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Throughout Homer's epic work, The Odyssey, Odysseus encounters temptations of beautiful women and the promise of immortality. Under the price of having to sacrifice his manhood, Odysseus is willing to abandon his homeland, one of the ways in which manhood was def ....

Middle of Essay
.... divine power on his side, Odysseus gains the right to return home and regain his identity as a man and as a leader. For seven years, Calypso has lured Odysseus to "lay with her each night, for she compelled him" (V. 164). Using her beauty while possessing hopes of making Odysseus her husband, the enchantress becomes overly distressed when the gods announce that she must release Odysseus and permit him to return to his homeland. Reluctant to let him go, Calypso promises Odysseus immortal life if he chooses to stay with her. Without the divine intervention, Calypso would have continued to hold Odysseus captive on her island. The gods, instructing ....