazing and helpful, but when I, POSEIDON-

[gigizetz]

Alright, I'm done with the etm doodles for today, here's all of them

[find-the-path]

"average greek sea voyage takes eight months" factoid actually just statistical error. sea voyages around greece are very short. Bad-luck Odysseus, who tripped over a monster every five feet, had to sail in loop de loops around greece to avoid various annoyed deities, and took eleven years to sail 565 miles, is an outlier adn should not have been counted.

[thereinart]

Doodles of Odysseus and Circe inspired by Epic the musical, also known as my new obsession

[larkspurglove]

Fun fact about the underworld saga:

‘558 men who died under your command’ from The Underworld, combined with ‘43 left under your command’ from Ruthlessness, doesn’t add up to 600 men.

Which means that the guy who fell off Circe’s roof and died is canon to Epic the musical.

[rubynrut]

[anniflamma]

So I have been sketching out some scenes for the next animatic... and some of them are just scribbles of different concepts.

I think my goal is to have Odysseus traumatized constantly.

[modemica]

“I remember actions of passion, I have been in love once before.”

(epic!odysseus’ genuine love for his wife striking a chord with circe had me in shambles)

[icarusdiesatdawn]

Circe: I can't get you home but I'll get you to the underworld instead

Odysseus, tired man who just wants to go home but seems to be going literally anywhere but home: