Telemakhos About His Father Odysseus example essay topic

Throughout the first four books of The Odyssey Telemakhos has clearly encountered numerous life changes, but the most significant of these life changes would be the psychologically growing emotions and faith in which he now has for his father. It is because of this that Telemakhos goes on an epic journey not only to find his father but also to find out about his purpose in life (who he is as a human). When Odysseus left home, Penelope and Telemakhos had gone through much suffering ever since the suitors began to occupy their place. Never seeing his father it's almost hard to believe if Odysseus is still trustworthy and even believable if he ever arrives back home to Ithaca.

When Athena was sent to Ithaca to see if Odysseus came back, which he never did, she realized that the only person that was left to take care of his family was the son Telemakhos. By socializing with Telemakhos a little Athena learns that he despises the suitors (men who came to gain the hand of Odysseus' wife Penelope) but is too afraid and nervous to rid them from his family. Thus showing the early days of Telemakhos' teen-youth. But Athena soon changed that by improving Telemakhos's tatu re, bearings, and even taught him the responsibilities of being a young prince by following his father's footsteps. In doing this Athena was able to greatly improve Telemakhos' way of thinking. Through the rest of the story this teaching allowed Telemakhos to embark upon one of the greatest experiences of his life in which he starts physically and mentally becoming a man just like his own father.

What makes the first four chapters of The Odyssey different from all the rest is how the story focuses straightly on the lives of Penelope and Telemakhos, and it's Book I in which Telemakhos greatly illustrates his many deep but childish-like personalities contained within him. Book I starts off when "the grey-eyed goddess" Athena is sent by the gods to go find Odysseus after hearing that he came home. Upon arrival Athena quickly finds out that Odysseus never came home and that the home was occupied by his son (Telemakhos), wife (Penelope), and a bunch of suitors waiting to gain Penelope's hand in marriage. What's more is that Penelope and Telemakhos have gone through terrible suffering ever since the suitors occupied their place.

When Athena asks Telemakhos about his father Odysseus he replies by saying, "Friend, let me put it in the plainest way. My mother says I am his son; I know not surely. Who has known his own engendering? I wish at least I had some happy man as father, growing old in his own house but unknown death and silence are the fate of him that, since you ask, they call my father". (Page 8). Primarily this quote explains that that after all the years isolated from his father he basically lost all of his faith in him.

By allowing Athena to change his stature, bearings, and teachings of the responsibilities of being a young prince; hence, greatly improving Telemakhos' way of thinking. This may be a big step in the maturity of Telemakhos but it's only the beginning in his way into adulthood. It isn't soon though until Telemakhos takes advantage of what he had learned from Athena and uses it against the suitors hoping it " ll show his authority as a young adult and progress on to the point of the suitors' departure. The teachings of Telemakhos to be like a prince has improved his mental knowledge, and it is Book II where he takes full advantage by proving that he has started his process in becoming a man. This allowed Telemakhos to become brave enough to call an assembly and requested for the suitors to leave his home.

Although Telemakhos failed in getting the suitors to leave, it still shows the great amount of physical and psychological maturity he is starting to go through into becoming an adult. This event made Telemakhos determined to go and search for his father to help him if he was ever to get rid of the suitors. Even though he only needs his father to rid of the suitors he has still taken a step in to learning and having faith in Odysseus, as he never had experienced before. By the end of Book II, Telemakhos risks life itself to go on his first journey by sailing across the sea in search for his father Odysseus. Not knowing if Odysseus is dead or alive Telemakhos is determined to find out what happened to him once and for all, and if possible to also find out where he may be if alive.