Illustration of Odysseus tied to a ship's mast

The Odyssey

by Homer

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What motivates Calypso to release Odysseus from her island? How does she react to Hermes visit?

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When Hermes gets to Calypso's island and starts telling Calypso why he is there, she gets really quite angry at him.  She says that the gods are just jealous because she has a man there with her.

But Calypso lets Odysseus go even though she is angry about it.  The reason she does this is that she figures that she had better not make Zeus angry.  If Zeus wants her to let Odysseus go, she knows that she has to obey.  So I suppose that you would say her motivation is either fear or respect.  It is not clear to me which because all she says is

still I cannot cross Zeus, nor bring his counsels to nothing; therefore, if he insists upon it, let the man go beyond the seas again

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