Odysseus was not faithful to his wife physically. Odysseus slept with two main women from the Odyssey, Calypso and Circe. He slept with Circe after she realizes he is immune to her …show more content…
Odysseus decided to stay with Circe for, “many seasons” said by the text in book ten. Then decided to stay with Calypso for seven years when he could be long gone and with his wife by then. In the text it says, “... as Calypso’s not entirely unwilling captive...” (Paragraph two, Calypso, the Sweet Nymph) He wanted to stay, he felt love for other women and completely forgot his wife. Being faithful emotionally doesn’t mean he hates Penelope. When we think of emotions we think of happiness, sadness, and anger. We all too quickly forget that love is also an emotion. That being said, Odysseus felt love for two other women and gave his feelings to them instead all of his love to Penelope. If Odysseus really loved Penelope he would have found a way to get away from either Calypso or Circe.
The only way he was faithful to Penelope, was spiritually. In book five where Calypso “helps” Odysseus she asks him, “... though you wanted her forever. That bride for whom you pine each day. Can I be less desirable than she is? Less interesting? Less beautiful? Can mortals compare to goddesses in grace and form?” (Homer 107-111) This shows that Odysseus misses Penelope, this shows he has faith that she will still love him even though he has been gone for ten years. He has faith that she will never leave him. He misses her because she was his first love, and she holds his heart and true