Father-Son Relationships in the Oddysey Essay

Prince Telemachus of Ithaca was living in a world of greed and disrespect during his father's twenty-year hiatus. His father, King Odysseus, had set off to fight along with fellow Greeks in the Trojan War. After the war, all the Greeks who did not perish during the battles had made it back to their homelands, with the exception of Odysseus. During this time suitors had taken over Odysseus' palace and were courting his wife. It was time for Telemachus to take action against the crude suitors and become a mature adult. In "The Odyssey" by Homer, a young prince sets off to learn news about his father. At the same time Telemachus meets influential people who introduce him to a whole new world, which propels him to become a mature and

The Odyssey by Homer is an epic from Ancient Greece telling the tale of the great warrior Odysseus. It tells of Odysseus going to war and going through many trials to get back to his homeland, Ithaca. On Ithaca are his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. Throughout the epic, Odysseus faces many challenges and trials in order to get home to his family, and even after he finally does arrive. Through all of the trials, each being extremely difficult, he pushes on to reach his family. This shows there are definitely bonds in the families. Of these, one that is apparent upon multiple occasions is the bond between father and son. Of course, the only father and son relationship isn’t just between Odysseus and Telemachus. There are many other examples of this family relationship, such as Poseidon and Polyphemus. But not only does the father and son relationship play a large role in the Odyssey. All family relations in general play a surprisingly large part in the Odyssey. Throughout the entirety of the story, family appears to be a great stimulus to persevere through the problem, no matter how challenging or fearful. One extreme example is of course is Odysseus. He traveled for 20 years fighting to return to his family, through unimaginable danger and the loss of roughly three crews. Family also appears to cause extreme retaliation and revenge. A superb example is how Poseidon reacts after Odysseus and his crew blind his son, Polyphemus. Another grand example is when Odysseus

Odysseus and Telemakhos are both clear-headed, eloquent, and emotional. These are but three of the traits that they share. They both can keep their head clear in battle, and think quickly to get out of bad situations. They both are able to use their powerful speech to get things to go their way. Both also can become very emotional at times. This shows what a great impact a father has on his son. By setting a good example for Telemakhos, Odysseus guaranteed that Telemakhos would be just as great a man as he

Leaving Telemachus to grow up without a father. In book 16 it says, “Think of a man who’s dear and only son, born to him in exile, reared with labor, has lived ten years abroad and now returns; How would that man embrace his son!” (Homer, 16, 19-22). Odysseus left Telemachus without a father for many years while he was at sea. Which would probably cause tension and doubtfulness in Telemachus when his father return. Due to the fact his has been gone for so many years. Another example of the father-son conflict is when Odysseus confronts Telemachus after Athena changes his clothes, “‘No god. Why take me for a god? No, no. I am that father whom your boyhood lacked and suffered pain for lack of. I am he.’ Held back for too long, the tears an down his cheeks as he embraced his son... ‘You cannot be my father Odysseus...’” (Homer, 16, 77-84). Because Telemachus has never really been with his father because he has been gone for so many years, it would make sense that he has doubts wether this man that just showed up is his father. Why should Telemachus beleive this man that just showed up and claimed to be his father? After all the men that have tried to be with Penelope in Odysseus’ absence he has the common sense to think that maybe someone is playing a cruel trick on him to be with Penelope.

In the beginning of The Odyssey, Telemachus is not yet a man and not sure of himself yet. Embarking on a mission to find his father, he matures from a child to a strong, single-minded adult. Throughout the poem, Telemachus finds his place in the world and becomes a more well-rounded person. Although Telemachus never quite matches his father Odysseus in terms of wit, strength, agility, his resilience does develop throughout the text. In the epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, the young boy Telemachus changes from an insecure teen into a confident and poised young man as he travels the seas in search for his father, whose bravery and intelligence proves to be comparable to his own.

Father and son relationships in The Odyssey are very important. This novel tells us the story of the hero Odysseus and his journey back home after the Trojan War. His complications start after the fight when he is on his way back. On his journey home, he encounters multiple challenging obstacles. However, Odysseus and the gods are determined to get him back home to his son. In The Odyssey by Homer, we see the importance of father and son relationships between Poseidon and his son Polyphemus and Odysseus and his son Telemachus and we can see which aspects of the relationship that the Greeks valued.

