How Does Telemachus Mature

In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey the first four books Odysseus, king of Ithaca and the hero of the trojan war, is not introduced, but rather instead Prince Telemachus, his son who has not lived up to his full potential. Odyssey is praised by many people and treated as a god but has been gone for 20 years after the disappearance of his war. Prince Telemachus has been alone his whole life which has had a negative effect on him. Since he has not had a proper role model Telemachus struggle to mature and confront problems. Everything changes the moment the goddess Athena steps in Telemachus life disguised as Mentes, she tells him to grow up and be a man as well giving him advice. Finally Telemachus is taking his power and using it to best ability

thought to him. Prince Telemachus still has a lot of progress to make to be a man, but Homer reveals the development of Telemachus by using imagery, diction and epithets to illustrate him.
Telemachus has never met his father, but still grieves for him even though many years have passed as well thought to be dead. With the absences of Odysseus the Kingdom of Ithaca has been in chaos since Telemachus avoiding problem and not taking power. Suitors have invaded the castle and eating through all their food as well they are trying to court his mother, penelope. “....sitting among the suitors, heart obsessed with grief. He could almost see his magnificent father, here...in the mind’s eye-if only he might drop from the clouds and drive these suitor all in a rout throughout the halls and regain his pride of place and rule his own domains! Daydreaming so as he sat among the suitors..’’ (bk 1 lns 133-138). The repetition of “among the suitors’’ indicated that Telemachus is thinks he is at their level since he has no right to the power of his father because he does not believe he is the great odysseus's son. “In the mind's eye-if only he could drop from the clouds and drive these suitors all in a rout” . Odysseus is thought to be like a god among the mortals so when it states “if he could only drop from the clouds’’ express that Telemachus believes his father is not dead and will be back to stop the chaos. “ drive these suitors all in a rout” since Telemachus is doubtful that he is odysseus's son he lacks the courage to take action of the suitors. As doubtful Telemachus is he don't deal with the problem considering that it’s his father's kingdom and unsure of his position of power. Soon he will have a role motel to guide him to mature and to be more capable.
While Telemachus is sitting among the suitors crying about his father the goddess Athena shows up disguised as Mentes, “odysseus old friend”, so that she can help him find his father. Athen knows that odysseus is not dead but is held hostage on calypso's island but wishes to come home. So she has given him orders to go do so that he can go find if his father is alive without revealing how she knows. With that it gives him the courage to stand up to the suitors and threaten them to leave his palace. “ And you, if you have no shame in your own hearts, you must leave my palace!.....But if you decide the fare is better, richer here, destroying one man’s goods and going scot-free, all right then carve away!”(bk2 lns 155-160). Finally with the encouragement of Athena, Telemachus tells the suitors to leave since it is his domain. “ you must leave my palace” telemachus has taken his power by calling it his palace and not giving the suitors an opinion other than to leave. “ But if you decide….right then decide away!’’ Telemachus is telling them that they are terrible taking what is not their’s and if they chose to stay they will not mind punishment for it. Telemachus has shown a dramatic difference from book 1 to 4 by the characteris given to him by Homer.
Homer uses many epithets to describe the people in his epic poem to remember how the grow for the best or worst.

In the beginning of book 1 telemachus is weak and lacks confidence but by book 4 he is more determined and spirit. “ young Telemachus’’ (bk 1 lns 247) Telemachus is supposed to be around 20 years old since his father has been gone for that one and never met him before. So when it says young telemachus it would mean that he still has not matured and is refered to a child. “ self-possessed Telemachus” (bk2 lns 343) he has set sail to find if his father is alive and now that Athena has given Telemachus confidence he acts on his own thoughts to take action. “Clear-sighted Telemachus’’ ( bk4 lns 325) clear, Telemachus has now illustrated that he has no fear in what he's doing as well taking a leap of faith on no facts. Progress is shown from book 1 to 4 since at first telemachus is represented as young and usually needs help and childish who has no confidence. When it states self-possessed it means that telemachus takes action on his own thought with no help needed. As for clear-sighted adds on to self-possessed by having no thought of consequences and only thinks on the goal set forth. With only the help of Athena, Telemachus can have the courage, confidence , and hope to do

anything.
Homer illustrates telemachus’s character by using homer similes to give the best representation of his development into maturity. Telemachus has been seen as a child who needs help to accomplish anything but with the arrival of Athena into his life sh has given him the courage and confidence for success. The journey that Prince Telemachus has taken from weak to confident and powerful shows that he has used his experience past mistakes to fix future events and knowledge to gain. Now that Prince Telemachus has learned the importance of being independent he can finally make decision and support them. For the future that is held for him is that the people of Ithaca will trust him to rule as king one day but as well can rely on him self in times of need.