The Change Of Telemachus In Homer's Odyssey

The transition from childhood to adulthood is a drastic and significant one, and in The Odyssey, by Homer, Telemachus exemplifies how much one can change in this transition. Having grown up without a father, Telemachus does not have a role model, but with the help of Athena, he is able to have the courage to do things he wasn’t able to before . Telemachus progresses into an ideal man throughout the first four books by becoming more assertive, taking charge of the kingdom, and becoming more wise; these qualities are often complimented by authority figures. Telemachus becomes much more self-confident and assertive as the poem progresses. At the beginning of the poem, Telemachus allows the suitors to abuse xenia, an important tradition in ancient

Telemachus takes charge of the household. When Penelope tells the bard to leave, Telemachus tells Penelope to go back to her room and says, “‘As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all: I hold the reins of the house” (1.412-414). Before Telemachus never even thought himself as the leader of his household, but now he is even ordering his mother around. Ever since Odysseus left, there was no one obvious ruler to his household, but now Telemachus has established him as the person in charge. Telemachus organizes the kingdom and it’s people. Telemachus even “...ordered heralds to cry out loud and clear / and summon the flowing-haired Achaeans to full assembly” (2.6-7). This is especially important because an assembly in Ithaca hasn’t been called in 20 years since Odysseus left. The fact that Telemachus calls an assembly shows that he is becoming prepared to rule the kingdom. Telemachus even walks into the assembly looking prepared and powerful. For instance, “Telemachus strode in too, a bronze spear in his grip / and not alone: two sleek hounds went trotting at his heels” (2.10-11). The bronze spear symbolizes power, and the hounds symbolize trust and Telemachus’ loyalty to the kingdom. This shows that Telemachus knows what he is doing and intentionally chose to present himself like this in order to show the people of Ithaca that he is prepared to be in charge. Telemachus also progresses in

Telemachus stands up to the suitors, takes control of the kingdom, and learns how to speak with people of high authority with wiseness. This shows that these qualities were considered to make up the ideal Greek male in ancient Greece and were very much valued in Greek culture. In this way, the Odyssey is a means to finding out more about Greek culture and plays a significant role in what people know about the time period it is written in. Despite the fact that Telemachus begins to take charge of the kingdom, one day Odysseus will come back, so when that happens, will Telemachus still play a significant role in the ruling of the kingdom? This raises an even more general question that has no answer: Can sons overpass their