Telemachus’s quest
The Odyssey is about perilous quests, wars, and a man who just wants to come home. The Telemachia is important because it establishes the problem at Odysseus’ home, reveals facts about Odysseus, and shows that the gods favor Odysseus and Telemachus.
At Odysseus’ house Penelope and Telemachus are dealing with president suitors that wish to wed Penelope, however no matter how much Telemachus tries to get rid of them, “You should be ashamed yourselves...I beg you by Zeus, by Themis too...leave me alone to pine away in anguish.” (p.95 70-75), Telemachus is pretty desperate to get rid of the suitors because they are intruding on his house and making a mess. Penelope has become sullen since her husband has been missing for
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example when a bard sings about Odysseus Penelope starts crying “Break off this song-the unforgettable song that always rends the heart inside me...how I long for my husband-alive in memory, always.” (p.88 390-396), Penelope longs for Odysseus to return. Then Athena appears and makes him go on a quest “Sail in a quest of news of your long-lost father...first go down to Pylos, question old King Nestor, then cross over to Sparta, to red-haired Menelaus.” (p.86 320-330). Telemachus and Athena set sail for Pylos where they meet with old King Nestor, Nestor tells Telemachus about the war of Troy “Nine years we wove a web of disaster for those Trojans, pressing them hard with every tactic known to man.” (p.111 130-132).
And how smart Odysseus was “And no one could there hope to rival Odysseus, not for sheer cunning-at every twist of strategy he excelled us all.” (p.111 134-136). After talking with old King Nestor Telemachus and Athena sailed off toward Sparta to meet with King Menelaus. They arrived during a double wedding for the king’s two children, where King Menelaus tells them his story “No man alive could rival Zeus, ...but among men, I must say, few if any could rival me in riches.” (p.127 87-90). Then he starts grieving for Odysseus “That man who makes sleep hateful, even food, as I pour over his memory. No one, no Achaean labored as hard as Odysseus…how they mourn him too, Laertes, Penelope, and Telemachus as well.” (p. 127-128 120-126) as well as Telemachus.
Odysseus and Telemachus are favored by the gods particularly Athena, Athena respects Odysseus’ wily nature she even begged Zeus to release him from Calypso's island “If now it really pleases the blissful gods that wise Odysseus shall return-home at last.” (p.80 99-100). Then after that she herself went to Odysseus’ house to tell Telemachus that his father was still alive, “Yet I tell you great Odysseus is not dead. He’s alive, somewhere in this wide world.” (p.83-84 229-230). And
she goes with Telemachus on the journey to find word of his father. The Telemachia influences The Odyssey by introducing the characters and the thrill of an adventure. Telemachus, accompanied by Athena, goes on an adventure to find any trace of his long-lost father, Odysseus who has been missing for five years, this is important because Telemachus is desperate for his father to return home to fight off the suitors, who insist on taking Penelope as their wife, and for Penelope, who has been loyally waiting for her husband to return.
Telemachus’ and his father Odysseus’ experiences/journeys parallel each other in many different ways. One way that they are both similar is that they are both very well liked by Athena, who accompanies both on their journeys around Greece. Athena acts as guardian to both father and son. A quote which proves this is I, 85 “In the meantime I will go to Ithaca, to put heart into Odysseus' son Telemachus; I will embolden him to call the Achaeans in assembly, and speak out to the suitors of his mother Penelope, who persist in eating up any number of his sheep and oxen; I will also condu...
Phil Collins, a songwriter and artist, sang the songs that were used in Disney’s animated movie Tarzan. One of those songs is called “Son of Man”, and it described Tarzan’s journey of growing from a boy into a man. One part of the song goes like this; “Though there’s no one there to guide you, no one to take your hand, but with faith and understanding, you will journey from boy to man”. I think that this could also be used as an accurate representation of Telemachus from Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. In the poem, Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and his wife Penelope, had grown up without his father. Before Athena, goddess of wisdom, came to visit him, he struggled emotionally and acted more like a boy than a man. Soon, though, through
In Odyssey, Homer creates a parallel between Odysseus and Telemachos, father and son. The two are compared in the poem from every aspect. One parallel was the quest of Telemachos, in correlation with the journey of his father. In this, Odysseus is developed from a childish, passive, and untested boy, to a young man preparing to stand by his father's side. This is directly connected to the voyage of Odysseus, in that they both lead to the same finale, and are both stepping-stones towards wisdom, manhood, and scholarship.
