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Description of Telemachus in the Odyssey
Telemachus in the Odyssey
How does telemachus develop in the odyssey
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Odyssey
Perparim Daku
English 12
Gina Miller
“There is nothing more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.”
― Homer, The Odyssey.
“Odyssey"- by Homer starts with the main character Odyssey. Unlike all heroes that have special powers or skills Odysseus is none of them. His only special strength is to string the bow that he created and anyone who can string that bow will marry his wife Penelope after his death. Love is a major key role in these books because its love for his country that makes Odysseus leave his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Odysseus starts as a warrior that has to go and fight for his country thus leaving his
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kingdom and family behind. The relationship between Odysseus and Penelope is a significant representation of love in “Odyssey”-by Homer. Even though Odysseus has been gone away for twenty years his love for his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus has never been vanished. It is exactly love that gives him strength to move forward and overcome all the hardships during his journey. Another significant representation of love is the loyalty of his wife Penelope, who she waits for his return. Their marriage illustrates the theme of love. Besides Penelope who awaits for his return another significant theme of love is the relationship between father and son.
Telemachus who was an infant when Odysseus left now he has become a man and decides to leave Ithaca in order to find any evidence or knowledge about his father. He is a non experienced warrior that starts this journey in the love he has for his father. Although they never meet, their love is strong and keeps them moving forward. Even though Odysseus is at war he has never stopped thinking about his only son. On other hand Telemachus in a lack of a father figure decides to start his journey and find knowledge about his father whereabouts, hoping that he is still alive. This relationship between these two shows us how love can make us stronger and help us move …show more content…
forward. Another example of love and loyalty is the seductress of Circe and Calypso whose love becomes an obstacle for Odysseus to return back home to his wife. The sirens that threatens to lead man astray with their lovely voice and Penelope in other side get the suitors to give her gifts claiming that she will marry the person that gives her the best gifts. Hospitality also plays a huge role in Odyssey.
The theme of hospitality is mentioned several time in the books. It is an important tradition in ancient greeks that every homeowner shows hospitality and every guest expects it. Same in “Odyssey” when Odysseus is in Polyphemus cave and he knows he's about to face death he expect Polyphemus to show some hospitality to him cause he is a guest at his home. Odysseus says, "So you ask the name I'm known by Cyclops? I will tell you. But you must give me the guest gift you've promised" (222-223). That shows us that Odysseus doesn't care about what will follow but he demands some hospitality to be shown to him. It is more like a tradition as far i i could understand. We have another case of hospitality when Athena goes to Telemachus for the first time. After she enters the house firstly she gets greeted and then she is sat down where she would be served by one of the
maids. Hospitality to please the gods is shown through the drinks given to the gods before every feast. it is also shown when Telemachus and Athena go to King Nestor's palace “Say a prayer to lord Poseidon, stranger, his is the feast you’ve found on your arrival.” (pg 108)Hospitality is believed to please the gods and how Athena disguises herself and helps Telemachus and Odysseus on their journeys home. In my opinion hospitality after reading the book seems like it was more like a tradition for the greeks passed down from father to son and it was set up to promote peace amongst people and cities. Vengeance is another prominent theme in “Odyssey”. Poseidon and Odysseus are the best example of vengeance in The Odyssey. When Odysseus visits the Polyphemus(Cyclops) cave he faces death and in order to escape he blinds the one eye giant. Therefore pissing off Poseidon the god of sea, father of Polyphemus. Even though Poseidon is really mad on Odysseus for blinding his son he can not really do anything about it as the fate has determined that he will make it home. All Poseidon wants is some knowledge for him as god of sea and for Odysseus and other people to give him the importance of god. On other hand Poseidon takes his frustration(vengeance) of Phaeacians who followed the tradition of hospitality and helped Odysseus sail home. Odysseus revenge on the suitors who took his place as king of Ithaca was another big important part of The Odyssey. He is being shown as very patient person as he endures in disguise the betrayal of his loyal servants and the attack of the suitors in his place. As Telemachus reaches Eumaeus's hut, he sees Eumaeus talking to a stranger which he later finds out it was his father who has been gone away for twenty years. After finding out that the person in disguise was his father Telemachus was briefing Odysseus about the changes that had been going on in his house on his behalf.Therefore they both came up with a plan. Telemachus and the stranger go back in Ithaca where Odysseus disguised as a beggar by Athena, sits down on the hall and was humiliated by suitors. Telemachus asks his servants to feed and treat good the beggar as he saved his life. Eurycleia(servant) while washing Odysseus feet she recognizes a scar on his feet that he had received in boar hunting. Penelope approaches the beggars as she was informed that the beggar had information on Odysseus. The beggar(Odysseus) told Penelope he had meet Odysseus and told her his bravery in battle. Penelope unaware of his identity she begins to cry. She went to the suitors and told them that whoever could string Odysseus's bow and shoot an arrow through 12 axe-handles would marry her. It was a perfect place for the suitors to gather all of them and it was to Odysseus advantage as only him could string the bow. The suitors tried to string the bow but the were unsuccessful therefore leaving Odysseus disguised as a beggar to try it. HE takes the bow strings it and shoots the arrow through all twelve axes. After that his identity was finally revealed and the disguise was gone. Antinous(one of the suitors) was the first to get killed as he gets an arrow fired in his throat. With the help of Eumaeus and Telemachus he slaughtered all the suitors while drinking in the great hall. First he used the arrows till he ran short and had to use spears for the remaining suitors.Finally after all the suitors were dead he gathers all the non-loyal servants(maids) and kills the, as well. Conclusion: “The Odyssey”-Homer its mostly about these three themes that you read above. It explains the love and loyalty of him to his family as well otherwise. The hospitality he receives along his way that helps him on his journey home. And finally Homer explains the vengeance of Odysseus agains the suitors who had took his place as king of Ithaca and tried to marry his loyal wife Penelope. In my opinion it’s more like a story about how these three major themes defines who you are as a person and during these rough times and hardships on your way helps you realize who you can trust. How love beats everything and makes you more and more stronger therefore helping you move forward no matter the obstacles that are in your way.
