In the myth of Sisyphus, he pushes a boulder up a hill for all eternity because it keeps falling back down. My question is, why doesn't Sisyphus ever break the conditioning and leave?
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2He can't... that's his task, his geas. Also, he's a lesson from a myth, not a fully-realized character.– Lauren-Clear-Monica-IpsumFeb 11, 2018 at 12:41
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2To emphasize @LaurenIpsum's point, Sisyphus really wants that rock at the top of that mountain. Besides, what else is there to do in Hades?– SpencerFeb 11, 2018 at 19:09
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@Spencer escape?– mcchucklezzFeb 13, 2018 at 23:54
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Haha. Never thought of that, and I have 10 new ideas before breakfast most days. This makes me wonder if there doesn't exist in modern literature a take on this idea... (Speaking of post-modern treatments of mythology, I strongly recommend Sartre's The Flies.)– DukeZhouFeb 14, 2018 at 22:53
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1 Answer
Sisyphus is cursed with a compulsion to roll the rock up the mountain. He is incapable of resisting the allure of the job. And even if he could leave, where would he go? The Fields of Punishment extend for miles and miles, and have thousands of minions whose only purpose is to keep the criminals from escaping. Then there are the Furies, Cerberus, Thanatos... Suffice to say, escape is not possible mentally or physically for him.
