Question

why does ulysses reject the comforts of Kingship and accept a hectic life?

Answer 1

In his heart, Ulysses is a traveller. His motto is to "drink life to the lees", and this he has done by never being idle. He has been to numerous lands, known "cities of men and manners, climates, councils, governments"; he has known the thrill of the battlefield and the open sea, and of all of that he considers himself a part. It is his life's ambition to "follow knowledge like a sinking star, beyond the utmost bound of human thought". He cannot do that by sitting idle, even if it meant being a king in his land and enjoying all the comfort and pleasure that come with it. That is why he chooses a hectic life of travel and adventure.