When all of the Gods gathered to decide Odysseus's fate, how do you think the Gods should have punished Odysseus? Do you think that his punishment was fair? Why or why not? Do you think it was fair of Zeus to take away Odysseus who Calypso loved? When the Gods gather to decide to let Odysseus go, do you think that it was unfair that they did not let Poseidon know what they were doing and do you think that they could have waited until he returned? Finally do you think that it was the right decision to let Odysseus go free?
I think that it was right of the gods to give Odysseus a reprieve and try to send him home. The man had suffered so much, first the Trojan war, and then his captivity with Calypso. As for the Nymph, I think that having Odysseus torn from her was not necessarily fair, but it wasn't really unfair either. She had her fun with him, and making him immortal would have been only extending his pain infinitely. Alternatively, she did save him, so his life was more or less in her hands. Still, she definitely made us of this on most nights.
ReplyDeleteIt looked at first as though Odysseus would have it easy and travel home peacefully. However, Poseidon was dead-set against it. He made a storm and destroyed Odysseus's raft. He would have died yet again if not for the gods. Ultimately, Odysseus's fate lies in the hands of the gods.
I agree with Jack, and think it is right to send Odysseus home. He has been through such terrible times, which will only get worse, but it is the right thing for the gods to do. I think it wasn't fair or unfair to take away Odysseus. Odysseus was held hostage and all he wants to do is get home. On the other hand, Calypso loved him so much and wanted him to stay. The gods knew sending Odysseus home was the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThey needed to wait for Poseidon. As we see in this chapter, gods that are angry at mortals do abuse their power. Poseidon set an earthquake on Odysseus. He does not want him to return home to Ithaca. I also agree with Jack's last statement. Whatever the gods decide for Odysseus will be his fate.
I also agree with Maggie and Jack, that it was fair to send Odysseus home. He had already suffered so much in the war, as Jack said, and even worse being imprisoned by Calypso. All he wanted to do was return home, and if Calypso loved him as much as she claimed, she would have understood. I think it was definitely a good choice for the gods to send him home. On the other hand, I thought they should have waited for Poseidon, and I think the gods do sometimes abuse their power as Maggie said. Since he didn't want him to return home, he causes a terrible storm, ruining the raft. Overall, Odysseus doesn't have much say in what will happen to him, as the gods use their power to control him.
ReplyDeleteThe god's decision to let Odysseus return to Ithaca was just because though he may have angered Poseidon, he has suffered through twenty years of the Trojan war and his imprisonment. He of all people deserves to return home to his wife, his household, and his son. It was fair for Zeus to take Odysseus away from Calypso because she was keeping him on her island selfishly, keeping him to fulfill her desires while he wept for his home. If Calypso had really loved Odysseus, she would have recognized his unhappiness and been willing to help him return home, but it takes the order of Zeus himself for her to finally do this.
ReplyDeleteThough the gods' exclusion of Poseidon may not have been fair, it was necessary for Odysseus to have any hope of survival. Poseidon has made it his mission to destroy Odysseus, and if he had known of Odysseus' leaving Calypso's island, Odysseus' puny raft would have not left for a moment before it was crushed by the waves.
As everyone has already said, I do agree that it was the right decision to let Odysseus go from Calypso. From the Trojan war to now being kept away from his native land and his family, Odysseus should have the right to be set free. He deserves to make his way back to his wife and son after being away from home for so many years. Even though Calypso absolutely loved having his company, the gods knew it would be the right thing to do to send Odysseus home.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Jack on how he thought that the journey back home for Odysseus was going to be fairly easy. Since the gods had helped him escape from Calypso, I thought he would have no problem. However, Poseidon proved that wrong and made sure that it was extremely difficult for Odysseus to survive. From freeing Odysseus from Calypso to preventing him to return to his home, it has been proven that the gods control the future of Odysseus.
I don't think the gods should do anything. They should just let Odysseus get back to Ithaca on his own, and if he can do it without help than he deserves it.
ReplyDeleteAs for Calypso, I think that letting Odysseus go was the right thing to do. Had Odysseus wanted to stay, then the gods should let him stay, but if he wanted to leave, they should let him leave.
I think that not waiting for Poseidon was dumb on the gods' part. Had they waited for him, they may have been able to strike a deal of some sort, or try to resolve his issues with Odysseus.
The god's will never agree. They pick favorites and enemys and they can't be reasoned with. Poseidon will always hate Odysseus and Athena will always love him. The power struggle between these two gods is eternal dating back to the orgin of Athens, but for now the rest of the gods have sided with Athena and Odysseus so the fate of Odysseus will be favorable. Waiting for Poseidon would've been foolish of the other gods because Poseiden is determined to finish off Odysseus and no compromise would've been reached.
ReplyDeleteWith Calypso, the gods have no regard for lesser nymphs. Her feelings and desires do not enter into the equation. This isn't exactly fair seeing as Calypso is the reason for Odysseus' survival. However, the insignificant nymph can be easily bullied by the gods of Olympus. Odysseus is alive only because of the gods' mercy, but he was only ever put in danger by the gods' wrath. So the Heavenly intervention seems to even out to some degree.