King alcinous and his friends send odysseus home and he can’t recognize his homeland. Athena disguses herself as an old man to tell him it’s his home. People plan to kill odyesseus. Odysseus dresses as an old man and telemachus doesn’t know it’s him.…
In the novel The Odyssey Telemachus is destined to find his father Odysseus who has been imprisoned for up to ten years by Poseidon for blinding Poseidon's son Polyphemus. Telemachus is Odysseus son whose destiny has been predetermined by the gods. Telemachus was chosen out of many to find his father and bring him to freedom. Telemachus destiny was made for him when Athena the god of wisdom disguised herself as a mentor.…
The poem begins with four books telling of a future hero, Odysseus's son Telemachus. Telemachus has his father's gift of speech and some of his courage, but needs Athena's encouragement before he ventures forth. Athena makes explicit Odysseus's excellence. Posing as Mentor, she marvels "now there was a man, I'd say, in words and actions both!" (102). Many Greek heroes are men of action, a few others skilled in counsel, but few combine the two like Odysseus. As Telemachus relates it, people say that Odysseus pledged his word and "made it good in action" on the battlefield (110). Telemachus wishes that his father could have had a good death in battle, or in old age at home, either of which would mean great fame for the Greek hero. Instead, he…
information which he obtained from the Old man of the sea to the reader. The…
This essay will dissect Joseph Campbell’s Cosmogonic Cycle’s description of a hero. But what is a hero? Joseph Campbell defines a hero as one who takes a journey over land, through the mind, or of memory but one that comes out a changed man at the end of it. This essay will explain how Telemachus meets all of the standards that Joseph Campbell has set and therefore is a hero. He does not quite meet all of Campbell’s set standards, but he is still hero-like because he does all of what he needs to with maturity and finesse that only a hero could possess. Telemachus sees that he needs to go and see where his father has been, so he takes that as his “Call to Adventure,” so he sets of to go find clues about his father’s whereabouts. During this journey he encounters many trials such as tempting offers from kings, if he is ever to achieve hero status he will need to resist temptations and survive the adventures that he will take. Telemachus does not truly fulfill all of the steps of the Cosmogonic Cycle; but, he is still a universal hero.…
In class, we are studying ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer. We are reading the translation of ‘The Odyssey’ by Robert Fitzgerald as well as a different version translated by Samuel Butler. A lot of what happens to Telemachus is relevant to events that families who have a parent/guardian in the military go through today.…
Telemachus greets this old friend of his fathers by seating the guest in a high chair of honor, provides an astounding feast, and washing the guest’s hands with the golden pitcher. Once they feast they would then move onto the traditional questions asked. Where do you come from or what is the purpose of your travels? Athena convinces Telemachus to set off on a journey to Pylos and Sparta. Telemachus’ passage will gather the news about his father’s condition and location, or whether Odysseus is still alive. The purpose for Telemachus’ journey would be to initiate the transition from a boy to a man. Telemachus greatly thanks the guest for the advice. Telemachus persists his guest to stay longer and offers desirable gifts, just as any good host would do. “But come, stay longer, keen as you are to sail, so you can bathe and rest and lift your spirits, then go back to your ship, delighted with a gift, a prize of honor, something rare and fine as a keepsake from myself. The kind of gift a host will give a stranger, friend to friend” (Book 1, 355-360). The quote signifies the friendly relationship that a guest and host establish. By Telemachus offering gifts he hopes to keep the reputable name of his father’s land and draw recognition from the Gods to bring Odysseus…
The first four books, other wise known as the Telemachy, is able to prepare the readers for the story of Odysseus as it gives background information on the characters and foreshadows what is to come in the books ahead. Foreshadowing is prevalent throughout the epic and the journey's in it. In the case of Agamemnon, his life is ultimately ended in the hands of his wife and the suitor she had chosen. His son's revenge can foreshadow and parallel to what Telemachus and his journey may bring ahead. The story of Orestes (Agamemnon's son) and the vindication for his father, "Orestes killed the snake that killed his father. He gave his hateful mother and her soft man a tomb together, and proclaimed a festival day for all the Argive people." (44), brings to light the similarities between Telemachus and Orestes.…
