The thing that I like about Circe is how self-sufficient she is. She has her own house which she manages to her liking, she is surrounded by her books and potions and she turns rude guests into animals. She manages this while still letting Odysseus believe that he was the one who dumps her and that she is the one who is not good enough to win his heart - thus keeping his heroic ego intact.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2019/03/15/charm-of-the-ancient-enchantress-circe-and-the-glamour-of-independence/