The Identity Of Telemachus In Homer's Odyssey

The epic poem The Odyssey by Homer revolves around journeys of discovery. The plot concerns itself not only with conflicts between characters but also with their desires and goals. This idea holds true for Telemachus, the prince of Ithaca and son of Odysseus. Wanting to rid his house of suitors in his father’s absence, Telemachus turns to the sea in search of answers. On this voyage, Telemachus’ experiences build the foundation for his coming of age. Over the four books that comprise “The Telemachy,” the prince, Telemachus, starts to embody his father’s valiant and crafty ways and advance towards independence, due to a combination of Athena’s assistance and opportune circumstances.

At the epic’s beginning, Telemachus hardly deserves the title

of prince, requiring divine assistance on nearly every conflict.

In many situations throughout Book One, he struggles to take the initiative or generate confidence. When Athena asks Telemachus about his father, he struggles to conjure a substantive response: “ ‘I am not so certain … / since you ask me, yes, they say I am his son’ ” (1.247-255). Homer conveys Telemachus’ uncertainty about his own identity and highlights many of the subtleties in his character. Faced with a question, Telemachus evades it for a while before providing an answer, which in itself lacks confidence; he attributes the answer to other people instead of himself. One can glean from this passage that Telemachus does not have the poise usually present in leaders. His answer showcases his youth and lack of responsibility - qualities unbecoming of a prince. Athena keenly picks up on these qualities and mentions them in a subsequent speech. While offering Telemachus advice, Athena pleads him to “ ‘take [her]

words to heart’ ” and reminds him that he “ ‘must not cling to [his] boyhood any longer / it’s time [he was] a man’ ” (1.313, 341-342). Athena convinces Telemachus to undergo change by calling out his lack of manliness and suggesting that his period of boyhood is just about finished. Her speech mobilizes Telemachus, kickstarting his emotional and mental maturation in a way no mortal could do. This emphasizes that Telemachus needs large amounts of assistance in his endeavours; the plan Athena sets makes Telemachus’ job much easier, for he only has to follow the path instead of creating his own. However, his ineptitude in this book only sets him up to improve greatly in the next three.
As the plot develops, Telemachus shows signs of leadership, albeit only when guided by Athena.

Before leaving on his voyage, Telemachus holds a town gathering where he attempts to negotiate with the suitors. After debating with them in assembly, Telemachus proceeds to the beach and immediately “pray[s] to Pallas,” referring to his adversaries as “pernicious bullies [who] foil each move [he] makes” (2.295-299). Despite holding off the suitors by himself during assembly, Telemachus cries out to Athena afterwards for assistance, proving that Telemachus still leans heavily on mentor figures. He feels persecuted by the suitors even though they are around his age. Instead of processing how the suitors countered his actions and possibly finding a solution on his own, Telemachus throws his troubles out into the heavens, passing off his troubles once more for another to solve. However, he redeems himself slightly later on in the book by learning to take charge. When he and Athena board the ship for a voyage to Pylos and Sparta, “Telemachus shout[s] out commands to all his shipmates” (2.463-464). Even though Athena, for the most part, convinces Telemachus to sail on a voyage, he finally experiences the taste of actually commanding a crew firsthand. This emphasizes a marked difference between Telemachus of the first book despite such a short amount of time passing. Athena manages to work the situation perfectly so that Telemachus can undergo a relatively large amount of maturation in

twenty-four hours. Now, Telemachus has a mission and commands a crew, two things that he had no intention of doing twenty-four hours ago. Only Athena’s guidance makes this possible.
On the first leg of Telemachus’ voyage, Telemachus experiences many opportunities for growth, both with and without Athena’s help (Make more of an argument here; revise). Initially, Telemachus appears to lose what little valor he gained over the past three books. When the prince and his men reach Pylos, “Telemachus climb[s] out last / and the bright-eyed goddess urge[s] the prince along” (3.14-15). Once more, Telemachus wilts in the face of adversity. Even though he has helped organize a crew and stave off suitors, Telemachus shows lethargy in simply getting out of the ship. Because of this, Athena continues to encourage him and prepare him for the task at hand. This pays dividends, for Telemachus handles the situation very well in Athena’s absence. After Athena leaves, Neleus’ daughter Polycaste “bath[es] Telemachus” and he steps “out of his bath … glistening like a god” (3.522, 525). Now, Telemachus achieves godlike splendor after Athena has left. For the first time, Telemachus does well for himself without having to ask how to act to achieve it. This opportunity is yet another fruit of Telemachus’ and Athena’s labor. All of Athena’s effort spent doing work for Telemachus begins to pay dividends. Through learning by example, Telemachus starts to act autonomously - an important part of growing up.
During Telemachus’s stay with King Menelaus, he begins to exhibit his father’s witty and authoritative ways, embarking on an earnest path to true adulthood. Telemachus converses with the king as best as he can. In response to Menelaus’ inquiry concerning the quest, Telemachus replies “with all the poise he [has],” attempting to promote his cause (4.352). Homer’s wording illustrates that Telemachus acts as grandly as his experience allows him to. He makes his own decisions without requiring a mentor for support, which is the crux of coming of age. Telemachus isn’t nearly close to true courage or manhood yet, but his actions in this scene show how far he has progressed, something that Menelaus notices. After Menelaus recounts his travels, he notes Telemachus’ newly developed qualities. As a result, he acquiesces to Telemachus’ request to leave sooner: “ ‘Good blood runs in you, dear boy, your words are proof’ ” (4.688). King Menelaus shrewdly acknowledges the poise and intelligence Telemachus shares with his father while still recognizing Telemachus’ youth. Despite Telemachus’ great strides in development during his voyage, he still is a long way from adulthood. Nevertheless, his actions in this book are still significant. In Telemachus’ final stop, he finally achieves the beginnings of maturity: acting bravely and independently.
The Odyssey appears to simply reference Odysseus’ homeward journey. In truth, the title has two prongs to it; the opening four books make it clear that Telemachus’ development is its own odyssey. In learning audacity and self-reliance, Telemachus awakens his father’s spirit inside himself. By the conclusion of “The Telemachy,” Odysseus is not only present on the island of Ogygia; he resides within the heart of his son. Telemachus’ actions throughout the four books prove that his father’s boldness and cunning live on in him. Through searching for his father by developing himself, Telemachus adds the perfect complement to Odysseus’ side of the story. “The Telemachy” provides a fitting lead-in to the main part of The Odyssey, describing a smaller, but equally important, odyssey: an apt tale for the young man of twists and turns.