Calypso's Misery

Okay, if anyone has ever been in a humanities class with me they know i have a little different views than the norm, and one of them is that I think that one of the most unfortunate characters in The Odyssey is the sea nymph Calypso. Let's get a little backstory, shall we? For this we must go back to the beginning of the religion, the beginning of the Greek Gods. The Gods have just overthrown the Titans in a power struggle that lasted years, resulted in each of the Titans being trapped somewhere. Atlas, one of the more powerful Titans, and a general in their army, was kept with the penalty of holding up the sky. Now, Atlas had a daughter. A daughter named Calypso. And merely being Atlas' daughter forced Calypso onto the island Ogygia, where many famous sailors and heroes, Odysseus included, wash up. But the poor maiden has a terrible curse, the only people that show up are those that are needed elsewhere. She falls in love with each and every one, but they all leave eventually. Now i'm not advocating here keeping Odysseus against his will, but just take a minute to imagine if you were marooned on an island by yourself. Company would be a little more than welcome (in fact there are accounts of Calypso and Odysseus having children). Another point made by Calypso herself, is when Hermes comes down to Ogygia in order to set Odysseus free. Calypso says "The man I saved, riding astride his keel-board, all alone, when Zeus with one hurl of a white-hot bolt had crushed his racing warship down the wine-dark sea..."(page 156, 144-146) she goes on to say how she welcomed Odysseus and healed him. What Calypso is saying is that even though she saved him and brought him back to health, the gods are taking him away. Even though Calypso is treating him like a puppy, she does have a point in being his savior. And to conclude, I am not supporting Calypso's actions, or methods, merely speculating on her extremely unfortunate fate.

Background information acquired here Calypso

and here Titan War