Question

When we first meet Odysseus in Book V he is marooned on Calypso's island, almost at the end of his journey. Again, why begin near the end? What do you make of the description of Calypso's garden? How do the goddess and hero represent the roles of host and guest? Why won't or can't Odysseus stay? Discuss a time in your life when you wanted to make a change. How did you get there, and how will you reach your goals now? (Stanford)

Answer 1

• Answer 1) In The Odyssey, the events are not organized in chronological order. The book starts with Odysseus marooned on Calypsos´s island. It continues with the story of Telemachus, and it goes back to the hero´s story in Ogygia. This resource helps to show that both stories occur simultaneously. It also highlights the tension between Telemachus and the suitors to reach a climax when Oddysus arrives home in the following chapters. Another effective resource is the use of flashbacks. When Odysseus tells the Phaeacians how he left Troy and arrived on Calypso, he takes readers back to the first story, chronologically speaking, but from a first-person point of view. The book starts near the end to show everything that happens while Odysseus is kept in Calypso and his long wait to return home.

• Answer 2) Calypsos´s garden offers Oddyseus everything a man wishes. However, the heavenly place cannot make him forget about his family and home. Ogygia awakens his loyalty and longing for Ithaca.

• Answer 3) Calypso plays the role of a good host when she aids Odysseus, her guest. In the beginning, both have a good host-guest relationship. However, Calypso enchants and imprisons Odysseus, who wants to return to Ithaca. Thus, a good host-guest relationship turns into a bad one.

• Answer 4) Odysseus does not want to stay with Calypso in spite of having a heavenly life. He is truly loyal to his family and he realizes Ogygia could never be his home. He feels the need to fight for Ithaca and Ogygia turns into a boring and simple place for him.

• Answer 5) When I was eighteen, I realized that I was no longer a child because I had to assume a lot of responsibilities as an adult. Thus, I decided to give up having so much fun with friends to grow up and fulfill my duties. As a result, I learned that the only way to reach my goals is by focussing on what matters.