The Odyssey

Book 5 finally introduces Odysseus, the central character of the story, and these early scenes depict his emotional state while offering only a few hints as to the suffering that he has endured. In sharp contrast to his outward display of grief and longing for his home, the illustrations depict the remote island of Calypso as a primitive paradise. Calypso lives in a cave, and the island itself is shown in bright colors, with white cliffs and green grass. This realm is far removed from the human world of suffering and toil to which Odysseus belongs, but the hero still desperately pines for his home, and it is clear that Calypso is doing him no kindness by detaining him. This dynamic is further emphasized when he refuses to stay with Calypso despite her offer to make him immortal and grant him “a life of bliss” (52). As a hero and a king, Odysseus knows that he must return to his family and his kingdom, although he is slyly gracious enough to his host to assert that his wife—the mortal Penelope—cannot compare to the “beauty of face and form” of the goddess Calypso (52). Thus, while flattering Calypso, Odysseus also makes it clear that “it is [his] one wish, the never-fading ache in [his] heart, to return to [Penelope] and to [his] own house” (52). This statement captures The Importance of Family Loyalty as a central aspect of Odysseus’s character—despite his obvious willingness to dally with Calypso one last time before his departure.

When Odysseus leaves Calypso, he must once again face The Challenges of Heroism and Leadership when he washes ashore on the island of the Phaeacians, for he must now carefully navigate the rules of hospitality and civilization for the first time in many years. Fortunately, the Phaeacians receive Odysseus warmly, demonstrating signs of piety and civilized values by offering to aid his return to Ithaca, but even here, Odysseus must overcome several trials and challenges. Nausicaa, for instance, is aware that strangers might gossip if they see her with an unknown man, so she instructs Odysseus to find his way to her father’s palace on his own. Later, during the games, the young Phaeacian noble Euryalus insults Odysseus by suggesting that “[h]e’s probably a merchant, not used to carrying his own goods” (84)—a claim that prompts Odysseus to demonstrate his heroic ability with an impressive discus throw. Thus, even among friends, Odysseus remains keenly aware that he must prove himself at every step; in many ways, he still thinks like a strategist and approaches the world with a conquest-based mindset, even if the “battles” are now conducted much more politely.

Odysseus, always cautious, keeps his identity secret even among the welcoming Phaeacians. Throughout the story, Odysseus will often conceal or lie about his identity as he makes his way home. This is because he is well aware of the dangers that he faces and is constantly testing the people he encounters to see if he can trust them. His past encounter with a vengeful Cyclops (and son of Poseidon), which will be described in subsequent chapters, also influences his behavior, for in that particular adventure, Odysseus rashly revealed his identity to the monster and thereby drew Poseidon’s wrath. Now, however, Odysseus finally realizes that he is among friends and agrees to tell Alcinoos and the Phaeacians his story. This scene therefore serves as a “frame” for Odysseus’s story-within-a-story, which encompasses a large portion of the overall narrative.

Notably, The Role of Divine Intervention in Human Affairs remains central to the action in Books 5-8. In Book 5, the god Hermes is charged with demanding Odysseus’s release from Ogygia, and later, the sea god Poseidon—Odysseus’s enemy—destroys the hero’s raft and strands him in the waves. Likewise, on Phaeacia, divine intervention comes in the form of a young girl—Athena in disguise—who leads Odysseus into the city. Even among the gods, however, rules and hierarchies dominate the decisions of individual deities. For example, Calypso, who is a goddess herself, rails against the “cruel, jealous gods” who are forcing her to release her mortal consort, Odysseus (49)—even though she knows very well that she must not disobey the commands of Zeus, the ruler of all the gods.

Phaeacia, finally, represents an important intermediate rung between the magical world of Odysseus’s wanderings and his return to the human world. The Phaeacians are highly civilized and technologically advanced, with fast ships that “have no equal among mortals” (81). However, the Phaeacians also exist apart from other humans, and Hinds’s illustrations of Phaeacia emphasize the splendor of the city and palace, which is part fantasy world and part ideal paradise—a place that, like Calypso’s island, exists beyond the bounds of the normal human world. Hinds therefore lavishes special attention on depicting the metal dogs (automata) that guard the palace, on which Odysseus gazes with wonder.