Books 1-4: The Telemachia
Characters:
Gods: Zeus (King of Olympus), Athena (Goddess of Wisdom, aid of Odysseus)
Mortals: Telemachus (Odysseus’s son), Antinous (An arrogant suitor), Penelope (Odysseus’s wife),Phemius (The bard/entertainer), Eurycleia (The nurse), Mentes (Athena’s disguise, Telemachus’s mentor), Menelaus ( King of Sparta, helps Telemachus), Nestor (King of Pylos), Helen (Menelaus’s wife), Laertes (Odysseus’s father)
Plot:
Book 1 The story starts out in medias res, or in the middle of things. The Gods (except Poseidon) gather on Olympus and we learn that Odysseus is still on Calypso’s island and that his kingdom is being run over by suitors asking for Penelope’s hand. Athena asks to help Odysseus and his son, Telemachus. She later visits Telemachus who decides to visit other kingdoms to seek word of his father.
Book 2 Telemachus calls an assembly of the elders, and begins to step into his father’s legacy. He then gives a speech, calling them out on letting their sons take over Odysseus’s household, using his supplies and courting his wife. Telemachus calls the gods to deliver punishment, and Zeus sends him a sign to confirm his words. Telemachus then secretly sets sail to visit other kings for word of his father.
Book 3 Telemachus visits Pylos, where he meets King Nestor and speaks during a ceremony for Poseidon. After the feast Nestor tells him how Agamemnon and Menelaus had a disagreement and separated. Nestor went back with Menelaus, while Odysseus went
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
Explanation: Telemachus thinks his father is dead. But in Book I were told that Odysseus is still alive and couldn’t return home because of the conflicts between Poseidon.
Next, Telemachus did as Mentor told him and sailed off to Pylos in search of his father. When Telemachus landed on the shore of Pylos, he found King Nestor and his son sacrificing bulls to the Gods. Telemachus is graciously received by Nestor, and is invited to be a guest at dinner. After dinner Telemachus and Nestor introduce themselves and Telemachus explains the reason for his visit. Nestor does not provide
As a result, Athena is there to advise and prepare Telemachus for her greater plan of the homecoming of Odysseus. Athena’s first goal is pointed out by her statement, “Tomorrow, summon the Achaian warriors into assembly / and publish your word to all...Tell suitors to scatter and go back to their own holdings” (1.272-274) which commands Telemachus to call an assembly for suitors and tell them to leave his household. Further, Athena suggests Telemachus visit Nestor and Menelaus, who was his father’s friend in the Trojan war by the statement “First go to Pylos, and there question the great Nestor, / and from there go over to Sparta to see fair-haired Menelaos, / since he came from home last of all the bronze-armored Achains.” (1.284-286). Finally, the words of Athena “after you have made an end of these matters, and done them, / next you must consider well in your heart and spirit some means by which you can kill the suitors who are in your household, / by treachery or open attack.” (1.293-296) reveals her final plan for Telemachus that he must find a way to kill the suitors after his return.
Three traits that Odysseus and Telemakhos share are clear-headedness, eloquence, and showing strong emotion. They are portrayed with these traits in the Odyssey, composed by Homer. Odysseus is a renowned military strategist, warrior, and the King of Ithaca. He was forced to go to war against Troy twenty years ago, and since then has traveled all over the Aegean trying to find a way back home. Meanwhile, his son, Telemakhos, has developed into a full-grown man from the mere infant he was when his father left for war. He has searched far and wide for news of his father, still hoping, along with his mother, Penelope, that Odysseus is still alive somewhere and somehow, even though most have assumed he is dead. Through his ventures, Telemakhos
Chapter 12- Odysseus’s story continues with Odysseus burying Elpenor, where Circe tells him what to do. Then, he goes through the Sirens song and Scylla with his crew. Afterwards, the Sun makes Zeus punish Odysseus, which he does, by destroying his ship. Odysseus ends the story with him reaching Ogygia.
