In a lot of ways, Ulysses resembles a retiree, someone who's had
a long, eventful life and has been forced to hang it up just a
bit too soon. Death isn't just stalking him because that's what
death does; it's stalking him because he's old! Ulysses spent
twenty years away from home, and even if he left home at the age
of 25, that would still make him 45. That's like 70 if you're
living in 1200 B.C.! And that's one of the reasons why he's in
such a hurry to get out of Ithaca; he doesn't want to spend his
few remaining years sitting around watching his son take over
the family business. He'd rather say his goodbyes now and see
what happens. Ulysses says that "old age hath yet its honour and
its toil" (50); by his own admission old age has
responsibilities and he's trying to get out them. He contradicts
himself. Ulysses is an old man who wants to be young again; he
is hopelessly attempting to transgress a boundary that can't be
crossed.