Like Father, like Son

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Recommended: Comparison of Telemachus to Odyssey

“He followed in his father’s footsteps, but his gait was somewhat erratic” (qtd. in Very Best Quotes). Nicholas Bentley’s quote touches on one of the most intriguing aspects of The Odyssey by Homer. Despite Telemachus’ father’s absence for the best of twenty years, this did not prevent Telemachus from maturing into a great man, much like his heroic dad, Odysseus. However, it was not by choice that Odysseus abandoned his son but because of circumstances beyond his control; he was called to fight in the Trojan War, and after the men’s victory, Odysseus was “driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy” (Homer 77). While Telemachus had not seen his father since he was an infant, he still shares many admirable characteristics and qualities derived from him. Odysseus and Telemachus are nearly identical in the sense that both are curious and clever thinkers, brave warriors, and men of misery.

The curiosity between both Odysseus and Telemachus was displayed clearly throughout the epic. Odysseus is an intelligent man and lives by his wiles, along with his courage. Although he is self-disciplined, his curiosity sometimes gets the best of him. Because of his own curiousness and hubris, Odysseus has gotten himself into trouble, almost costing him his life on multiple occasions. It is this intellectual curiosity that drives him to hear the Sirens’ song, wait for the Cyclops to return, and journey to Circe. When Eurylochus returned from Circe’s home after she turned the other men into swine, he warned Odysseus of what had happened, but he said “Lead me back by the same way that you came” (238) and proceeded to go to the deceiving woman. Although Odysseus’ curiosity may find him in death’s ...

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...y, was a strikingly accurate description.

Odysseus and Telemachus are presented with similar traits, drawing a parallel between father and son to display their individual flaws. Even with the long absence of his father, Telemachus grew to develop into a man almost identical to his father, learning to step up and act like the prince he is, especially in difficult times. With his cleverness and thoughtfulness he inherited from Odysseus, Telemachus will, no doubt, one day be just as exceptional as his father. After the numerous ordeals he has been through, Telemachus has truly proven himself worthy of being called the son of Odysseus.

Works Cited

“Father and Son Quotes.” Very Best Quotes. N.p., 25 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 May 2014. .
Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1996. Print.

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