Over their travels in the epic The Odyssey, both Odysseus’ and his son Telemachus’ adventures were parallel but at the same time different. These travels led them both to grow and change drastically, and both learned some very important life lessons over the course of this epic.
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.
Throughout the last books of The Odyssey Homer tells us how Odysseus restores his relationships with his friends and relatives at Ithaca. Perhaps one of the most revealing of these restoration episodes is Odysseus' re-encounter with his son, Telemachus. This re-encounter serves three main purposes. First, it serves to portray Telemachus' likeness to his father in the virtues of prudence, humility, patience, and planning. Secondly, it is Odysseus' chance to teach his son to be as great a ruler as Odysseus himself is. Lastly, Homer uses this re-encounter to emphasize the importance of a family structure to a society. To be able to understand the impact that this meeting had on Odysseus it is necessary to see that Telemachus has grown since his first appearances in the poem and obviously since his last contact with his father; Odysseus left Telemachus as an infant now their relationship is a man to man relationship rather than a man to child relationship.
All throughout The Odyssey there are scenes of good and bad, xenia, or hospitality. It can be seen that hospitality is extremely important in the Greek culture, both how someone treats their guests and how the guests treat the host. A closer look chronologically into the good, then bad examples will show how one acts affects the actions that are brought upon them when they either follow or disobey Zeus' Law. Right at the beginning of The Odyssey, the reader is shown the hospitality that Telemachus has. Athena arrives, disguised, and he invites her into his home by saying: "'Greetings, stranger!
Telemachus and Pisistratus arrive at Sparta. When they arrive Menelaus is hosting a double wedding feast for his son and daughter. Then, Menelaus serves Telemachus and Pisistratus food. Telemachus is amazed by Menelaus of how he takes care of the palace. Menelaus tells him a story that he has been wandering the sea for seven years and discovered that his brother Agamemnon was murdered. He also shared Telemachus that he lost a lot of friends during the Trojan war. He was deeply sudden with all these discoveries and realizes that it is better to stay home with his family and with his people by living honorably in Sparta. That is why the city of Sparta is well take care of because of his stay and ruling. Menelaus is satisfied with his city. Then, Menelaus talked about Odysseus and how he misses him so much and Telemachus cries. The room was quiet then Helen, Menelaus’s wife walks
Telemachos has not seen his father since he was just a baby. He has had to grow up and live the first Twenty years of his life with out a father. Through these years Telemachos grows and develops a lot but I think the most growing when he begins to look for Odysseus.
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 Greek value of hospitality is exhibited in The Odyssey by Odysseus and Penelope. Odysseus and his hungry men entered an unfamiliar cave, which was home to the Cyclops. Once the Cyclops saw the men he asked why they are there, and in Odysseus's explanation he mentions “It was our luck to come here; here we stand beholden for your help, or any gifts you give-as custom is it to honor strangers” (line 194). Odysseus is tried to convince the cyclops to let him and his men live by using the Greek value of hospitality. He wants the Cyclops to view him as a guest, not food. To Odysseus it was second nature to help out a guest or person in need. While Penelope was speaking to the suitors she noted “Here is a poor man come, a wanderer, driven by want to beg his bread, and everyone in hall gave bits, to cram his bag” (line 1116). She shamed Antinous for not helping the man, because in Ithaca its is accustomed to provide the hungry and poor with food. The fact that Antinous “threw a stool” at Odysseus, and “banged his shoulder” appalled Penelope. The thought of doing such a thing was unheard of to Penelope since hospitality is a part of her way of life along with all other Greeks. The people of Ithaca from The Odyssey a...
