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The Role Of Athena In The Odyssey

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The Role Of Athena In The Odyssey
Athena’s role as the institutor in The Odyssey is significant because the goddess begins to change Telemachus’s behavior and thoughts very dramatically. She implores Telemachus to mature into an adult and a chain reaction followed. This led Telemachus in search of his long-lost father, and eventually led to Odysseus’s return. To begin this process, Athena set off to Ithaca, disguising herself as Mentes, an old friend of Odysseus. Then she went straight to the prince Telemachus in the palace. After feasting in her guest’s house, Athena advises Telemachus to “not cling to [his] boyhood any longer. It’s time [he was] a man”(Homer 87). Athena wants Telemachus to take some responsibility and put an end to the suitors’ endless game. She wants Telemachus
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