When reflecting upon Telemachus standing up to the suitors and slowly taking back what rightfully belonged to his family, you see him mature with confidence and courage like his father. He is able to boss around his mother with such confidence it reminds her of her great husband Odysseus. Also with Athena’s help Telemachus is able to achieve what everyone thought was impossible for a young man like him. Her wise influence helps him figure out his role at the palace. “I hold the reins of power in this house,” (28) Telemachus says boldly to his mother in attempt to prove his maturity. This little surge of energy was given to him by his guardian Athena goddess of wisdom and war. She disguised herself as a wise old man then gives Telemachus advice that will help him deal with the destruction of his father’s palace. In this passage lines 13-16 “you suitors who plague my mother, you, you insolent overweening… for this evening let us dine and take our pleasure no more shouting now,”(13-16) with ellipsis’s show that Telemachus was emotionally aware and knew what to do at certain times. He is becoming more self aware like his father, which shows he is maturing in his heart and his mind. Also lines like “All of you destroyed in my house while I go scot-free myself!” (27-28) that have the italicized words put an emphasis on the subject. Showing the suitors he means business when it comes to his family. This shows maturity and confidence he gains with the help of Athena, another thing that shows he’s just like his father.With his goals all set Telemachus takes Athena’s advice to heart and becomes his fathers’ son. He’s new attitude and confidence are shocking everyone, “Astonished she withdrew to her room” (6) this talks about telemachus showing his superior to his mother yet surprising her. And this new found confidence he steps up to the suitors, “Amazed that the prince could speak with so much daring,” (30). He surprises the suitors with a…
iii. When they reach palace, suitors only reluctantly give them food, and Antinous goes out of his way to insult Odysseus…
i. Zeus sends a storm that drives Odysseus and men out to sea for nine days before they arrive at the Island of the Lotus Eaters…
iv. Penelope hears the bard sing a song about the Greek’s suffering on their return from Troy, making her even more miserable…
The myth of redemptive violence is one that is told throughout history. It is one in which violence is the creator. Whether it be creation of the cosmos, peace, or some other result, in this myth violence results in redemption. This myth has been imbedded in our society to such a degree that it is naturalized and accepted as the way things are without much reflection. For example, many Christians probably don't contemplate the ways redemptive violence is at the heart of their religion. A classic example of the myth of redemptive violence is found in the elaborate poem The Odyssey. Many elements of violence and how we associate with violence are explored within the multitude of pages of this tale.…
In Book 3 of The Odyssey, Homer characterizes Telemachus as confident and authoritative, as demonstrated through his speech and physique, despite his initial self-uncertainty. In the process, Telemachus’ character transforms dramatically. At first, Telemachus was unconfident in his abilities to converse. He explicitly revealed this uncertainty to Athena as he stated, “How can I greet him, Mentor, even approach the king? I’m hardly adept at subtle conversation” (Homer 108). His lack of confidence hindered his ability to inquire King Nestor for news regarding Odysseus’ whereabouts. The self-doubt expressed in Telemachus portrays him as being tentative about his abilities, especially when compared to those of Odysseus. However, a dramatic development…
In the epic poem the Odyssey, Homer's main character Odysseus portrays three different roles. Unfortunately, not all of Odysseus’s characteristics are outstanding for a biblical worldview. The reason for this is because the manner in which he handles himself as a military leader, a husband and occasionally a father, is not the manner in which a Christian should handle himself. On the other hand, Odysseus’s relationships that he has with his army, wife and family are one that are mostly carried out in the manner of a Christian. It is strange that Odysseus cares deeply for his men and as well as his son, but does not seem to be as deeply connected to his wife…
Since the birth of prose, various literary techniques such as tone, imagery, similes, and foreshadowing have been used by authors to engender specific impressions upon their audience. Like an artist's pallet of paint, authors color their words with vibrancy through the use of these literary tools. In the Greek work the Iliad, Homer skillfully utilizes similes and foreshadowing in an innovative way. Rather than approaching them as separate entities, he notably combines them by foreshadowing in the form of a simile about what will come to pass. Though the fall of Troy may not be told directly in the Iliad, numerous comparisons are drawn between the element of fire and Ilion, alluding to its anticipated and foreseen demise. Through critical analysis of three specific epic similes, it is apparent that the functions which Homer's similes serve not only surpass extravagant imagery, but also heighten anticipation about an expected occurrence and expand the descriptive power of each scene in which they appear.…
Telemachus started at the beginning of the epic as a weakling and a coward, and was a prey for the vultures before Athena helped him out. He was first introduced in the epic as “Prince Telemachus,/ sitting among the suitors, hearts obsessed with grief.” (Homer. 1. 132- 133). That was the first impression he had on Athena when she arrived to his palace. No wonder he needed help, being helplessly surrounded by his enemies and spending his days worrying what was his father’s fate. He is further characterized as indecisive, self-pitying and doubtful, supported by his quotations: “ ‘Mother has always told me I’m his son, it’s true,/ but I am not so certain…… Now, think of the…
In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, The hero Odysseus displays many heroic traits that make him an epic hero. The Odyssey is about Odysseus journey home after the Trojan War. On his way back home, he harms a Cyclops’s eye, so Poseidon becomes very angry and make Odysseus’s trip extremely difficult. Odysseus encounters many monsters and his entire crew perishes. When he finally returns home after 20 years, Athena helps him reunite with his son and kill all on the suitors that have made themselves at home in his house with his wife. Some of the many characteristics that Odysseus shows throughout his journey may include courage, leadership and curiosity.…
The world changes every day. The governments, technology, medicine, the internet, etc. Why is that? It’s all because of people. The choices are all made by humans whether for better or worse, will predict the rest of the future. There are people that have a bigger influence, a greater power to make these choices like governments, unions, presidents, dictators, queens, and kings. In the epic poem “The Odyssey” a long lost King, Odysseus, has been changing these choices to regain power after his long treacherous voyage home from war.…
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 scared to say anything to the suitors and this is shown when he says the following words to Athena: “Yet, were Odysseus to return, were they to see him here again, they would not only pray for gold or richer clothes-just faster feet. But he has…
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…
In ancient Greek religion, one belief was when someone dies he needed to receive at…
Ancient Greeks had a poor and dark view on what happened to them once they died. They did not have a place where they their souls went to rest in peace. Instead, they went to where they were tortured for the rest of their immortal lives. This is shown in both epics, The Odyssey by Homer and The Aeneid by Virgil. In the Odyssey Odysseus into the underworld and you get his count on the awfulness of Hades, and too Aeneas goes to the underworld and you see the different parts and find out the meaning of each section. Both texts have similarities and differences on the interpretations of the after lives of greeks. Throughout time Greeks have changed their understandings of…