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Transformation of Telemachos

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Topic 1: The Odyssey begins not with the adventures of the hero Odysseus himself but instead with four books devoted to the plight and travels of Telemachos. Within these four books (which are often called the "Telemachy"), we see Odysseus ' son undergo a transition in which he goes from being a helpless victim among his mother 's suitors to a young man actively winning a good reputation among other Greek heroes. Describe this process in which Telemachos matures, paying close attention not only to how Telemachos acts but also to the ways in which others around him (and the poet as well) react to these actions and his character in general. Although you may bring in information concerning Telemachos ' character from later in the …show more content…

Od.3.138). Here, the king is comparing the expressions of both Odysseus, the father, and Telemachos, the son. When he says that no teenager could ever converse like Telemachos, he means that though the way he spoke was not as a result of his sailing, Telemachos was for sure growing into a man - at least he has the words of one. King Nestor narrates more stories about the battle in Troy of him and Odysseus yet he fails to offer any information regarding Odysseus and his condition from when his ship blew.

Without any relevant information concerning the whereabouts of his father in Pylos, Telemachos settles on travelling to Sparta. It is here that he meets with Helen and Menelaus. Helen distinguishes Telemachos from his physical likeness to Odysseus. Soon, Telemachos finds what he was looking for. Drunk, Menelaus narrates a tale he heard from the Old man of the sea. From that story Telemachos gets the knowledge of the place where his father should be. He learns that his father is held in an island as a sex slave to the nymph Calypso with no way of escaping. Paying attention to the advice given to him by king Nestor, “Don’t stray too long from home, nor leave your wealth unguarded with such a set of scoundrels in the place” (Hom. Od.3. 314), together with the just gained knowledge of his father’s continued existence, he then moves to Ithaca.
On his way back to his homeland, Telemachos is facing Athena once again; she informs him that the suitors are

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