These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Personal Response Prompt

Sometimes villains start off with the best of intentions but take a wrong turn. Are there any villains for whom you feel sympathy? Are there any villainous characters that you believe are misunderstood by other characters or by their audience? Detail your thoughts with examples in a journal-style written response of 1-2 paragraphs.

Teaching Suggestion: This prompt should encourage students to think differently about the traditional storytelling archetypes, as it is not always easy to label the protagonist and antagonist with strictly “heroic” or “villainous” qualities. You might encourage students to share their answers, then take a poll of the class. Are there others who agree with their choices?

• Both ScreenCrush and Buzzfeed offer compiled lists of misunderstood villains.
• Claudia Schwabe’s “Evil Queens and Witches: Mischievous Villains or Misunderstood Villains” chapter in Craving Supernatural Creatures: German Fairy-Tales in American Pop Culture provides background for investigating the trend of giving villains more of a backstory.

Post-Reading Analysis

Much of Circe’s life is dictated by the men in it. How is the story of Odysseus as a clever Greek hero reversed by the way that he is portrayed in Circe? What are some of the traits of Odysseus in this retelling? What traits of Circe are evident in her scenes with Odysseus? How is she able to overcome the traditional feminine role assigned to her?