Yubaba from Spirited Away is a valuable homage to Circe from the Odyssey. In her story, Yubaba is a powerful sorcerer, leveraging her magic to control the affairs of those around her. She runs a large bathhouse, defining herself by her industriousness, and surrounds herself with wealth and reminders of her status. At the beginning of the story, the protagonist Chihiro and her parents enter without invitation into Yubaba’s domain. Her parents find prepared food and greedily gorge themselves on it. As punishment, Yubaba transforms them into pigs to reflect their lack of manners, but she spares Chihiro after she asks for work and displays being a polite guest. This is an important representation of Circe because it reflects the archetype as intelligent and rational. Transforming the parents into pigs is a reaction, not an offensive strike.

Yubaba is shown to have her own story and goals and does not allow herself to be a means to another’s. Odysseus and his men are constantly arriving and establishing their needs as above all else’s, steamrolling the locals, and their identities in The Odyssey become only important in how they relate to his. This story is important in that Chihiro’s strength grows from her ability to respect and integrate within a strange culture rather than trying to rise above it. Yubaba sparing Chihiro illuminates that Circe’s respect for Odysseus stems from their shared value of wit, as Yubaba grew respect for Chihiro’s diligence. Its also important to view this interpretation of the Odyssey because it gives much more attention to the Circe archetype. Circe is confined to part of a chapter, but the movie’s extended runtime allows the character to become more fleshed out. She is less two dimensional, and is given virtues to balance with her vices.

Until I found this example, I found the story of Circe to be shallow and uncomplicated; she maliciously attacked the crew of Odysseus and fell in love with him after he displayed intelligence uncommon to humans. Observing her through this lens illustrates that she is her own person intruded upon by a group of men who pose real danger to her. From her perspective, the crew trespassed on her lands and entered into her home. These are men that in book two stole women as if they were objects and would likely do the same to her when her usefulness expired. She enchanted the food which they ate to transform them into pigs. When Odysseus had proven himself to be a symbol of intelligence, she fell in love with him. She lived on her island in total solitude, and this brief companionship was not based out of possession or greed but possibly out of genuine connection. When he expressed his desire to leave, she let him do so freely and even helped him. Circe is depicted as a temptress and an evil sorceress, but given her power she is a relatively peaceful and nonviolent character. It is important to extend empathy to all characters in this book to perceive this story for all of its possible meanings. It is Odyesseus’ lack of empathy that largely is his undoing, causing the deaths of his crew and delaying his journey.