Telemachus Role Model Essay

For majority of our lives, we feel as though we must follow in our parents’ footsteps and live up to their expectations. Although we have the perfect role models to complete the job, it is still very difficult. Telemachus is the son of Odysseus who is a very strong and courageous warrior. At the beginning of the epic, Odysseus is not yet home from the Trojan War and his palace is being ran by suitors. His son, Telemachus, can merely only watch while he lacks the confidence and strength of his father. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, comes disguised as a friend of Odysseus, and gets Telemachus to take the first step on the journey of finding his father and becoming a man.

Before the start of Telemachus’ journey, he still is not highly respected

by some of the suitors. In the scene during his speech to the people in the estate, we witness the first person to take notice of his growth. One of the elderly’s mention this is the first speech since Odysseus has been gone, and it nice to see the young man finally take control of what is rightfully his. He goes on to declare that the house is his, and he hold the reins of power (1:414). His new-found confidence does not go unnoticed by his mother either who he fails to comfort after she hears the bard’s song (1:410).
Athena uses a different disguise to connect with Telemachus to be his guide on his journey.

She does the impossible and get him to come out of his shell and talk to extraordinary leaders. Nestor, the city’s king, reveals a lot of information to Telemachus about the war his father fought in and the people he fought with. Nestor is the second character we witness to speak confidence into Telemachus’ life. As he travels, Telemachus hears more stories about his father’s journey and a young man, Orestes, who was in similar situation as himself. These stories spark a fire in Telemachus to develop his true identity and blossom into a true warrior’s

son.
As the epic reaches its climax, Telemachus and Odysseus meet for the first time. After the emotional reunion, the two set a plan in place to take back over the estate. This shows tremendous growth in Telemachus’ character because at the beginning Athena was doing most of the thinking and planning for his character. Together, Telemachus and Odysseus take down the suitors in a bloody battle. During the battle, Odysseus tells Telemachus to kill a suitor a certain way, but he instead kills him differently showcasing his growth as a warrior. To the readers, the battle is the last step in Telemachus growth chart, and it ends in great fashion.
In “The Odyssey”, Telemachus wins the ultimate war that many of us are fighting on a daily basis.

We all have a tough time uncovering our true purpose and identity. It takes the right circumstances to push us to the edge and help us discover our true power. Telemachus also won the approval of his father and many others in his metaphorical journey. He accomplished something that many of us spend a lifetime trying to accomplish. At the end of the journey, we no longer see the scared young man who was once afraid to speak up for himself and his mother, but we now see a strong, confident warrior who is now prepared to take on whatever else life hands to him. In a way, we all hope to complete the same amount of change and growth as Telemachus as we take on our on journey of

life.
Nature, in a certain context, can be defined as heredity characteristics that shape one’s personality. Nurture is promoting the growth of someone. For the longest, the two terms have sparked a huge debate based on which has the greatest impact on a person. Do shared hereditary factors among a family dictate a person life? Does one’s associates dictate their daily actions? According to McLeod, the nature-nurture debates correlate with the factors that both contribute to human behavior. This debate is an undercover theme The Odyssey, and it shows in the growth of Telemachus.
According to “nature”, Telemachus is without a doubt a strong and courageous warrior. His father is one, so it is only right for him to share these same characteristics. The only issue is he is not entirely sure how to active these traits. This is where “nurture” failed him. His father had been gone for much of his life. There was no one around to show him the way of the warrior. This plays a huge part in Telemachus’ true identity. For years, he is very unsure of himself until he starts his journey. Along the way, his identity is uncovered not discovered. He grows more confident in his capabilities. He finally proves himself as the son of Odysseus. “The Odyssey” does not prove the argument of nature versus nurture right or wrong, but it does prove that we grow and develop more during adversity and hardships.