UGFH1000 Short Essay
Name: Li Pun Wah, Rachel
Student ID: 1155062752
Course: UGFH1000SD
Subject: Short Essay
Date of Submission: 6th March, 2015
Question 1: Love between Calypso and Odysseus
The love between Calypso and Odysseus can be discussed mainly on the grounds of Pausanias, Socrates.
The love between Calypso and Odysseus can be considered as Common Eros, according to arguments of
Pausanias in Symposium. Common Eros is regarded as “composed of the female and male elements”1 and
“one falling in love with the other’s body rather than his/her mind”2, which Pausanias considers it wrong and yet Calypso manifests Common Eros for Odysseus as the goddess falls for him at first sight on the island.
Since one can only recognize a person’s physical attributes at first impression, Calypso is not likely to love
Odysseus’ virtues in mind initially.
Moreover, not only sexual attractions between Calypso and Odysseus contributes to their wrong love, but also their motives of satisfying each other. Pausanias states that one satisfying his lover is only correct when both are in pursuit of goodness.3 It turns out that their motives of giving satisfaction are not correct in
Pausanias’ view though they have the same aim, which indeed is self-seeking instead of desiring improvement. While Odysseus is in need of comfort and dependency after years of war, Calypso satisfies him by taking care of him and fulfilling his sexual desires but aim to possess Odysseus ultimately. Odysseus satisfies Calypso by making love to her, but intend for the intimacy for his sensory enjoyment and emotional attachment that he has vague images of them as of the brutality and cruelty of war. In other words, both
Calypso and Odysseus do not satisfy each other in the pursuit of goodness. Rather, they have self-seeking motives to do so. Therefore it is accurate to consider the love between Calypso and Odysseus to be
1
“This love derives its existence from the much younger Aphrodite, the one composed equally of the female and
Student ID: 1155062752
Course: UGFH1000SD
Subject: Short Essay
Date of Submission: 6th March, 2015
Question 1: Love between Calypso and Odysseus
The love between Calypso and Odysseus can be discussed mainly on the grounds of Pausanias, Socrates.
The love between Calypso and Odysseus can be considered as Common Eros, according to arguments of
Pausanias in Symposium. Common Eros is regarded as “composed of the female and male elements”1 and
“one falling in love with the other’s body rather than his/her mind”2, which Pausanias considers it wrong and yet Calypso manifests Common Eros for Odysseus as the goddess falls for him at first sight on the island.
Since one can only recognize a person’s physical attributes at first impression, Calypso is not likely to love
Odysseus’ virtues in mind initially.
Moreover, not only sexual attractions between Calypso and Odysseus contributes to their wrong love, but also their motives of satisfying each other. Pausanias states that one satisfying his lover is only correct when both are in pursuit of goodness.3 It turns out that their motives of giving satisfaction are not correct in
Pausanias’ view though they have the same aim, which indeed is self-seeking instead of desiring improvement. While Odysseus is in need of comfort and dependency after years of war, Calypso satisfies him by taking care of him and fulfilling his sexual desires but aim to possess Odysseus ultimately. Odysseus satisfies Calypso by making love to her, but intend for the intimacy for his sensory enjoyment and emotional attachment that he has vague images of them as of the brutality and cruelty of war. In other words, both
Calypso and Odysseus do not satisfy each other in the pursuit of goodness. Rather, they have self-seeking motives to do so. Therefore it is accurate to consider the love between Calypso and Odysseus to be
1
“This love derives its existence from the much younger Aphrodite, the one composed equally of the female and