Telemachus In The Odyssey

Telemachus was the son of Odysseus, mighty king of Ithaca and hero of Athena. Telemachus was a mere infant when Odysseus set sail for Troy where he helped to conquer the Trojans and retrieve Menelaus’ wife Helen. Despite emerging victorious from the Trojan war, Odysseus hadn't succeeded in returning home to Ithaca, and so twenty-one years after his departure for Troy, his family and kingdom believed him to be dead. Telemachus had lived his entire life without his father and as the Odyssey begins, although twenty-one years of age, Telemachus seems to be a child and not a powerful young man. Telemachus was first portrayed as a somber young lad who's heart was stricken with grief for the loss of his father. He was daydreaming and keeping to himself

  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.

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.

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

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 since the first four books are dedicated to him. It is the story of Telemachus’ coming-of-age as he matures into a more capable young man. However, it is debatable if he will ever become the man that Odysseus is.

In Homers epic poem The Odyssey, Telemachus transformed from being a young boy to a strong young man by growing older becoming stronger, braver, and a betterman. This transformation is just as important to the Odyssey as Odysseus.

When Telemachus is talking to Menelaus, Menelaus invites Telemachus to stay at his palace with him. However, Telemachus doesn’t really want to stay with Menelaus so he summons “up his newfound tact” and persuades Menelaus to let him continue on him journey. Telemachus becoming more tactful shows that he has become more thoughtful throughout his journey and he learns to think before he speaks. In addition, Menelaus causes Telemachus to cry as a result of mentioning his family which shows the strong familial love Telemachus has for his family. “Such memories / stirred in the young prince a deep desire to grieve / for Odysseus.

The epic, The Odyssey by Homer begins in medias res, meaning in the midst of things, creating a sense of urgency. The scene that is set in the first several books is quite chaotic; Odysseus has not returned to his estate since the end of the Trojan War and since then suitors have presented themselves to Odysseus’s wife, Penelope. Telemachus is essentially the main character in the first four books since the theme of the first books is his struggles to take control of the chaotic situation in his home. Telemachus has called an assembly to plea with the elder people of the community to drive the suitors out of the estate of his father. With the guidance of Athena and the chaotic scene that his home is in Telemachus is driven to mature into a strong young man that resembles his father.

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?

He couldn't have know his father, a true man, would be gone so long, yet he begins to find his way in the “Telemachia” of the Odyssey by Homer. The disrespectful behavior and boorish characteristics of the suitors provide a critical contrast to the ideal Greek values of “xenia”, good public speaking , and respect for the elders and superiors that Telemachus develops throughout the epic as he travels to Pylos and Sparta. Telemachus learns to encompass the true Greek values of man through meeting with highly respected kings like King Nestor and King Menelaus, and learning from the inadequate behavior of the suitors.

The Odyssey proves to be a metaphor for a man’s life through comparing the different characters present in the novel; Telemachus - the young - Odysseus - the middle-aged - and Laertes - the old.

The Odyssey is known as a story of an epic adventure of a famous war hero named Odysseus; whom is trying to get home, after being away from home for twenty years. However, this epic at its very core is a story of his young son Telemachus’s coming of age. What does one have to do to be a successful man? What trails and trials and tribulations must one go through to become a man? These questions are some of the many questions that have haunted mankind for many years, but Telemachus has shaded some light on these difficult questions. Calling a meeting with the leaders of Ithacas’s, learning how to behave among Greek leaders, and joining with his father’s plot to overcome the suitors are the main ways Telemachus shows true development in this epic adventure.

I. SUMMARY The Odyssey began on introducing Odysseus, the foremost actor within this novel. In the first book, it occurred at the house of Odysseus. Penelopeia as the wife of Odysseus was having many vigorous suitors. They thought that Odysseus was dead.

Throughout the poem, Telemachus experiences many opportunities to become a man, and in most cases, he rises to the challenge admirably. As well as being mature. The first way Telemachus shows that he has matured is when he takes the initiative to go find his father. When Telemachus to try to find Odysseus, things are not well in his house. He has many suitors there that do not care about his house, his belongings, or his mother.