Analyzing Themes Of Robert Fagles The Odyssey

He further reveals his commitment by addressing the suitors. Although Telemachus has never dared to speak up to the suitors, his fidelity to Odysseus overpowers his fears. He tells them, "You should be ashamed yourselves, mortified in the face of neighbors living round about! Fear the gods' wrath—before they wheel in outrage and make these crimes recoil on your heads" (Homer 2:63). As Telemachus undertakes this strenuous adventure, he grows into a stronger and wiser man, all thanks to his determination in finding

There are a hundred grown men in his house trying to win his mother’s hand in marriage after his father had not returned for seven years. Telemachus shows courage by speaking to the suitors in a commanding tone and telling them to leave. They are disrespecting his father, Odysseus, by living in his house and eating all of their food. His father was very courageous in the battle of Troy and is well respected for his courageousness. However, the suitors do not respect Telemachus and see him only as a boy but he commands them to do so anyway.

Telemachus, in the Odyssey by Homer, is a young man who has disregarded his responsibilities as a god and son. He is to take on the land that his father, Odysseus, left behind when he supposedly died after the journey back from the Trojan War. He learns later on that his father may not even be dead, and that he may be captured by the people of Calypso. Soon as he hears the news, Telemachus begins to recognize his obligation and then accepts the qualities it takes to become a hero that the people of Ithaca and other countries are looking for. He also learns about gaining respect from these countries takes treating others with admiration. Close to the end of Book IV, the audience sees a character who has taking initiative in his life, shifting towards maturity, and

      During the book it seems that even a goddess, such as Athene, does not know what to do with somebody as incompetent, and inexperienced as Telemachus.  Athene toys with some ideas and then finally decides to get Telemachus to go to Sparta.  Perhaps it is this journey that finally gives Telemachus a chance to mature and see the world.  Through this journey, Telemachus' first, he sees many new sights and encounters new situations. He is humbled when he sees the palace of Menelaos and his most beautiful

The suitors show him no respects as he is till a child and does not have the intimidating presence like his father. Feeling dejected, Telemachus leaves and prays to the gods for guidance. Athena the goddess appears. She encourages and advises by telling him that since he is his father’s son, he should have courage like him. He should also have faith that the suitors will soon get what they deserve.

(2) Another outcome of Athena’s encouragement is Telemachus’ development of eloquence. At first, he is tentative and inexperienced at using his loquaciousness on the suitors and Ithacans, but he soon becomes an expert orator when speaking to Menelaus. After Athena’s inspiration, Telemachus finally confronts the courters and complains about their insolence. He delivers a scolding speech, which prompts them to be “amazed that [he] can speak with so much daring” (1. 439). His loquaciousness surprises the suitors, as they have never heard him audaciously advocate for his beliefs. However, his complaints do not leave a lasting effect on the courters, as they immediately begin to “dance and s[ing]” (1. 480). Telemachus then becomes tentative, and eventually succumbs and does not reprimand them again. Thus, his hesitation and amateurism prohibits him from completely inducing them to leave. Moreover, he is unsuccessful in rousing the Ithacans to retaliate against the suitors. Telemachus attempts to make an inspiring speech to persuade the Ithacans to fight against the courters, but instead, he provokes “pity [to] seize [the Ithacans]” (2. 88). The response is the opposite of what the young prince desired, and this failure proves Telemachus is still a neophyte at utilizing his eloquence. At Menelaus’ house, Telemachus matures and becomes an effective and influential speaker. Menelaus offers three magnificent stallions to Telemachus, but he

Telemachus was the son of Odysseus, mighty king of Ithaca and hero of Athena. Telemachus was a mere infant when Odysseus set sail for Troy where he helped to conquer the Trojans and retrieve Menelaus’ wife Helen. Despite emerging victorious from the Trojan war, Odysseus hadn't succeeded in returning home to Ithaca, and so twenty-one years after his departure for Troy, his family and kingdom believed him to be dead. Telemachus had lived his entire life without his father and as the Odyssey begins, although twenty-one years of age, Telemachus seems to be a child and not a powerful young man. Telemachus was first portrayed as a somber young lad who's heart was stricken with grief for the loss of his father. He was daydreaming and keeping to himself

In the beginning of The Odyssey, Telemachus is not yet a man and not sure of himself yet. Embarking on a mission to find his father, he matures from a child to a strong, single-minded adult. Throughout the poem, Telemachus finds his place in the world and becomes a more well-rounded person. Although Telemachus never quite matches his father Odysseus in terms of wit, strength, agility, his resilience does develop throughout the text. In the epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, the young boy Telemachus changes from an insecure teen into a confident and poised young man as he travels the seas in search for his father, whose bravery and intelligence proves to be comparable to his own.

