The messenger or force that sends Odysseus away on his doomed travels is his longing to get back to Ithaca and his family. Odysseus had been fighting in the Trojan War for ten years, and his subsequent captivity on Calypso's island only increased his longing for the land of Ithaca. Odysseus" call to adventure is essentially the same force, his love and longing for his family. Our hero willingly goes on his quest and throughout the poem, his quest stays the same. Despite being plagued with many hardships and trials, Odysseus resolutely keeps his family in mind, and his love for them is the sole driving force that keeps him determined to overcome and conquer his many troubles.
Odysseus' release from the confinements of Calypso marks the beginning of his infamous quest into blatant and perilous danger. Odysseus" antagonist is the series of trials, inflicted by many individual antagonists. In order to successfully return home and regain his rightful place, he must overcome each of them. The god of the sea, Poseidon, keeps Odysseus wandering for ten weary years, forcing him to arrive in Ithaca in a pitiable condition, with trouble waiting for him at home. He has punished Odysseus for blinding his one-eyed giant son, Polyphemus. Through the eventful course of these ten years, Odysseus is pitted against varied forces - the Cicones, the Lotus-Eaters, the Cyclops, the Laestrygonians, the goddess Circe, the Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, sea storms raised by gods, Calypso's temptation of immortal love, and, finally, the suitors at Ithaca. The suitors may be his worst enemies, but they are not the only ones to cause conflicts in Odysseus' travels, and their slaying, though it provides a climax to the work, is only one episode in the long list of struggles Odysseus endures. He needs to be cunning and resourceful throughout, even while winning over friends such as the Phaecians. Odysseus matches each of his opponents with his incredible wit, quickness, intelligence, and even his sly knavery.