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Sexual Fidelity In The Odyssey

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Classics 101 Kristen Brenda Walker Friday 8.40 g15w1964 Due: 08 April 2016 Tom Dichmont The Odyssey Discuss the subject of sexual fidelity/infidelity as it occurs in Homer’s Odyssey, using examples from the text. (Refer to several relationships in your answer.) Introduction In the Odyssey by Homer the famous Epic poet, sexual fidelity as well as sexual infidelity are recurring themes throughout his work. There are a significant amount of relationships that express this theme. This essay will focus on the relationships surrounding sexual fidelity and sexual infidelity that dominate the work of Homer. There will also be some evidence of minor relationships in the Epic poem in that reiterate how often sexual fidelity and …show more content…

She is a beautiful women who does not want to accompany Odysseus to her palace as she does not want to seem unfaithful to her pending husband. “For already you are being courted by all the best men”, here Athene is showing us that the princess has many potential suitors, yet she has remained loyal to her chosen man (Homer, 1967:5.34). When Odysseus meets Princess Nausicaä it is one of the few times that Odysseus himself shows sexual fidelity for his wife Penelope (Cliffnotes, 2016). Although, Odysseus acknowledges that the princess would make a lovely bride, he declines the offer of becoming her husband as he says that he would like to return home to his own wife. The goddess Artemis is one of the few goddesses known to be chaste and protect the virtuous countryside, she is a symbol of sexual fidelity (Homer, …show more content…

Penelope however is put under scrutiny by her own son Telemachus when he tells Odysseus about the suitors who have been seeking her hand in marriage (Cliffnotes, 2016). Telemachus plants the seed of doubt in Odysseus mind whether or not Penelope is a faithful women. Odysseus kills all the maids who he believed betrayed him by sleeping with the suitors, this is another example of how prevalent sexual infidelity is in the Odyssey (Homer, 1967:22.213). Odysseus once again shows signs of sexual infidelity when he sleeps with the goddess Circe in order for her to return his men back to their human form as she had turned them into pigs (Homer,

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