In Emily Watson’s 2018 translation of The Odyssey, the protagonist is depicted as a capable man who is hated by some gods and beloved by others. The epic depicts Odysseus’s journey and homecoming from the Trojan War, and the activities of the people in his homeland in his absence. Along the way, he faces many odds, especially obstacles of pain created by Posiden, who has a vengeance for Odysseus. However, he is also supported by many goddesses, most notably Athena, who plays a large part in epic through enhancements to Odysseus’s character and other interference. Immortality or the appearance of immortality is offered to Odysseus by Calypso, Ino, and Athena respectively, and each time, Odysseus turns the offer down or otherwise undermines the godlike attribute he was gifted. This behavior suggests that immortality, an attribute often viewed as universally good, is not always beneficial to cunning Odysseus.
In book five of The Odyssey, Odysseus is seen being liberated from the goddess queen Calypso’s island. He first arrived as the only survivor of a shipwreck, clutching the keel of his now broken boat. At first, Calypso took him in for pity but then she fell in love with him. She proceeded to hold him on her island for seven years, and “vowed to set him free from time and death forever,” (V.136-7). However, Odysseus refuses this offer of immortality, instead opting to suffer on the sea in an attempt to return home; he pines for his beloved wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Calypso had used the offer as a means of incentivizing Odysseus to stay with her, but Odysseus, who survives on the pity of others, rejects the offer and instead continues on his homeward journey. He finally has a chance to leave when Zeus sends an edict declaring that he must go home.
After casting off from Calypso's island, Odysseus drifts upon the ocean until Posiden notices his raft and sends a great wave to break it. As the storm picks up, Odysseus almost gives up on his journey. Conveniently, Ino, who was once a human, appears and grants Odysseus an enchanted scarf. Odysseus takes this immortal veil, with which he “need not be afraid of death or danger.” (V.357-8), because he has no other choice; without it, he will almost certainly die a cruel death on the ocean (V.313). As the storm picks up, his raft is indeed smashed to pieces and he drifts for seven days on the ocean. However, upon finally reaching land, Odysseus throws the scarf back into the water instead of attempting to steal it the way a normal mortal would. Odysseus does not want to keep the scarf because such an object would make him less pitiful, undermining his future plots and schemes.
Not only does Odysseus turn down actual immortality, but he also undermines Athena’s attempts to make him appear immortal to the Phaeacians. When he arrives at the island, she pours “attractiveness across his head and shoulders,” (VI.236) and goes through the town telling the people about a visitor who “looks like an immortal god,” (VIII.15). Additionally, she shrouds him in a magical mist, hiding him from sight until he is kneeling at the queen’s knees begging for help (VII.142-4). This sudden appearance further implants the idea of Odysseus being a god into the Phaeacians' mind. However, Odysseus quickly destroys this impression by asserting his mortality, stating “I am not like the deathless gods in heaven,” (VI.209) and complaining about the pains of hunger that stab through his misery; This performance further illustrates an image of pity for himself. Odysseus has once again gone to great lengths to inspire pity in others.
All of these examples show that something as commonly perceived as good as immortality and eternal youth may not be entirely beneficial, and Odysseus is crafty enough to know the difference. He needs the sympathy of others to get home, and thus cannot appear to be immortal or otherwise blessed. These actions reflect an important lesson: one must think before taking a gift, because it may make the path ahead harder.

Works Cited
Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Emily R. Wilson, W.W. Norton and Company, 2018.