Camus argued that the absurd hero sees life as a constant, hopeless struggle. Any attempt to deny or avoid the struggle and despair that defines our lives is an attempt to escape this absurd contradiction. Camus' only demand of the absurd man is that he live in full awareness of the absurdity of his position. As Sisyphus pushes his rock up the mountain, all he has to do is work and struggle. But in those moments when Sisyphus descends the mountain free of his burden, he is aware of it. He knows he will struggle forever and he knows this struggle will take him nowhere. This consciousness is precisely the same consciousness that an absurd man has in this life. As long as Sisyphus is aware of this, his lot is no different or worse than our lot in life. We react to Sisyphus' fate with horror because we see his futility and despair. Of course, the central argument of this essay is that life itself is a futile and hopeless struggle. However, Camus also suggests that this fate is only horrible if we continue to hope, if we believe that there is something more worth aiming for. Our fate only seems horrible when contrasted with something that would seem preferable. If we accept that there is no preferable alternative, then we can accept our fate without horror. Only then, Camus suggests, can we fully appreciate life, because we accept it without reservation. Sisyphus is therefore above his fate precisely because he accepted it. His punishment is only horrible if he can hope or dream of better. If he does not hope, the gods have nothing to punish him. Tragedy theory is a large and complex topic beyond the scope of this commentary, but a brief discussion of Camus's angle on tragedy may be helpful. Camus tells us that the moment Sisyphus becomes aware of his fate, his fate becomes tragic. It also alludes to Oedipus, who only becomes a tragic figure when he realizes that he killed his father and married his mother. He also notes that Sisyphus and Oedipus are ultimately happy, that they “conclude that all is well.” Tragedy, Camus seems to suggest, is not pessimistic. On the contrary, it represents the greatest triumph of which we are capable as human beings..