Readers of the Odyssey may certainly find frustration in making a judgment on Odysseus' decision to abandon his life alongside the goddess Calypso. Some may indicate a wish for the day he returns home. Others might argue just the opposite: that “divine Odysseus” simply tires of the secluded life and longs for his next adventure. And everything could be, at least partially, correct. An interpretation of this moment in the poem depends on the question of Odysseus' motivations and what kind of hero Homer intended Odysseus to be. At least for a time, Odysseus is satisfied with Calypso's company and enjoys their arrangement. Why, then, does she find him sitting by the sea, his eyes “never dried by tears,” lying next to her at night “out of necessity” and “against her will?” (V, 151-155). And why doesn't he accept the offer to spend eternity alongside Kalypso, the immortal and ageless beauty? Perhaps most confusing of all is his decision to spend one last night by her side, once she promises to send him home. If Odysseus is to be our hero, then his decisions must reflect Homer's image of heroism. A closer look at the moment of this decision makes Odysseus a hero not only in an epic sense, but because he chooses to embrace the contradictions inherent in human existence even when given the opportunity to leave them behind. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayOdysseus justifies his decision to venture home even despite some hardships and hardships. As Calypso watches him cry on the seashore, she sees the “sweet life draining from him” as he cries on his way home (V, 153-154). Even the divine Odysseus, hero and king, is weakened and lost when the prospect of his return home is far from reach. Kalypso's immortality and his humanity do not match. Calypso cannot understand his anguish or his refusal to consent to immortality at his side. She reasons that if she only knew “in [her] heart how many hardships [he was] destined to suffer,” she would ultimately give up on her journey home (V, 206-207). This is where Homer demonstrates the knowledge and power that our humanity grants us. The finiteness of Ulysses' existence gives his choices a meaning that an immortal could never understand. Equipped with this perspective, Ulysses is destined to fight for his return home at any cost. Calypso cannot understand Odysseus' refusal to enjoy what for her is a perfect existence. She gives him her love and cares for him, and this is not enough (V, 135-136). For Kalypso, the desire to return home even in light of the arduous journey seems like a contradiction. And he's right. But herein lies the contradiction of humanity: that life is difficult, imperfect, and ends in certain death, but we continue to live anyway. The burning desire to return home is something of a tragic choice for Odysseus, as he knows that this will only provide him with a moment of fleeting happiness. This “obstinate spirit” is a characteristic of his heroism, which Homer also wants us to see in ourselves (V, 220). As Telemachus reminds his mother, Odysseus “is not the only one who missed the day of his return to Troy” – his suffering is a profound aspect of the human condition (I, 344-345). What makes Ulysses the hero is his belief in life as worth living even despite this inherent suffering and contradiction. It would be naive to ignore the time that Odysseus is happy to spend at Calypso's side. For a while she is content to live as the goddess's concubine. Although it is unclear what causes his change in.