how does telemachus matures during the course of the odyssey

by Dr. Marlee Schroeder 6 min read

Throughout The Odyssey, Telemachus proves himself worthy to be Odysseus

Odysseus

Odysseus, also known by the Latin variant Ulysses, is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in that same epic cycle.

son. Through the help of Athena, Telemachus slowly matures …show more content… In the first couple of books, he shows the development of maturity by requesting support from the assembly in his quest to seek news of his father.

In The Odyssey, Homer shows the transition of Telemachus from a childish and passive young man to a Man worthy of being Odysseus' son. Through the help of Athena, he learns different character traits and qualities such as bravery that helps him to mature into a man worth the title of a prince of Ithaca.

Full Answer

How does Telemachus change in the Odyssey?

May 04, 2021 · How did Telemachus mature in the Odyssey? In The Odyssey, Homer shows the transition of Telemachus from a childish and passive young man to a Man worthy of being Odysseus’ son. Through the help of Athena, he learns different character traits and qualities such as bravery that helps him to mature into a man worth the title of a prince of Ithaca.

What events of maturation does Telemachus go through?

With his father gone, Telemachus must step up and become the man of the house. He must grow into his power as a young man and direct the servants and …

Can Telemachus match his father’s skills?

Just an infant when his father left for Troy, Telemachus is still maturing when The Odyssey begins. He is wholly devoted to his mother and to maintaining his father’s estate, but he does not know how to protect them from the suitors. After all, it has only been a few years since he first realized what the suitors’ intentions were.

What is Athena’s exhortation to Telemachus in Book 1?

Dec 04, 2021 · How did Telemachus mature in the Odyssey? Through the help of Athena, he learns different character traits and qualities such as bravery that helps him to mature into a man worth the title of a prince of Ithaca.

How does Telemachus change over the course of The Odyssey?

However, over the course of the first four books, Telemachus transforms from a boy to a man when he defends his home and mother from the suitors, travels to Nestor's house, and goes on journey of searching for his father.

What steps toward maturity does Telemachus take?

What steps toward maturity does Telemachus take in his meeting with Nestor? Telemachus's journey will allow him to find out what happened to Odysseus. In his meeting with Nestor, Telemachus became more mature by gaining the nerve to ask Nestor questions and becoming fluent in speech.

How has Telemachus changed from the beginning of the story?

Just an infant when his father left for Troy, Telemachus is still maturing when The Odyssey begins. He is wholly devoted to his mother and to maintaining his father's estate, but he does not know how to protect them from the suitors.

What are some of the issues regarding Telemachus maturation?

8) Telemachus has grown immature because he has been raised without a father figure. His travels in search of his father will help him to mature, as we will see throughout his journey. Telemachus also grew up in very tough situation because he was raised without a father.

How does Telemachus help Odysseus?

At the showdown with the suitors in the great hall, he is shrewd enough to get his mother out of the line of fire and mature enough to be a real help to Odysseus. The prince stands against more than a hundred suitors with only his father and a couple of herdsmen on his side.

Why does The Odyssey start with Telemachus?

It is Telemachus duality of roles, contextually a reference for dynamic reader response and dramatically the unique character of Odysseus son, which makes the Odyssey s opening so effective in outlining the inherent dramatic questions, and fundamentally facilitates these questions pertaining to storytelling and the ...Nov 18, 2018

How has Telemachus changed since the beginning of Book 1 and how does Penelope react?

How has Telemachus changed since the beginning of Book 1, and how does Penelope react? He has become more assertive, referring to himself as the man of the house. She looks at him in wonder. Why does Telemachus call the men to assembly?

How are Telemachus and Odysseus different?

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.

How important is Telemachus to The Odyssey?

Telemachus in The Odyssey played a small but crucial role in Homer's Classic. The Homeric classic plays the son of our missing hero, Odysseus, and strongly believes in his father's survival. His resolution and loyalty to his father run deep enough to journey far and wide to find his whereabouts.Jan 11, 2022

Is Telemachus immature for his age?

Throughout The Odyssey, Telemachus matures very much so, but in the first four books, there is a definite transition from an immature scared little boy, to the man that revenges the abuse he received at the end of the story.

