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boy become a man? This rite of passage is explored in Robert Fagles ' translation of Homer 's epic poem, The Odyssey. Odysseus (king of Ithaca) fought in the Trojan War for ten years and after the fall of Troy he spent the next ten years trying to get home. He left behind an infant son, Telemachus, and a devoted wife, Penelope. Although they longed for Odysseus ' return, Penelope and Telemachus were the perfect hosts to wayward strangers - even as their estate became overrun with arrogant suitors -…
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In the Odyssey by Homer, Telemachus is the son of Penelope and Odysseus. When Telemakus was a young infant, his father Odysseus went to fight in the battle of Troy. Because of Odysseus’ pride he got stuck at sea for 20 years. During these 20 years that he was away Telemachus grew up day by day. He lived in the palace of Ithaca with his mother and her suitors. As he grew older he started to notice that the suitors were consuming all of his father wine and killing all his cattle. Telemachus was always…
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change into a man. Telemachus also has to do this in the Odyssey and it is especially tough because he does not have a father to follow in the footsteps of for most of his life. Telemachus starts off shy and showing his emotions too much, wishing he could see his father. He then starts making decisions to put himself into a leadership role and is maturing. Then in the end he matured and grew and is ready to fight by his father’s side against the suitors to take back their home. Telemachus had journeyed…
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At the start of The Odyssey, Odysseus has yet to return from the Trojan War and his son Telemachus believes that he is dead. Suitors have occupied his home during this time and are pressuring Odysseus’ wife Penelope to marry one of them. Meanwhile, Telemachus is unable to do anything without his father. Athena, disguised as an old friend of Odysseus’ named Mentor, encourages Telemachus to seek news of his father. At the end of the conversation, Telemachus is aware that he was in the presence of a…
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Emergence of Telemachus’ Heroic Traits in the Telemecheia Joseph Campbell’s ten archetypal heroic traits appear in many literary protagonists. Physical strength, eloquence, leadership, and ties to supernatural forces are characteristics that are pervasive among heroes. King Gilgamesh, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, possesses the Campbellian traits of unmatched physical strength, confident leadership, and ties to gods. Whereas in the case of Telemachus in Homer’s Telemecheia, the young…
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The Odyssey: Telemachus Telemachus recounts his confrontation with the Old man of the sea who could change his appearance in order to escape danger. Telemachus reveals the information which he obtained from the Old man of the sea to the reader. The Old man told Telemachus of the sorrowful tale of Agamemnon's Murder. The story tells of how Aegisthus paid a man to watch for Agamemnon's return from the sea. After a year of waiting, the King returned in what he thought to be secrecy. The lookout…
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In The Odyssey, the reader is easily able to distinguish that Odysseus is a hero in the story. He is a god-like figure. Odysseus’s wife, Penelope, is a hero and seen by many readers as such especially females. Both possess characteristics of heroes and they deserve to be considered such but that does not mean that they are the true hero of the story. Their son Telemachus is the true hero in The Odyssey. The reader should be able to identify with him the most and realize everything that has happened…
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John Michael Fitzgerald Odyssey Essay, Book Four Stage Two September 15, 2012 How is Telemachus dealing with challenges and temptations on his journey? In Sparta, Telemachus shows emotional maturity when he hears stories of his father, poise when Menelaus approaches him, and tact when he turns away Menelaus’ offers. On Telemachus’ first challenge, hearing stories of his father, he shows signs of emotional maturity. He does this by weeping for Odysseus. At first you would think that this is…
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In the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer, the first four books contain the transformation of Odysseus’ son Telemachus from a weak child to a strong and confident man. This growth prepares the reader for the similar challenges Odysseus will face throughout the rest of the epic. However, this change could not occur without the help of Athena, who inspires Telemachus to stand up to the suitors and go on a quest to find his father. Nestor and Menelaus will also guide Telemachus to his true self. These…
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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. Not only is Telemachus weak because he doesn’t do anything…
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