Odysseus finally meets the most formidable opponent to his desire for nostos in the goddess Kalypso, who offers him the unparalleled luxury and security of kalupto on the hidden island of Ogygia. Ogygia tempts Odysseus as the ultimate paradise, as “even a god who found this place would gaze, and feel his heart beat with delight” (5.79-80), and Kalypso, “a nymph, immortal and most beautiful, who craved him for her own” offers him love, care, and sexual pleasure for a decade (1.21-23). Kalypso and her island embody the idea of kalupto in its most enticing form yet, providing Odysseus with a lifestyle that even his hard-sought nostos cannot give. Ogygia’s kalupto is Odysseus’s most challenging test in proving his determination to come home, as he is given a choice to remain peacefully on the prosperous island or continue his perilous travels. …show more content…
After Kalypso expresses surprise that Odysseus still wishes for nostos after spending years with her, he answers that “it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home.” (5.228-229). This, paired with his daytime misery on the island expressed throughout Book Five, highlights Odysseus’s reluctance to give in to the temptations of kalupto any longer. In addition to leaving behind the luxury and privacy of life on Ogygia, he leaves behind years of physical safety. Kalypso reminds him of this, telling him, “If you could see it all, before you go- all the adversity you face at sea- you would stay here, and guard this house, and be immortal.”