How old was Telemachus at the beginning of the Odyssey?

An infant when Odysseus left for Troy, Telemachus is about twenty at the beginning of the story.

The Epic Of Homer 's Odyssey

Homer’s Odyssey makes use of its epic qualities to narrate the lives of three men. The tale begins with Telemachus, a young prince who leaves his homeland to learn about his father and about himself at the same time.

Analysis Of The Book ' The Odyssey '

Adventure The Odyssey is one of many great stories passed down through time. The story is written in dactylic hextameter, opening up in the middle of all the action. Experts believe that it dates back to around 700 BC; placing the story about ten years after the Trojan War.

Character Analysis of Telemachus and The Odyssey by Homer Essay

Telemachus 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.

Analysis Of Homer 's The Odyssey

exemplified marvelously in Homer’s epic The Odyssey; Homer effectively uses Telemachus the son of the central character to Odysseus as a means to show the journey in which one embarks on to discover who they truly are. This voyage is a pivotal point in the transition from adolescent to an adult.

Odysseus V Telemachus Essay

Jon Dunlap 3/8/12 Odysseus v Telemachus Period 2 “Maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.” – Anonymous (Thinkexist.com). Maturity is a key theme during the journeys of Telemachus and Odysseus.

Essay on The Odyssey

The Odyssey Set in ancient Greece, The Odyssey is about the hero Odysseus' long-awaited return from the Trojan War to his homeland, Ithaca, after ten years of wandering.

What does Telemachus say to his mom?

Telemachus replies to her lecture in book one, lines 352 to 355, “Oh stranger, indeed I will. You 've counseled me with so much kindness now, like a father to a son.” This shows the first sign of Telemachus’ change. A couple lines later you see Telemachus telling his mom to go back to her quarters and tend to her own task while leaving the task of giving orders to the men. His mom was astonished and returned to her room. Here the text is clearly showing a shift from boyhood to manhood by Telemachus taking control as the man of the house and realizing he holds the reins of power in the house.…

How does Telemachus transform?

However, over the course of the first four books, Telemachus transforms from a boy to a man when he defends his home and mother from the suitors, travels to Nestor’s house, and goes on journey of searching for his father. He demonstrates the awkward age of a teenager, where one is not a child anymore but too immature to be an adult. Telemachus tries hard to convey maturity to not only the suitors and everyone he meets on the journey, but also to himself. Telemachus proves that he has grown up when he stands up to all of his mother’s suitors, and begins to search for his long-lost father. After the Trojan War, people believed that whoever returned back home were the only living survivors.…

When was the Odyssey written?

The Odyssey by Homer is an epic poem, believed to have been written between 800 and 700 BCE. The book focuses on the hero Odysseus and his long journey home to Ithaca after the fall of Tory. During the epic, Telemachus shows a great deal of growth from acting like a boy into being a mature man. He starts his journey being regarded as a child in front of the suitors at his father’s house, and his outburst in front of them furthered this opinion. As the story progresses however his growth is seen in many ways. He first shows growth when he commands his mother to go to her chambers. His growth is seen again when he Journeys to find information regarding his father. Finally, he can be seen as a man when he returns with Odysseus and kill …show more content…

Who is the son of Lartes?

The Homecoming The Odyssey by the ancient Greek writer Homer takes us into the life of a man called Odysseus. Odysseus, the son of Lartes, has left both his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope, to fight a war in Troy. After 10 years of fighting the war, Odysseus and his men were finally ready to return home to their families, however, the Gods were not finished with Odysseus. They needed to test his wisdom, honor, piety and prudence to prove that he is truly a noble hero. While Odysseus was going through his journey of self-knowledge, battling mystical creatures and fighting off temptation, his wife and his son staved of suitors who wanted Penelope’s hand in marriage and Ithaca’s throne.…

How does Athena convince Telemachus to take matters into his own hands?

