The Similarities Between Odysseus And Telemachus In The Odyssey

Relationship between Odysseus and Telemachus

Many times in stories, an author will put emphasis on relationships to strengthen the reader’s idea about the similarity between the two characters. In “The Odyssey”, Homer introduces us to many relationships, some small and some big. While they are all important, Homer puts some more emphasis on the bigger relationships like Telemachus and Penelope, Odysseus and Athena, and the biggest one, Odysseus and Telemachus. Even though Odysseus and Telemachus have not been together for most of the epic and have never even met each other before, Homer specifies their similarities throughout the poem. However, while doing so, he also expresses their differences. Odysseus and Telemachus are not similar in every way, and Homer helps us to understand how they are different.

For most of the poem, Odysseus is far away desperately trying to come back home to Ithaca to see his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, who he left as an infant. However, despite the circumstances of

Without telling the suitors, Telemachus plans a trip, gathers a crew, gets a ship and sails off on the high seas in search of the father he has yet to meet. However, Telemachus isn’t actually doing all of these things. Athena is disguising herself as different people to acquire all of the essentials Telemachus will need for his voyage, even pretending to be him in order to gather a crew. “She looked like Mentor now, and in his voice/She called Telemachus out from the hall:/’Telemachus, your crew is ready with the oars/and waiting for you. It’s time to set fourth’” (2. 425-428) This is a step forward for Telemachus, starting to actually do something to find his father instead of waiting around, hoping for his return. However, while it is a step in the right direction, Athena is the one doing it for him, so he is still