Telemachus 2001: Space Odyssey

Telemachus is the son of Odysseus and Penelope in the Odyssey. He was raised without a father and this caused him not to have a strong male example in his life. He was forced to mature into a man on his own and become the man his father was. Telemachus is required to figure out ways to be honorable on his own and this causes him to have a deeper responsibility than the normal man of his age. In Telemachus’ life, he is able to mature into an adult man capable of making virtuous decisions and acting with the honor that is required of a virtuous man of the Greek world and Christian world.

In The Odyssey, the reader is easily able to distinguish that Odysseus is a hero in the story. He is a god-like figure. Odysseus’s wife, Penelope, is a hero and seen by many readers as such especially females. Both possess characteristics of heroes and they deserve to be considered such but that does not mean that they are the true hero of the story. Their son Telemachus is the true hero in The Odyssey. The reader should be able to identify with him the most and realize everything that has happened in his life and he deals with it with extreme heroism. He handles the situation in his life the way every human being should.

  The Odyssey was a great book in which many characters were brought out and developed.  The most significant development that occured in the epic was the development of Telemachus.  Telemachus is a very complex character that Homer develops from beginning to end.  From the beginning when is a mere shadow of his father to near the end in which he is considered just as courageous.  Many factors influence Telemachus as he matures into a man.

Telemachus’s transition to manhood, according to the story, must include his defeat of the suitors and restoration of control over his household.

Telemachus, in the Odyssey by Homer, is a young man who has disregarded his responsibilities as a god and son. He is to take on the land that his father, Odysseus, left behind when he supposedly died after the journey back from the Trojan War. He learns later on that his father may not even be dead, and that he may be captured by the people of Calypso. Soon as he hears the news, Telemachus begins to recognize his obligation and then accepts the qualities it takes to become a hero that the people of Ithaca and other countries are looking for. He also learns about gaining respect from these countries takes treating others with admiration. Close to the end of Book IV, the audience sees a character who has taking initiative in his life, shifting towards maturity, and

Telemachus, son of Odysseus and Penelope, and Prince of Ithaca, goes through many emotional stages, which in the end have a positive effect on him. In the beginning, Telemachus is trudging along each day, wondering about his father, all the while being surrounded by greedy suitors. These suitors want nothing more than to bring him down, wed his mother, and become the next King of Ithaca.

Homer, in his epic The Odyssey shows, Telemachus, son of the great Odysseus on a journey to manhood, honoring the greek value of revenge and showing appreciation and pride as he protects his father’s honor. In order to be considered a real man in traditional Greek culture, one must have complete confidence in one’s identity and uphold one’s status with strength and dignity. Telemachus is becoming a man, but finds himself lost in the dark, due to his father being away at war for his entire life. Therefore, he has had no guidance on how to become a man of worth and values. When Telemachus is first introduced, the reader may perceive him as a passive middle age man with no sense of authority.

The epic poem The Odyssey is an intriguing story about a determined and witty man Odysseus who is on a journey back home to his island Ithaca to his wife and son, who he has not seen for twenty miserable years. There are a few detrimental characters in this tale, and Telemachus is one of them. This prince goes on his own journey of becoming a man. He transitions from a doubting, push-over, child-like being, to a fighting, independent-thinking man. But why was Telemachus not always this strong beast of a Man before his father’s arrival?

The first section of Homer’s “The Odyssey” introduces the reader to a character essential to the development of the plot: Telemachus. Having grown up without a father, Telemachus is weak and cowardly. His father left when he was a baby to fight in the Trojan War and had not yet returned. His mother was besieged by suitors and Telemachus was too weak to take control.

(book#: 22 line#: 375, 377) As soon as he realized someone who doesn’t deserve the pain, Telemachus stood up and showed his big heart but also showed his weakness. No matter how hard you try and show you’re brave, strong, and confident you still have a weakness or something that makes you stop and think and that signs of humanity. Undoubtedly Telemachus is a brave man but sometimes things stop him from being his full

Eumaeus welcomed Odysseus into his home; the audience sees right away that Eumaeus respects custom. Eumaeus misses Odysseus and explains that “longing for him, him that wrings [his] heart”(14.167). He has remained very loyal to Odysseus, and has therefore grown to hate the suitors. From what Eumaeus has explained, Penelope’s loyalty is emphasized since she has ignored the ignorant suitors. They are all waiting for him to come home which he now realizes since his absence is truly affecting everyone in his life.

Through modern culture, most people are familiar with the whole storyline of The Odyssey. Odysseus leaves Troy and embarks on an epic journey filled with adventure and fantasy. However, most readers are unaware that there are actually two journeys that are unfolding simultaneously throughout Homer’s epic. Telemachus’ journey greatly differs from that of his father, Odysseus. While it might not be filled with as much adrenaline and adventure as his father‘s journey, Telemachus’ quest is certainly one that should be noted. It is the story of his coming-of-age. Telemachus greatly matures into a more capable young man. However it is debatable if he will every become the man that his father is.

Penelope, a Mother and Father Imagine if your husband left you right after the birth of your baby and never came back until 20 years after, resulting in you having to take care of the child for many years. Would you try to take in the role of a father and mother or hide away in your room, ignoring your child? In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, the main character has to leave his wife, Penelope, and son as he fights in The Trojan War. Penelope has to take care of the son, Telemachus, for 20 years while waiting for Odysseus to come back.

Throughout the course of Homer’s epic The Odyssey, Odysseus and his son Telémakhos both share a passion for each other and courage, yet also differ in that Odysseus has a seemingly higher intellect and is not as careless as his child. The term “Like father, like son” paints an accurate portrayal of the relationship between Odysseus and Telémakhos. The devotion they have for glory and their family is shown constantly. They also share a distain for the suitors that have invaded their home. However, Telémakhos lacks his father’s wit and cunning and is prone to mistakes, showing that he is yet to develop fully as an adult. Their relationship is still a very strong one though, because as soon as Telémakhos realizes the beggar’s true identity,

How brave the explorers of old were. How brave they were to sail into the unknown. How brave they were to risk falling off the edge of the world. How brave they were to risk death, or quite possibly something worse, all to satiate their lust for knowledge. They wanted to learn. They wanted to teach. They wanted to actually benefit humanity.