With Odysseus’ absence and the palace being flooded by suitors, Athena persuades Telemachus to take matters into his own hands. Although Telemachus is already discouraged with the inappropriate manners of the suitors, Athena reinforces it by saying, “How obscenely the lounge and swagger here, look, / gorging in your house. Why, any man of sense / who chance among them would be outraged, / seeing such behavior.” (Homer 1.264 – 267). Athena allocates Telemachus’ maturity when his anger builds towards the suitors, causing him to take a stance against them. Also, Athena compares Telemachus to his father Odysseus claiming, “Oh how much you need Odysseus, gone so long / how he’d lay hands on all those brazen suitors!…

Who wrote the Odyssey?

The epic poem, The Odyssey, is written by Homer in 800 B.C.E., and is full of adventure, including ships lost at sea, terrible monsters and gods who take out their revenge on mortals, and even a hero named Odysseus who after twenty long years eventually makes it back home to Ithaca. But really, Odysseus’ homecoming is what The Odyssey is all about. Time and time again, Odysseus desires to return to Ithaca, the land of his heritage, and he longs to return to his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. Everything that happens in The Odyssey revolves around this desire, including his mistakes. His cunning, strength, and even divine intervention eventually bring Odysseus home again.…

What is Telemachus' role in the Odyssey?

In The Odyssey, Homer shows the transition of Telemachus from a childish and passive young man to a Man worthy of being Odysseus’ son. Through the help of Athena, he learns different character traits and qualities such as bravery that helps him to mature into a man worth the title of a prince of Ithaca. Odysseus ’ son the help of Athena.

What is the transformation of Telemachus?

The Transformation Of Telemachus In Homer's Odyssey. With the guidance of a wise goddess and withstanding trials and tribulations Tele machus has come a long way. Sometimes it takes just one individual to change another. From assisting Telemachus mature to molding him into a work of art Athena has made a big impact in Telemachus’ life.

Who is the son of Odysseus?

Throughout The Odyssey, Telemachus proves himself worthy to be Odysseus son. Through the help of Athena, Telemachus slowly matures …show more content…. In the first couple of books, he shows the development of maturity by requesting support from the assembly in his quest to seek news of his father. He askes for a ship and a crew ...

What is Odysseus' cunning?

Odysseus shows the traits of being cunning when he is disguised a beggar in the palace. As Telemachus is being exposed to the brilliant cunning by his father, his knowledge is also increasing as he is learning about different strategies of war. The trait of cunning was seen at the beginning of the book when makes the decision not ...

What did Athena do to Telemachus?

Athena has nurtured him into becoming a confident young man who had the ability to take on the suitors.

What is Athena's disguise?

The primary objective of Athena’s disguise is the transformation of Telemachus from a scared little boy to a confident warrior. Similarly, Athena uses her disguise on Odysseus as well, when he finally arrives at Ithaka. Her disguise as a shepherd boy to Odysseus serves a purpose of testing Odysseus.…. Read More.

What is the theme of the Iliad and Odyssey?

Theme Of Loyalty In The Odyssey And The Iliad. In the world of Homer, the successful role of the family is crucial in how father and son relationships develop. In The Odyssey and The Iliad, the bond between father and son is important for the development of the family role in honor and pride, along with the expectation of loyalty from ...

What is Telemachus's skill?

For Telemachus to possess a skill for oratory, the property of distinguished men, indicates his entrance into manhood.

What is Odysseus' journey?

Like Odysseus, he must undergo a journey that transforms him over time; a journey that takes him away from his mother, back to his father, and provides archetypes of manhood along the way.

What is the first book of the Odyssey called?

The first four books of the Odyssey, also known as the Telemachia, stand alone as a classical bildungsroman that details Telemachus’ education and maturation as he acquires the trappings of a Homeric man. Following Odysseus’ return and subsequent vengeance upon the suitors, Telemachus appears to have fully transitioned from boy to man.

What did Zeus say to his mother?

Upon his return, his first words to his mother are not a welcome greeting, but another command: “Bathe now, put on some fresh clothes, / go up to your own room with your serving women, / pray, and promise the gods a generous sacrifice / to bring success, if Zeus will ever grant us / the hour of our revenge” (17.47-52).

Is Telemachus a boy?

Telemachus first appears as a brooding boy, inactive, surrounded by the din of suitors.