Many people have different thoughts regarding the question, “Is Telemachus strong or weak?” Some say he is most diffidently weak due to his lack of assertiveness in the presence of his mother’s sutures while others argue that Athena’s influence on him throughout the book made him strong. Personally, I believe Telemachus is weak. Even though Athena did help him to become a stronger man, that sense of bravery and strength was not originally present within Telemachus.…
It was thought only planarians can regrow their spines, however, it turns out that some humans could also perform this feat. This was done by a hero back in the times of the ancient Greeks. Telemachus, the protagonist of Telechamy ( the first four books of The Odyssey by Homer), was introduced as a victim for the vultures and finished at the end of the fourth book as a confident youth. This was all because of the introduction of Athena, goddess of wisdom, into his sedentary life. Telemachus’ metamorphosis from an idle coward to an accomplishing hero was all due to the efforts of Athena’s encouragement. She was able to greatly change of Telemachus’ personality because of her encouragements and helpful deeds, and led him to accomplish great feats.…
new wife and her sister-in-law, Emily. On their trip back to Athens they come upon a group of…
My definition of a hero is someone who puts themselves last and tries to make sure who they care about the most is okay. Based on my definition, I would say that Telemachus is a hero. Telemachus puts his mother and father before himself throughout the whole story. You can tell he cares about Odysseus because he travels miles and miles around to try and get some information on his well being. He cares for penelope by trying his best to rid his household of the suitors. Another way he cares for penelope is by trying to find out if Odysseus is alive so she can either marry a suitor or wait for his return. Lastly, he shows his loyalty to odysseus even though he’s not there by using some of his virtues.…
It was at this exact spot that I stood here 20 years ago, before you, the people of the great Ithaca. Having to leave here wasn’t something I ever desired, who ever loves to leave the ones they love and they one they trust. I left for the war and I beat myself up daily, but I realized that I left to war so I must come back, I cannot die in this war and I must be able to come and fulfill my role as leader. Achilles, Ajax, Patroclus all deserve respect as well for aiding me in the war, helping make sure I could live a long life, but they deserved it more, I wish I can repay them. I am so glad to see my son, Telemachus grow into a man that I have always believed he can be, one day he will be the leader, he will be able to protect and govern Ithaca better than I ever could have.…
In the life of Odysseus or Telemachus, the traveling that they did was brutal and with many of the different civilizations being so far apart, the hospitality helped make the traveling not so bad. “Dear guest, will this offend you, if I speak”(Book 1, 195)? Telemachus has such respect for guests that he even asked Athena if he could speak. The poem is started off by Telemachus noticing Athena arriving at the doors of his house where he greets her with food and gifts even though Athena is just a stranger to him. What makes this so fascinating is that Telemachus is just a young man who probably did not get his hospitality from Odysseus. Telemachus either inherited politeness or learned from Penelope before she started to feel all melancholy of Odysseus being gone. Athena loves what Telemachus has done for her and this hospitality gives Athena more pride in wanting to help Telemachus and his journey to find Odysseus. Now in the land of Sparta, where Menelaus resides, Telemachus and Pisistratus are greeted to a feast. “Could we have made it home again-and Zeus give us no more hard roving!- if other men had never fed us, given us lodging? Bring these men to be our guests: unhitch their team”(Book 4 35-39)! Helen tells Menelaus that because of their past with receiving food from Zeus, she feels like…
Aristotle argues that women are less then men by nature. His idea of Telos gives women the natural ability to be seen as men’s inferior. Aristotle looked at the status of women in his own slaveholding class and wrote solemnly of how natural it is for a woman to lead a quiet, sedentary life, staying indoors to nurture children and preserve possessions acquired by her "natural ruler," man, who is well constituted for activities outside the home. What today's sociobiologist proclaims as genetically determined characteristics predisposing male and female humans for distinctive roles (of domination and subordination) in the powerist, sexist, racist, xenophobic, and militarist relationships conspicuous in societies producing sociobiologists, Aristotle…