Odysseus’s wife, Penelope lives back in their town, Ithaka, is being pressured by unwanted suitors. Their son, Telemachos, is visited by the goddess Athene. Athene was quite close with Odysseus, and she tells Telemachos to go looking for his missing father. He travels to Pylos to see the King, Nestor. Nestor takes him in, gives him dinner and then tells him to go see King Menelaos in Sparta. Telemachos does as he’s told and travels to Sparta to see King Menelaos. He tells him that his father Odysseus is alive and is being kept captive on Kalypso’s island. He also tells him that his brother, King Agamemnon, has been murdered by his own wife, Klytamestra, and her lover Aigisthos. But, Agamemnon’s son, Orestes has killed his father’s murderers
Loyalty in the Odyssey In a book such as The Odyssey you may cite different times in which loyalty was shown. Depending on the relationship between the characters loyalty is displayed constantly throughout the story. Both viewed as good and bad characters in the story have shown faithfulness to certain people. Loyalty is very important in a relationship as Penelope refused to marry another man never losing hope in her husband, Telemachus sets sail his own journey to find his father not believing in his father’s death and as a sea god Poseidon caused Odysseus numerous delays as retaliation for his son, Polyphemus.
“You must not cling to your boyhood any longer— / it’s time you were a man,” Athena tells Telemachus when giving him advice before he his begins his journey (1.341-342). In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, “The Telemachia” are the first four books of the epic poem. They focus on Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, and his struggles as he goes on a quest to find any news of his missing father, Odysseus. Telemachus’ development throughout his journey in the first four books of The Odyssey help us to understand the Greek ideal of manhood.
This statement is very telling as it defines not only the appearance of the great Odysseus, but also the son he left behind. Furthermore, it begins to develop a timeline of actions by announcing that Odysseus left home when Telemachus was only a baby. Nestor recognizes that Odysseus ' appearance, vivacity, and personality are apparent in his progeny, Telemachus. This is encouraging to Telemachus as he hears that he resembles the great king Odysseus. As Telemachus presses for news of what has become of his father, Telemachus learns that his father may yet be alive and held captive by a goddess-nymph named Calypso. He then glorifies the strong will of Orestes and encourages Telemachus to do the same: "And you, my friend - / how tall and handsome I see you now - be brave, you too, / so men to come will sing your praises down the years." (3, 226 - 227).
Now we return to the re-encounter of the father and the son. They spend twenty years apart from each other undergoing trials and hardship that poise them for their final confrontation. Telemachus and Odysseus both arrive on the island of Ithaca within more or less the same time period. And they both, out of prudence and devotion, seek safety in the swineherd's security; in this they are analogous. Odysseus' restraint is shown when he abstains from revealing his identity to his son until Eumaeus has exited. Before father and son first recognize each other, and before Telemachus knows that he is talking to his father, an interesting phenomenon occurs in which both father and son demonstrate their humility and likeness to each other. The event involves Odysseus offering his seat to Telemachus and Telemachus refusing the offer. The significance of this event is that Odysseus, who is in disguise as a beggar, is a more dominant man than Telemachus and modest enough to offer his seat. Telemachus in turn knows that he is a better man than a beggar but refuses chivalrously to take the beggar's seat. The
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
In book 4 of The Odyssey, the story begins with a feast at King Menelaus’ house in the deep valley of Lacedaemon in Sparta. Telemachus and Peisistratus arrive at the place hoping to learn news about Odysseus, who’s missing at the time. Menelaus invites them to share the feast, and they share stories about Odysseus as soon as Helen recognized Telemachus. Helen tells them how Odysseus pretended to be a beggar in the city of Troy to gain information about the enemy. Menelaus talks about how Odysseus saved the nation by keeping the men hiding in the Trojan horse quiet while Helen tried to lure them out of hiding. The next morning, Menelaus tells Telemachus another story, which is about his time when he was stranded on an island called Pharos. He
As Telemachus tracks Odysseus' trail through stories from his old Comrades- in- arm, Athena arranges for the release of Odysseus from the Island of the beautiful goddess Calypso, whose prisoner and lover he has been for the last seven years. Odysseus sets sail on a makeshift raft, but the sea god Poseidon, whose wrath Odysseus incurred earlier in his adventure by blinding Poseidon's son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, conjures up a storm. With Athena's help Odysseus reaches the Phaeacians. Their princess, Nausicaa, who has a crush on the handsome warrior, opens the palace to the stranger. Odysseus withholds his identity for as long as he can until finally, at the Phaeacians' request, he tells the story of his adventures.
Menelaus greets Telemachus with a great reception, and he is recognized as Odysseus' son before a large gathered crowd at the palace. Menelaus takes very good care of Telemachus as his guest. Athena (still in disguise as Mentes) was not treated as well as her goddess status afforded her to be. After another recollection of old stories, and war legends, Telemachus was able to once again set sail, still in search of his father, Odysseus.