Bella Cohen’s, 82 Railway Street - Circe

Stephen and Lynch visit nighttown entering via Mabbot Street. Bloom follows not far behind. The text is presented in the form of a play - a script with elaborate stage directions. The action oscillates between real life and fantasy. Much of the stuff of Ulysses reappears transformed in Circe. In a fantasy, Bloom is arrested and undergoes a humiliating trial. He presses on through nighttown meeting Zoe outside Bella Cohen’s brothel. As they talk, he has a messianic fantasy where he is crowned Leopold the first before the crowd turn on him, and he is burnt at the stake. Zoe invites him in. Stephen and Lynch are in the musicroom with Kitty and Florry. Virag Bloom appears. Bloom meets Bella Cohen who in a fantasy transforms into the brute Bello. Bloom undergoes horrific degradation at the hands of Bello before a button pops on his trousers waking him from the trance. Stephen breaks the chandelier with his ashplant. Bloom takes charge of the situation. They leave and Stephen gets into a fight with English soldiers and is knocked down at the corner of Beaver Street. Bloom has a vision of his dead son Rudy.