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The Odyssey is the epic that has been read time and time again, by varying ages, digging its way into our hearts, becoming an instant classic. Odysseus and the adventures of his homecoming create a much different tale than Homer’s other work, the Iliad, provided. The epic is not about bloodthirsty men trying to get their hands on kleos anymore; it is about the homecoming of a man who uses his wits, not his weapon. In the Odyssey, the characters balance – Homer provides contrasting characters to show the readers the traits that Odysseus holds and how it builds his character development and even those who are foils to him. Odysseus’ own son, Trojan War companions, and wife create the man that is called Odysseus, highlighting the various facets of his personality throughout the epic.…
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In the book The Odyssey by Homer, Telemachus shows a growth in character in the first four books. In the beginning, Telemachus is timid and unable to take control of his own household. Telemachus is extremely respectful and hospitable towards his guests. Although it is clear he is being taken advantage of by his mother’s suitors, he fails to do anything about it. “he, too, was sitting there unhappy among the suitors, a boy, daydreaming” (B. 1 143-145). Telemachus sits idly by while the suitors cause chaos and unhappiness in his house. This demonstrates his lack of confidence in his own power. After his change in mindset due to Athena’s visit, Telemachus gains a newfound confidence and takes charge of his life. Telemachus attains a need to find his father after an informative visit from Athena in the form of Mentes. In order to begin a quest in search of his father, Telemachus is instructed to first get rid of all the suitors. It takes him an immense amount of courage to take charge of the situation, but he is determined to find Odysseus. Telemachus gathers the men and expresses his frustration with them at last. “My house is being plundered: is this a courtesy? Where is your indignation? Where is your shame?” (B. 2 68-69). Telemachus finally addresses the true nature of the interruptive and rude lifestyle of the many suitors. He is able to overcome his previously timid attitude and get a handle on the situation. Telemachus starts off the story as a cowardly young boy and transforms himself into a confident young man for the sake of his father and the well being of his mother.…
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As a man polytropos, Odysseus undergoes many trials and tribulations on his circuitous return to his homeland of Ithaka. Though physically of stalwart build, Odysseus is known among the Homeric heroes for his mental craftiness and emotional fortitude. It is these prized attributes that enables Odysseus to adapt, coping with impediments to his survival with self-possession and cunning. However, it is also Odysseus’ limitations that cause the exacerbation of his grievous situation. Throughout Odysseus’s time at Troy and his long voyage home, he grows as an individual, learning through these experiences and encounters about human nature and survival, the importance of home and family, and about character and the true meaning of Arete.…
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The reason that he is approaching Telemachus the morning after is because the previous night, Telemachus did not reveal the true reason of why he was there because he became nervous in Menelaus’ presence, and now Menelaus wanted to know. This time though Telemachus was not nervous, he was poised (On his toes, ready). He told Menelaus the true reason upon his arrival, which was to get information on his father. He did this by telling Menelaus that he came in search for news of his father, and that he wanted him to hold nothing back and tell him every…
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Young Telemachus first encounters Athena, disguised as Mentes, son of Anchialus, while he was sitting among the suitors, suffering from a heavy heart and daydreaming about his father. He welcomes her into his home and Athena stirs emotion within Telemachus by saying, "You 're truly Odysseus ' son? You 've sprung up so! / Uncanny resemblance... The head, and the fine eyes - / I see him now." (1, 240 - 242). By acknowledging his resemblance to Odysseus, Athena rouses, within Telemachus, the strong emotions for the father he barely knows, and initiates the rising of inner strength that Telemachus must develop in order to confront his impending challenges. It is clear that Telemachus responds positively to Athena 's encouragement when he instructs his astonished mother to tend to her own tasks, declaring "As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all: I hold the reins of power in this house." (1, 412 - 414).…
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The king starts killing everyone in his path and shows no mercy for anyone. He kills the first person that asks for mercy, but when the bard comes, Telemachus keeps Odysseus from killing him, as well as the herald. “The inspired Prince Telemachus heard his pleas and quickly said to his father close beside him, “Stop, don’t cut him down! this one’s innocent. So is the herald Medon-the one who always tended to me in the house when I was little-spare him too. Unless he’s dead by now, killed by Philoetius or Eumaeus here- or ran into you rampaging through the halls” (22. 374-381). The imagery displays the panic in Telemachus’ voice when calling out to his father not to kill the two men. When Telemachus says, “So is the herald Medon-the one who always tending to me in the house when I was little-spare him too”, the imagery senses that Medon holds a fatherlike position to Telemachus while he grew up and Odysseus was gone. The way he says “or ran into you rampaging through the halls”, makes it sound as if Telemachus is slightly mad at the amount of people he cared dying to his father’s hands. To Odysseus, they are just servants because he does not have a surviving relationship with them because of his departure for 20 years. But to Telemachus, they are people that care for him and he grew up with their…