Because Telemachus has not seen his father since he was a small child it would be tough to keep hope that he is still alive. When Telemachus talks with Athena he refers to Odysseus as his, long-lost father, "he's gone, no sign, no word...I inherit trouble and tears."(p.9) and because of Odysseus' absence, Telemachus is losing hope of his father's return. Telemachus also states, "It is easy for these men to like these things.
Towards the end of his visit with King Nestor, Telemachus is advised to visit King Menelaus in Sparta. Athena/ Mentes then makes up an excuse not to follow Telemachus to Sparta. As she is starting to leave, she transforms into an eagle revealing her true identity as a goddess. King Nestor exclaims to Telemachus, “Dear boy—never fear you’ll be a coward or defenseless not if at your age the gods will guard you so” (3.420, 421). King Nestor explains to Telemachus that he has the gods on his side, so he should not fear anything. He tells Telemachus that he will get what he wants, information about his father, since the almighty gods favor him. From one king to the next, Telemachus is given a chance to reveal his recent change in attitude. After visiting King Nestor, Telemachus arrives in Sparta ready to speak with King Menelaus. Telemachus reveals to him that he has come to receive news of Odysseus: “Don’t soften a thing, from pity, respect for me […] tell me the truth” (4.365, 370). Telemachus has hit the top level of maturity since he is prepared to hear the truth about Odysseus. He used to be so distraught that he was unable to do anything and now he has transformed into a brave man who is speaking up for himself to a king. Telemachus would have never been able to feel comfortable asking about his father, if it were not for Athena or the kings. After conversing with kings
Odysseus returns to Ithaca in the form of a beggar. He first comes to Eumaeus the swineherd. Telemachus shows up, and when introduced to the beggar he wants to make him as comfortable as possible while on Ithaca or allow him to return to his destination of choice. Since the palace is full of suitors Telemachus is trying to figure out the best plan for their new guest when he says he will give him food, and clothing, and “send him off wherever his heart desires. Or if you’d rather keep him here at the farmstead” (341). Telemachus is showing an example of xenia after experiencing this guest-host relationship during his travels, and instead of being the guest he has mastered the role of the host. Once Odysseus reveals his true identity to Telemachus they make a plan to be rid of the suitors for good. While in the midst of their scheme Telemachus steps up with a proposition. Athena had inspired Penelope to require a task of the suitors in order for her to choose one of them to marry. The task was to string Odysseus bow, and while they are attempting to do so Telemachus says “ I’d even take a crack at the bow myself” (418). He then proceeds to tell them what will occur if he succeeds. Telemachus is being very assertive, and is about to take part in the challenge however Odysseus motions
Going on a journey is necessary for personal growth and maturity. In the first 4 books of The Odyssey by Homer, Telemachus goes on a journey to find out information about his father and grows into a man who is the true son of Odysseus. The Prince of Ithaca and the son of a great hero, Telemachus needs to go on this journey because Odysseus did not come back from the Trojan War. With help from Athena and the gods, the insecure Telemachus left his grieving mother to find information and become more independent in the process. His journey was necessary because Telemachus learns about how royalty should be treated, about respect to the gods, and that it is important to depend on others during your travel.
Firstly, Penelope who plays Odysseus’s wife is alone tending to her city Ithica until her husband returns. Meanwhile Odysseus is out fighting in the Trojan War and against many of the Greek God’s who are trying to make his trip back home as eventful and hard as possible; “…work out his journey home so Odysseus can return” (Homer 276). While King Odysseus is away Penelope is to deal with a bunch of suitors who are eating and trashing out Ithica, “…if those suitors have truly paid in blood for all their reckless outrage” (559). In order for Penelope to keep peace until Odysseus returns she has to come up with a clever plan to keep the suitors from completely taking over. For almost 2 years Penelope was able to keep the suitors from getting out of hand by saying she will find someone to marry and replace Odysseus after she is d...
