Ulisses e o feminino: eros e epos

Abstract

In the Odyssey, the wanderings of a man in search of a fate and involved in a truceless struggle for survival against the natural contingencies of life are responsible for triggering the narration of Ulysses’ return travel. In the course of the recountings pertaining to his adventures, several references are made to a series of localized stayings in fantastic places and to encounters with non-human figures, usually of female representation. Through a reading of the well-known erotic episodes involving Circe, Calypso and Nausicaa we seek to show how the dyad epos-eros has contributed to a more humanized characterization of the life experiences undergone by a versatile and astute hero who was able to face all dangers, without ever letting himself be deluded by the temptations that could endanger his nostos.