Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

are about to be tried against great odds; but Zeus (Jupiter) declares that the gods have ordained
every event in a man's life, yet he gives the pleaders permission to watch over the hero and assist
him in his adventures. As the gods vanish from sight, Odysseus, the King of Ithaca who is still
wandering hither and thither on his return home after the fall of Troy is found in the island of
Sicily, where a dramatic representation of his cunning victory over the giant Cyclops,
Polyphemus, is shown. This ends the prologue, and Act I finds us in the island of Aea, before
Circe's palace, which is placed in most exquisitely beautiful and sensuous surroundings. The
lovely enchantress herself is seen surrounded by her nymphs, but dis-contented with life, none of
her many lovers having satisfied her longing for the love of a true hero. In her disgust at their
many faults and failings, finding them to possess the aspirations or habits of the lower animals,
she has transformed them by her magic arts into the forms of the various beasts they most represent;
and, mingled with the enticing music of the nymphs, comes the sound of gruntings and
bellowings from the background, where her transformed suitors are herded. As night falls she
retires within; and presently Odysseus appears, having come in search of his companions, who,
having landed on the island, have been transformed by the enchantress. Knowing the hero to be in
danger, Hermes appears and gives him a magic plant, bidding him dip it into the draught which
will be offered him by the temptress. When the lovely Circe presently appears, the hero is
overcome by her sensuous beauty; and the enchantress, overjoyed at the sight of the worldrenowned
hero, makes advances to him at once, and offers him to drink from her magic cup of
forgetfulness. Odysseus, however, hears the beast-like sounds of his transformed companions, and
demands their release as he quaff s the draught, into which he has dipped the herb given him by
Hermes. This renders the enchantress's spell unavailing; and still retaining his manly shape, the
hero forces Circe to restore his companions to their rightful forms once more. This she does; but,
nevertheless, her dazzling beauty and numberless seductive arts overcome the hero at last, and he
becomes enthralled by a resistless passion for her. His restored companions are horrified at the
lapse of their noble leader; and Periander, his chief friend and adviser, received from him a mortal
wound for importuning him to escape the wiles of the enchantress, which have held him captive
for a year. As his friend lies dying, however, Odysseus's conscience is at last touched; and, full of
remorse for the deed of violence he has done, and for his infidelity to his fair wife, Penelope, the
hero is now able to cast off the bonds of Circe, and helps his companions to prepare the vessel for
the continuing of their journey. Circe is in despair, and calls on her father, Helios, the sun-god, to
assist her; and between them they again overcome the hero for a while, wounding him, and
sending him to visit the departed heroes in Hades, the under-world, who taunt him for being the
slave of Circe, and finally fall upon him in their anger. He is, however, rescued by the enchantress,
who carries him back to her garden, where she tenderly restores him to health once more. As he
awakens from his healing sleep, however, Odysseus regains his self-respect with his renewed
strength, and repulses his enslaver with horror; and in spite of all her passionate entreaties and
enticing blandishments he breaks from her embraces and rushes to the shore to join his waiting
companions. The frantic Circe calls on her father again for assist-ance; but the sun-god this time
declares that Zeus has forbidden him to harm the hero. Then, as Odysseus and his companions
depart to their ship and sail away, Helios comforts the despairing Circe by telling her that she shall
have a hero-son, who shall be worthy of the great father whose loss she now mourns; and the
scene closes with the enchantress sinking back, contented, whilst the song of the departing heroes
is heard in the distance.