Athena disguises herself and explains to Telemachos that she has heard that Odysseus is still alive and that Telemachos must journey to Pylos and Sparta to ask for any current news of his father. In addition, Athena advises young Telemachos to call an assembly with the suitors to announce that they are banished from his father’s estate. Telemachos indeed does call an assembly and steps into his father’s shoes to address the suitors. In the first assembly called since the departure of Odysseus, Telemachos expresses his discontent in the behavior of the suitors who have been eating his father’s food and constantly pursuing the courtship of Penelope instead of being a decent man and asking Penelope’s father for her hand in marriage. Even though the suitors suggest that Penelope be sent back to live with her father should she not choose a suitor, Telemachos does not ban his own mother but instead leaves on his journey to Sparta leaving his mother to defend her husband’s land in the presence of many suitors. This action shows …show more content…
The King and Queen happily welcome Telemachos into their home as they can recognize his relationship to Odysseus by his clear physical resemblance to him. In the household of King Menelaus, Telemachos is told the account of Odysseus and the Trojan horse. Odysseus cunningly dressed himself as a beggar to infiltrate Troy and brought through the Trojan horse, actually full of warriors ready to attack within the city’s walls. Further, this story adds to the character development and description of Odysseus as it portrays his masterful success. While Telemachos is in Sparta, Odysseus starts his ‘nostos’ or journey home. In ancient Greece, when a man of Odysseus’ high character leaves for war or to complete a heroic act he is expected to return home and earn his ‘nostos,’ which is the Greek word to express the honorable and proud return back to one’s own
Odysseus’ and Telemachus’ journeys or nostos were both very similar and different. They parallel each other in some ways but they are also completely different at other times. Telemachus starts as a younger, less mature boy, and without the presence of his father during his childhood, he becomes a timid, shy and spineless boy who is greatly pampered by his mother. He has even more to achieve, being the son of a world-famous father, and this is a very difficult reputation to live up to. His journey, and after that the killing of the suitors who took advantage of him really show how his journeys and problems throughout the book mature him from being a shy, timid boy into a mature man. Odysseus’ journey also taught him about many things which he had never really experienced before, including suffering, poverty, and other things of that nature. Telemachus and Odysseus have parallel, but different journeys, which drastically change them throughout the epic and they are influenced by many different forces, both human and supernatural. Telemachus matures into a man while Odysseus becomes more wise, and both journey through Greece in search of one another.
Through these voyages certain parallels are drawn concerning Odysseus and Telemachos: the physical journeys, the mental preparations they have produced, and the resulting change in emotional makeup. These play an immense role in the way the story is set up, due to the purpose of each character's journey, their personal challenges, and the difficulties that surround them.
However, when Athena comes to him in the form of Mentes, everything suddenly changes. Athena acts as a catalyst to propel Telemachus into the next stage of his life. This is where his adolescence truly begins. Telemachus now wants to be independent. It is possible that he wants to harvest his father's kleos and live up to the "Odysseus tradition" and the Odysseus name. Telemachus rebels against his mother, whom he thought he was supposed to protect, and mounts an expedition to go search for his father without telling her anythin...
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.
Telémakhos also has gained courage to call a meeting to confront the suitors. He tells the Akhaians to gather for the assembly: “My distinguished father is lost, who ruled among you once, mild as a father, and there is now this greater evil still: my home and all I have are being ruined. Mother wanted no suitors, but like a pack they came-…” (Od.2.49-54) He tells them of the burdens that the suitors have caused him and his mother, Penelope. He also tells the Akhaians of his plan to get rid of the suitors and find his father, Odysseus, thus helping Odysseus’ nostos. When first meeting Nestor, Telémakhos doubts his ability to say speeches but soon overcomes his fear and learns to speak to elders in a well-mannered way: “Nestor, pride of Akhaians, Neleus’ son, you ask where we are from, and I can tell you: our home port is under Mount Neion, Ithaka. We are not here on Ithakan business, though, but on my own. I want news of my father, Odysseus, known for his great heart and I will comb the wide world for it” (Od.3.86-92) This is important as it plays a role in displaying Telémakhos’ growth. He has learnt the important concept of giving speeches and can take care of himself with speech which in the ancient Greek world was
...lts of the insolent suitors in his own home. The anger of Odysseus is only matched by Telemachus whose restraint is forcefully elevated in order to hamper his new mature instinct of defending his father. Meanwhile, Odysseus is forced to couple this with control over holding his love, Penelope, in his arms. Yet, both characters are able to avoid the impediments and at last battle side by side against their foes.
Telemachus has many experiences on his journey to manhood. In Ithaca while Odysseus is gone Penelope is being plagued with suitors asking for her hand in marriage. Telemachus sees what a nuisance they are to his mother, and how much they are taking from his father’s palace. He wants to put a stop to this and comes to the conclusion that he must find his father, or at least some information
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.
It is interesting that Homer chose to start the Odyssey with the Telemachy (the first four books of the Odyssey) instead of starting the epic with Odysseus, who was the main character of the story and the character readers are familiar with. The Telemachy follow the wanderings of Odysseus' son Telemachos, a young, humble man who represented the new generation of men in Greece but was similar in character to his father. I believe that the important things we learn about the character of Telemachos in the first four books are that he is modest yet very similar to his father Odysseus, and I think Homer likely chose to start his epic with the Telemachy as a way to connect The Odyssey with The Iliad.
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.
While in Pylos, he stays with Nestor and Menelaos. They welcome him as a friend. This is how the ancient Greeks believed all people should act when a stranger graced their doorstep.. Nestor, an old friend of Odysseus, gives Telemachus information regarding Odysseus. When Telemachus then travels on to Sparta, he receives a warm welcome from the king and queen and learns that his father, Odysseus, is still alive. This gives Telemachus hope. Another example later in the story that finally results in Odysseus’ arrival home is the generosity and hospitality that the Phaeacians extend to him. After Odysseus tells the Phaeacians his story they sympathize with him and show him kindness. He is washed and given a new ship to continue sailing
In books 16-24, the Odyssey is reaching its climax and resolution. Telemachus heads to Eumaios’ hut, where he meets with the mysterious stranger (who is actually his father in disguise) (16.1-53). Eumaios tells Telemachus this man’s story and suggests for him to take this man back to the palace, but Telemachus is concerned what the suitors may try to do to him (16.55-89). Eumaios then leaves the hut to go tell Penelope that her son had returned safely, leaving both Telemachus and Odysseus alone (16.135-155). Athena then appears to Odysseus and calls him outside, and comes back inside, his disguise gone (16.156-178). After a tearful reunion with his son and recalling his trip with the Phaiakians, Odysseus plans to take the suitors by surprise,
He is released from Ogygia and permitted to return to Ithaca only by the command of Zeus, as delivered by Hermes. Telemachus, rather than being trapped physically, was detained emotionally, feeling helpless to repel the suitors wooing Penelope. Only through the motivation of the goddess Athena did Telemachus find the will and courage to embark in search of Odysseus.
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 ...
The first step towards getting Odysseus home is when Athena disguises herself as Mentes, who motivates Telemakhos to find his father and aide in his return. It is Athena’s revelation of divinity to Telemakhos that spurs his courage and determination that help him realize his dream of revenge. For at first, Telemakhos feels ...