Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Odysseus is Unfaithful
After we read book 5, we individually decided whether or not Odysseus is faithful to his wife, his son, and his home. If I remember correctly, the opinions were fairly balanced. Unfortunately, based on the numbers we gave on Monday, April 26, we, as a class, decided that Odysseus' story about the Cicones, Lotus Eaters, and Cyclops is only about 60% true. Even though his stories may not be completely truthful, members of the class continued to mention how he is just trying to get home, and his lies serve a purpose. Said purpose is that if the people who plan to give Odysseus a ride home pity him and think he is a good, wise man, then there will be little conflict, and also so they may speak proudly of him and spread his fame. On the other hand, when Calypso says to Odysseus that he can go home, he tells her "'Passage home? Never. Surely you're plotting/ something else" (5:192). Though one may argue that Odysseus simply feared the worst, or that he had gone through so much that he did not want to face more of the same torture, I believe otherwise. I think that Odysseus was being disloyal. If he longed for home so much, then why did he not jump at the first opportunity to leave? If he hated living with Calypso so much, and wanted so terribly to get home to Ithaca, then why didn't he say something along the lines of, "When can I leave?" Also, later in book 5, Homer says, "And now, withdrawing into the cavern's deep recesses,/ long in each other's arms they lost themselves in love" (5:250). Interpret as you will, I understood that these lines meant that they were, to a point, in love. This is not the earlier description, where Calypso drags Odysseus into bed nightly, but rather that Odysseus wanted to "love" her, thus further proving his unfaithfulness. Finally, as a separate and interesting note, Odysseus has yet to say that he needs to return home to Telemachus, or that he misses his son, or anything of the sort, although I am not completely sure. If you have a quote contradicting my claim, please reply. Otherwise, reply.
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I disagree. It seems like Odysseus would never be needlessly disloyal, but he is not afraid to do what he must to make it home. First, his interactions with Calypso do indeed seem forced. You brought up the quote about losing themselves in love. Odysseus may enjoy it while he is doing it, but that is human nature. What matters is that he would prefer not to do it in the first place, as shown by the aforementioned quote of him being unwilling.
ReplyDeleteAlso, when Calypso first mentions to Odysseus that he can leave, he does not just believe her because he is not an idiot. He is waiting for her to make a solemn oath, which he goes on to specifically ask her for. This is similar to later when Circe offers to sleep with him. He responds, "Not for all the world. Not / until you consent to swear, goddess, a binding oath / you'll never plot some new intrigue to harm me" (Book 10, 380-382). He knows that if either of them are lying, they would not be able to swear an oath.
Anyways, Odysseus never seems to mention Telemachus, which makes sense since he only knew him as a baby and has not seen him in many years. There really is not much for him to say about his son. However, he is still loyal to his home and family as shown by his strong desire to return. When Calypso finds him in Book 5, he is miserable, "his sweet life flowing away / with the tears he wept for his foiled journey home" (Book 5, 168-169). He does not know what is wife is going through, but it is logical to think that sleeping with other women to be able to survive and finish the journey is better than being faithful to a wife he will never again see.