    Long-tried royal Odysseus is tested for devotion and trust through the absence of his loved ones. His character can be seen through the actions and voice of his very own son Telemachus. Since Telemachus and Odysseus have been away from each other

Telemachus’s coming of age, however, is incomplete because he lacks the most important masculine influence: a father. He is unable to fully become a man without Odysseus present; he cannot kill the suitors on his own, and feels abandoned and weak without his father. He says of Odysseus, “He’s vanished, gone, and left me pain and sorrow...All of the nobles who rule the islands...are courting my mother and ruining our house. She refuses to make a marriage she hates but can’t stop it either” (Homer 8). The reason Telemachus’s life is so out of control is because his only parental figure is his mother, Penelope. The text portrays Penelope, untempered by the presence of a husband, as the cause of disorder in the home of Odysseus; she refuses to choose a husband, but is too weak to stop the suitors’ advances. A father figure, Odysseus, is needed to create order in young Telemachus’s life, because only a man can impose such order.

The foiling of father and son relationships is expressed heavily throughout the rest of The Odyssey. In accordance, the most prominent is the one between Odysseus and Telemachus. Odysseus reveal has been planned by Athena and

Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, a hero to many, a wife, a father, and a leader. He has done amazing things in his life. Odysseus faces adversity many times trying to come home from the trojan war. He would do anything to come home and be with his wife and son which shows how the relationships in his life matter to him. Odysseus lived a fulfilling life because he had positive relationships, was intelligent, and brave.

As Odysseus travels from one Greek city to the next, the native citizens inquire about his identity and family. Although Odysseus has not seen his native land in twenty years, he defines himself as the product of family: either the son of Laertes or the father of Telemachus. Odysseus is treated like family in the foreign lands he visits. Telemachus embarks on an adventure of his own and is accepted by Nestor and Menelaus, especially because his father suffered through the Trojan War along with the two kings. Family is at the heart of decisions, central in society, creates a frame of reference for individual members of society, and is a source of learning. Family, the central theme in The Odyssey, connects individuals, cities, and gods to one another and is a driving force in decisions and emotional reactions.

The Odyssey is a Greek epic poem written by Homer featuring Odysseus, king of Ithaca, as its protagonist. In the story, Odysseus is summoned to fight in a war by another king, so he leaves home after his wife, Penelope, had given birth to their son Telemachus, without knowing that it will be a matter of decades before he sees them again. After winning the war, Odysseus morals are put to the test, during his journey home, by monsters with bloodlusts, enticing goddesses, and a cunning crew. Through all the challenges he faced, Odysseus had proved to be loyal to his wife and his men, soft-hearted, but sometimes he acts a bit childish.

When sons think about growing up and becoming adults, their fathers are their perfect role models. A son wants to have the same job as his father, have the same personality, and be able to impress his father to the best of his ability. When a father is absent from his son’s childhood, the son may try to live up to the stories he hears about his dad, while in other cases, the son may try to avoid any thought of how his father is portrayed. Without a father, a child often seeks out mentors to compensate for the lack of guidance. In The Odyssey, Telemachus grows up hearing stories about his father. His mother, Penelope, and servants in the palace build an image, in Telemachus’ mind, that his father, Odysseus, is a great fighter and hero. With the help of a goddess and mentor, Athena, Telemachus aspires to impress his father by becoming the man he thinks Odysseus would want him to be. Holden, on the other hand, does not have a great relationship with his father. After Holden’s brother, Allie, dies, Holden is sent away to boarding school and learns how to grow up on his own. Unlike Telemachus who hopes to someday join forces with his father, Holden wants nothing to do with his father. Telemachus and Holden both look to adults for the guidance they do not receive from their absent fathers, but while Athena helps Telemachus become a confident, brave man, like his father, Holden fails to find a mentor who can help him become the bravely non-conformist man he’d like to be; unlike The

Sons in Ancient Greece were responsible for sustaining the family reputation and continuing the patriarchal characteristics of their fathers. In Greek literature, this role is a major theme in many texts. In The Odyssey, by Homer, Telechamascus strives for his father’s approval, while protecting his father’s status. However, in Aristophanes’ Clouds, this goal is not as appealing to Pheidippides as he clearly shows by disrespecting his father throughout the play.

The Odyssey is known to be a one of the greatest epic poems written during the 8th century BC Homer’s epic poem contains stories about Odysseus journey of returning home. However, it is not just about Odysseus’s journey back home but, his son Telemachus who finds out that his father is alive and in order for Telemachus to find his father. He must develop himself to become like his father because his father is known for being a man who is cunning, strong, well crafted, and responsible. In book 2 of the Odyssey, Homer illustrates Telemachus coming age by using imagery of violence, change in his diction, and simile portraying how he is maturing and developing himself to become like his father.