Jealousy In The Odyssey

In the book The Odyssey the character Odysseus goes to fight in the Trojan War. The war has ended, but King Odysseus never returns back home. Since the King has been away, his home is being invaded by suitors. Prince Telemakhos, son of Odysseus, wants to find his father. The Prince knows he cannot go on this journey alone. He needs help, so Telemakhos decides to give a speech to the men of Ithaka. Unfortunately, Telemakhos cannot convince the men enough.

The Prince is hoping to gain some crew to join him on his journey. He also wants the men to help him get rid of the suitors. The prince starts off by saying “My distinguished father is lost, who ruled among you once, mild as a father evil still: my house and all I have is being ruined” (2.49-52).

The Prince is speaking on the suitors’ behavior; they are disrespecting the King’s home. He states “These men spend their days around our house killing our beeves and sheep and fattered goats, carousing, soaking up our good dark wine not caring what they do. They squander everything” (2.59-62).
As Telemakhos is exposing the suitors, he wants the people to feel sympathetic.

He says to them “My house is being plundered. Is this courtesy? Where is your indignation? Where is your shame? Think of the talk in the islands all around us, and fear the wrath of the gods, or they may turn, and send you some devilry” (2.68-72). He wants to know why they are doing this to him and his family. King Odysseus is known to be a great King, but his son begins to question his greatness as King. He says to them “Or did my father, Odysseus ever do injury to the armed Akhians? Is this your way of taking it out on me, giving free rein to these men” (2.76-79). The Prince also lets the people of Ithaka know that he is disappointed at them. The Prince says to the people “What sickens me is to see the whole community sitting still, never a voice or a hand raised against them” (2.251-253). He is concerned on why they are not standing up for their King.

The Prince becomes confident about finding his father. He tells the men “ Odysseus will not be absent from his family for long: he is already near carrying in him a bloody doom for all these men , and sorrow for many more on our high Seamark, Ithaka” (2.172-176). He says this to warn the men about Odysseus’s return. The Prince states “The Gods know, and the Akhians know, these things” (2.220-221).He acts as if he is sure that he is going to find his father. The Prince wants to appear believable, maybe hoping to scare the suitors away from their home.

Telemakhos gave a great speech. At one point throughout the speech Telemakhos gained a sympathetic crowd. No one had the guts to answer Telemakhos’s questions, except for one guy. The man is not buying the Prince’s tough act. The guy’s name is Antinoos, he speaks up and says to the Prince “What high and mighty talk, Telemakhos! No holding you! You want to shame us, and humiliate us, but you should know the suitors are not to blame- it is your own dear, incomparably cunning mother” (2.91-95). He feels like this not our fault. The suitors are hoping to one day marry Telemakhos mother, Penelope. The men will not leave until Penelope chooses one of the men. Penelope refuses to remarry and suitors will continue to invade their home. The Prince is also still needs a crew for his journey.