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Odysseus is the epitome of honor and virtue for his Ithacan subjects. Odysseus' kind and stalwart leadership is revealed by Eumaios, his faithful swineherd, and Philoitios, his loyal cowherd, who have both remained loyal to him for twenty years. Eumaios praises Odysseus as "A rare fine master." "Indeed I do not mourn so much for them as for him [Odysseus], though I long to see 'em again and my native land, but I do miss Odysseus since he went away. I don't like to speak his name, man, although he is absent, but I call him 'his honour,' even when he is far…
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Odysseus was a man who was known for both his good and bad leadership qualities. Homer, the blind poet and the author of ‘the Odysseus’ has portrayed Odysseus as an ambiguous character. However, in my opinion and in this argument Odysseus have more good leadership qualities than bad leadership qualities. Throughout this epic, readers can see that Odysseus made many leadership decisions and took actions when it should be made. He was intelligent, fair and fearless. Many incidents in Homer’s epic, points out his intelligence, fairness and fearlessness throughout their journey.…
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In Ithaca, the suitors are looking to marry Penelope, Telemachus’ mother. Penelope’s husband, Odysseus, has not been found after the Trojan War, and Athena reminds Telemachus about his father. While Odysseus and Athena are planning, the suitors argue about who is the special one to marry Penelope. The suitors also threaten Telemachus by telling him to exile her mother from his house or make his mom marry one of them. Odysseus’s son decides to set out on sea and find people, who can lead him to Odysseus. There is one obstacle left which is to persuade the suitors about his compromise. The next day, the suitors keep on arguing until Telemachus becomes tired of all the appeals and arguments from them, and he decides to assemble them. Telemachus has Mentor by his side, but he is a disguise for Athena. At first, Telemachus stands strong in telling his step by step plan, but he lets his emotions come in the way after the suitors starts disagreeing again. His emotions tells that…
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The early part of The Odyssey concerns Telemakhos and his journey. In Sparta at the court of Menelaos and Helen, Telemakhos learns of the bravery of his father; " and how he fought through hardship for my sake" (Homer IV 176-177). More importantly Telemakhos is given an insight into the ingenuity of his father from both Helen and Menelaos. Helen describes how Odysseus: "He had, first, given himself an outrageous beating and thrown some rags on" (Homer IV 257-258) in order to get inside the city so that he might see the defenses of the city. Once inside the city walls, disguised as a beggar, he was able to merge in with the people of Troy completely unnoticed. Helen recognized him, questioned him, but with his cunning: "How shrewdly he put me off!" (Homer IV 265). Helen then goes on to recount how Odysseus; " sworded many Trojans through the body on his way out" (Homer IV 272-273), again demonstrating his courage and strength. Menelaos tells Telemakhos of the Trojan horse, Odysseus 's supremely cunning plan of how to enter Troy and defeat the Trojans: "In my life I have met, in many countries, foresight and wit in many first…
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In the Odyssey, Odysseus goes on a journey that lasts twenty years. He is faced with many challenges and must overcome these challenges if he is to get back home to his son and wife he has left behind. Along the way Odysseus learns about himself and learns many truths. When he returns home he is a wiser man because of what he has seen and also by what he has done himself.…
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The Maturation of Telemachus In the first book of Homer 's The Odyssey, we are introduced to Odysseus ' son, Telemachus. It is here we learn of Odysseus ' troubles and the situation regarding his estate and those who are presently inhabiting it. What the reader is allowed to witness right from the start, is the beginnings of Telemachus ' transformation, from a child to an adult.…
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We find out that while Odysseus has been gone many of the men have been trying to steal his wife away from him and lust for her. Odysseus has a son who is named Telemachus. He wishes to kill off the men who are trying to steal his mother and lust for her. "He could almost see his magnificent father, here ... in the mind’s eye—if only he might drop from the clouds and drive these suitors all in a rout throughout the halls and regain his pride of place and rule his own domains!"(197) Athena appears to sympathize for Odysseus's son and his situation so she appears to him in the form of one of Odysseus's fathers friend. "And down she swept from Olympus’ craggy peaks and lit on Ithaca, standing tall at Odysseus’ gates, the threshold of his court. Gripping her bronze spear, she looked for all the world like a stranger now, like Mentes, lord of the Taphians."(196) It is here that she tells his son that his father Odysseus is alive and well and being held captive. She tells Telemachus that he must get a crew together and sail out to the seas in search of information on his father. He must also kill those men who have been looting their estate and lusting for his mother. Eventually Telemachus suspects it was a God he has spoken to. This is important to the theme. Telemachus would have never known his…
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Telemachus begins by mentioning the loss of Odysseus and how he was a good and caring king and he expresses that the continued occupation of the suitors is almost worse than the loss of his father. The suitors are greedy, rude, and fail to adhere to the rules of hospitality laid down by Zeus. Furthermore, Telemachus is too young and inexperienced…
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Odysseus has many character traits that are accentuated by his adventures and travels. The main ones are his curiosity, his intelligence or deceitfulness, and his amazing self control. His cunning and self control help him to survive throughout his journeys but his curiosity sometimes hurts him.…
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