Through his journey to Pylos and Sparta, Telemachus, who was born into a very privileged and high ranking family, learns how to use his inherited social status and connections for his own interests, which will help him mature into manhood. Telemachus was never old enough to remember what it was like when his father was around. Since Odysseus left, he has lived with his mom and nurse. However, for three years, he has been overwhelmed by suitors, who have taken over his house. Odysseus was never able to show Telemachus how to stand up for himself. Telemachus has been less than passive when going about doing things to get what he wants. When Athena comes and tells him that his father is going to come home, he realizes he has been ignoring what he knows is wrong, such as the suitors throwing parties every night, and that he needs to stop them. He doesn’t have any idea of how he is going to find his father when Athena comes, but he along his way finds that he has many resources and connections at hand that will allow him to find out what happened to his dad. Athena, disguised as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus, encourages Telemachus to talk to Nestor. "Telemachus, no more shyness, this is not the time!/ We sailed the seas for this, for news of your father —// So go right up to Nestor...// Press him yourself to tell the whole truth:/ he'll never lie — the man is far too wise"(3.16-22) Here, Athena is encouraging Telemachus to be assertive, to get what the needs to know to find his father. Telemachus responds, "How can I greet him, Mentor, even approach the king?/ I'm hardly adept at subtle conversation./ Someone my age might feel shy, what's more,/ interrogating an older man."/ (3.23-27) He is intimidated. The irony is that he himself is of the higher class, and if Odysseus had been home, he would be accustomed to these interactions. This is Odysseus learning that he has high social status and can enjoy the privileges he was born with, such as being able to talk to the king. While there, Telemachus learns of the fate of the family of Agamemnon. Agamemnon came home to find his wife in love with Aegisthus, and together they kill him. Orestes, one of Agamemnon’s sons, avenges his father’s murder and kills

The clear-eyed goddess Athena herself tells Telemachus that "…not unbefriended of the gods have you been born and bred" (19). Her reference highlights Telemachus’ greatest inheritance, which is the aid of the immortal gods. Even Nestor, a mortal, notes the aid which Telemachus receives from the gods, and marvels that Telemachus must be truly favored "…if when so young the gods become [his] guides" (26). Such qualities in Telemachus constantly remind the reader of the dependence on the gods’ aid Odysseus has developed in his travels.

These two actions show the beginning of Telemachus' maturity. When Athena came in disguise to help Telemachus, the name Mentor was appropriately fitting. Before Mentor approached Telemachus, no one was trying to control the suitors or make them leave. But, the advise Mentor gave Telemachus encouraged him to take action against the shameless suitors. He proves to be the man of the house by standing up to his mother so he could address the crowd. He is learning how to take control of a situation, which he does not stand for, and how to stand up for himself and his family.

Since the beginning of our lives, humans are born with a specific set of chromosomes that contain the genetic information that will code for our personality, appearance and our biological functioning (Science Learning Hub, 2011). Inside those chromosomes, humans can develop a wide range of genetically-based diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, diabetes and some forms of cancers, due to mutations of the DNA structure (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2015). A new technique created by researchers called Restriction Nuclease Mediated Recombination, has the ability to successfully replace DNA sequences in order to eliminate genetic-based diseases. Initially, this technology appears to one of the greatest scientific accomplishments, however

Athena’s four-step plan for Telemachus may seem unnecessary, and they serve as a means of bringing back the lost confidence of

In the Odyssey Telemachus has varying relationships with his mother, Penelope, the suitors, and his nurse, Eurycleia; a mother and son but also head of household and subordinate member of the household, a young boy and superior men, and a son and mother but also a master and servant. In the poem, Telemachus must find out what became of his father, Odysseus, who never returned home from the Trojan war. Meanwhile suitors from various places try to force his mother, Penelope, into marriage while they deplete all of Odysseus’ resources and destroy his house. With all of these complicated situations, Telemachus must take on a variety of different roles depending on who he’s interacting with. Based on the text, Telemachus has superior, strained, and complex relationships with his mother, the suitors, and Eurycleia.

Before Telemachus begins his journey, the goddess Athena watches over him from Olympus and decides to help him. However, she does not make herself know to Telemachus, instead she disguise herself as familiar faces to him. And it’s these disguises that bring out Telemachus’ character. Her first disguise is as an old friend named Mentor. “Then bright-eyed Athena, assuming Mentor’s form and voice once more called Telemachus out of the palace to her side. ‘Telemachus,’ she said, ‘your well-grieved companions are sitting at their oars, waiting for your word to start’”(Homer 25). This scene explains how Telemachus views Mentor. He not only sees him as a man to be trusted, but also heed the words of. Telemachus doesn’t dissuade him or any of the like; he listens to his words and follows his instructions. Thus painting the idea that Telemachus knows this man well enough, that he is willing to follow his will in the middle of the night. However, there is something else that goes on. And that is the silent relationship of Telemachus and Athena. Touched on by Michael Murrin is his article Athena and Telemachus he goes into detail of the complex relationship between the two and explains, “In her disguise as Mentor, Athena does just what she promised to do in the divine assembly that begins The Odyssey. She stirs up Telemachus and gets him to act on his own. She does so with concrete