Essay On The Character Of Telemachus In Homer's Odyssey

The Odyssey by Homer talks about the travels of the god-like Odysseus who is struggling to return to his homeland, Ithaca, after being trapped by the goddess Calypso. Homer tells the stories of Odysseus’ travels and introduces his teenage son, Telemachus, who is also facing many problems at home. He has trouble getting rid of his mother’s suitors, who have invited themselves into his home, and he struggles to mature while looking for his father. His mother, Penelope, is incredibly depressed over Odysseus, which leaves Telemachus alone and without guidance. However, over the course of the first four books, Telemachus transforms from a boy to a man when he defends his home and mother from the suitors, travels to Nestor’s house, and goes on journey of searching for his father. He demonstrates the awkward age of a teenager, where one is not a child anymore but too immature to be an adult. Telemachus tries hard to convey maturity to not only the suitors and everyone he meets on the journey, but also to himself. Telemachus proves that he has grown up when he stands up to all of his mother’s suitors, and begins to search for his long-lost father. After the Trojan War, people believed that whoever returned back home were the only living survivors. So, when Odysseus was not among one of the survivors everyone in Ithaca believed that Odysseus was dead, which lead to suitors …show more content…
He stopped being a child and started to become a man when he stands up to the suitors and begins his search for his father. If he was still childish he wouldn’t have gone out and looked for an opportunity to look for Odysseus, instead he would have waited for the opportunity to reach him. So far, Homer has only revealed Telemachus’ transition for a short time but as the book continues, his transformation will be amazing considering everything that he has already accomplished over the course of the first four