The Epic Of Homer s Odyssey - 1433 Words

Homer’s Odyssey makes use of its epic qualities to narrate the lives of three men. The tale begins with Telemachus, a young prince who leaves his homeland to learn about his father and about himself at the same time. Through the use of this initial event, Homer creates a chronological structure that is further observed through the introduction of the story’s main character, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca and the father of Telemachus. Both father and son long to see each other after a decade of separation, and develop an increasingly complex relationship that bears unique attributes in the Homerian tradition. Similarly, once Odysseus returns home from Troy, he also visits his father, Laertes, and again the author elucidates upon the†¦show more content†¦Telemachus starts off as a fearful prince, but that is changed by the divine inspiration he receives form Athena when she tells him to â€Å"not to cling to (†¦) boyhood any longer—it’s time to become a man† (1:341-342). What is more important, though, is how the goddess highlights his resemblance to his father. Guided by Athena, the youngster is motivated to embark in an endeavor that leads him to gather the men of the city for the first time since his father’s suspected demise. Here, for the first time, we see someone stand in Odysseus’s shoes. Telemachus later goes on to speak in front of the suitors and even condemn their unruliness. Before our eyes is a man in the making, but let’s not forget the common saying: â€Å"behind every great man stands a great woman† and in his case much like in his father’s, it is a goddess that acts as a driving force of greatness. After the first hints of manhood become visible in Telemachus under the aegis of Athena, the young prince begins to dive deeper into the essence of his identity. Menelaus and Helen’s nostalgic accounts about Odysseus teach the prince about his father, but at the same time about the standards by which he should live by. Heroes are not such because they simply became heroes, but instead, because they followed someone’s example. Telemachus is destined to become Odysseus, and that can be drawn by