The Odyssey is a tale that has changed literature and storytelling. In this tale Odysseus is a Soldier from the battle of Troy trying to get home to his island of Ithaca, where he is king. His wife and son must wait ten years while he is trying to make his way home. In Odysseus’s absence wooer’s, or better known as suitors, learn of his absence and travel to Ithaca to win his wife’s hand in marriage. These men come every day feasting on Odysseus’s food and wine, and give his servant’s orders. His son Telemachus, does his best to keep the suitors from ruining his fathers house but he is only a boy, and doesn’t receive the respect of an adult. Telemachus then has a visit from the god Athena, whom Odysseus is friends with, who advises him to travel to find out about his father. In his travels he hears that Odysseus may still be alive. Meanwhile Odysseus goes through a series of adventures and hardships that prove his wisdom. It is interesting in contrast of the Iliad, even though Achilles was much stronger and a better warrior, Odysseus was portrayed as a greater hero due to his wisdom. He uses this wisdom to escape from the Cyclops.
The relationship between Odysseus and Telemakhos is a blind love. That is because they never really got to know each other because Odysseus has been gone for most of Telemakhos’ life. One example of this blind love is when Odysseus hears about how the suitors are mistreating and stealing from Telemakhos. Odysseus gets so irate that he was then even more determined than ever, to return to his family. Telemakhos also exhibits the same kind of blind love towards his father. Even though people have told him that his father was dead, he never believed it. He felt that his father was alive and was willing to sacrifice his life to prove it. Telemakhos was inexperienced at directing a boat, but he was willing to try because he felt something inside of him that gave him the strength to go on. Thus, this relationship between Odysseus and Telemakhos gave both of them the courage to overcome the hardships ahead of them.
The Odyssey also illustrates other relationships where love is of great importance – one of the most emphasized is the father-son relationship between Odysseus and Telemachos. This relationship is a little awkward because they both never really got to know each other but they still care for each other's well being. When Odysseus hears of all the suitors devouring Telemachos's future fortune and mistreating him, he wants to return and revenge the misuse of his family and property. Odysseus, like any parent, also misses his only child while he is at war. Telemachos on the contrary also displays a lot of love for his father. Telemachos leaves Ithaca, nexperienced, to find any knowledge of his father in hope that he is still alive. Telemachos through out most of his life has lacked a father figure and desperately needs that special help and guidance from Odysseus as he becomes a man. Their relationship seems to show how love can give you the strength to carry on.
...sniveling coward who would faint at the sight of blood, or worse yet, a traitor who would warn the suitors of Odysseus' plans. Apparently, Odysseus believes that since Telemachus was his son that was a good enough reason to trust him. (jackhdavid)” This quote shows how that even though Telemachus didn’t know his father, right when he found out who he was, he loved him automatically like if he knew him for years and stood by his side to do anything he needed to make Ithaca better for his family and his people. This father-son relationship is different than any other, they actually spend more time apart than they do together, and it is through distance that they develop respect and love for one another.
Telemachus had the nerve and the passion to sail the unpredictable sea to find his father which challenged himself to grow. He was ready to make a difference in his life and bring back peace to Ithaca. To prove to the suitors what he can do and show them that he might not be as what people always thought he
In Homer’s epic poem Odyssey, Telemachus learns how to mature from a young boy to a wise man with Athena’s help. Telemachus was a boy who did not know how to do anything. “Long before anyone else, the prince Telemachus now caught sight of Athena-for he, too, was sitting there, unhappy among the suitors, a boy, daydreaming. What if his great father came from the unknown world and drove these men like dead leaves through the place,” (Line 18-23). Telemachus is wanting his daddy to come and make all these disgusting men leave. He is just too immature and young to realize that he can try. If he had a good model who he is able to follow and learn from, he would have been a great prince. But since there is not a single person he can look up to, Telemachus
Hospitality was very important to the Ancient Greeks and played a major role in Odysseus’ epic journey; both positive and negative for Odysseus. One of the first examples of hospitality is after Odysseus’ raft was destroyed by Poseidon. Odysseus eventually washed up on a beach and was “Found by the daughter of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians. That evening he is a guest at court.” (895). The Phaeacians still believe in the importance of hospitality and show that when they honor a complete stranger and treat him to a feast; however, there is reason behind this. They want to make sure that he is not a god testing them. The Phaeacians hospitality got Odysseus back on his feet after being shipwrecked, and possibly saved his life, too. Later, when Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, he is treated with honor as a guest again.