In the Odyssey, Telemachus, son of great hero Odysseus, who grows up in the world of greed and disrespect where the suitors take over his palace and court his mother, is one of the most significant character throughout the whole epic. His father, Odysseus, leaving the land Ithaca for 20 years, is the only warrior alive in Trojan war who hasn’t make his return home. During Telemachus’ expedition to search for the news of his father, he is under a process of maturation from the beginning in which he is mere a shadow of his father to the end in which he becomes more and more like him in terms of initiative, sensitivity and socialization.
The. " In disguise as an old friend of Odysseus', Athena travels to his manor in Ithaka, now overrun with noisy, lustful suitor's intent on marrying Odysseus' wife, Penelope. Odysseus' son, Telemakhos, unhappy among the suitors, greets Athena warmly as a stranger and invites her to their feast. As the suitors devour Odysseus' oxen, Telemakhos says he believes his father - whom he does not know at all - is dead. "(gradesaver.com/
If not for divine interference, neither Odysseus nor Telemachus would have journeys to make. The gods are first responsible for establishing the conditions under which the story begins. While the Greek soldiers had returned home from Troy, Odysseus remained trapped as “the brightest goddess, Calypso, held him in her hollow grottoes” because “she wanted him as a husband” (Homer, Odyssey 1.5, Translation by Allen Mandelbaum). Calypso traps Odysseus on her island of Ogygia and “keeps the sad Odysseus there—although he weeps. Her words are fond and fragrant, sweet and soft—so she would honey him to cast off his Ithaca” (1.7).
Odysseus and Telemachus have a special father and son relationship. Telemachus helps his father to redeem himself and to prove himself to his wife, Penelope. Telemachus hides gear for both of them and they go and kill off all of the suitors. Also Odysseus had to be a good father, I know that because Telemachus went to find Odysseus and risked his life for him. The Greeks love how his son loved him so much he risked his life.
The relationship between Odysseus and his wife Penelope is one of loyalty, love, and faith. Both characters are driven by these characteristics. Odysseus displays his loyalty in his constant battle to get home to his wife. This love helps him persevere through the many hardships that he encounters on his journey home. Odysseus spent 20 years trying to return to his home in Ithaca after the end of the Trojan War. Along the way he manages to offend both gods and mortals, but through his intelligence, and the guidance of Athena, he manages to finally return home. There he discovers that his home has been overrun by suitors attempting to win Penelope’s hand in marriage. The suitors believed that Odysseus was dead. Odysseus and his son, Telemachus,
In the epic, The Odyssey by Homer, Telemachus is the hero. A hero is someone who is responsible and grows and matures throughout time. Who knows who they are as a person and wants to do the best they can do every day. It is not about being strong and having super powers, it is about changing one self to become better. In the beginning, Telemachus is weak discourage and afraid to speak up to his mother and the suitors. He was a person who can be easily taken advantage of and one who was a disappointment especially since his father was Odysseus. But as he was on his journey to find his father, he started to experience, learn, and find him self in ways he never thought before. It was always in him but he never
The reader first finds the character of Telemachus sitting among the suitors in his father’s palace. This seemingly unimportant detail yields information regarding his temperament. The suitors, whom Homer portrays as malicious usurpers, continue to take advantage of Telemachus’ hospitality. Instead of defending his home, his mother, and his belongings from these men, Telemachus numbers among them. This lack of assertiveness displays his frailty and his helplessness given the overwhelming circumstances. At this point, Athena, disguised as Odysseus’ old friend Mentes, visits Telemachus in order to “inspire his heart with courage” (I.105). The two share a meal and engage in a lengthy conversation. The goddess discusses how Telemachus should handle the troublesome suitors and suggests a journey to try to ascertain the whereabouts of Odysseus. The conversation appears to immediately galvanize the young man’s resolve. In fact, immediately after her departure, he summons the courage to confront the suitors, demanding that they are to leave his house at once. The assertiveness that Telemachus displays in this instance is a dramatic departure from ...