Development_of_Telemachos

Development of Telemachos The Development of Telemakhos’ adult self in the first four books of The Odyssey Telemakhos clearly makes the transition from boy into man during the first books of The Odyssey. This development into a man is not so much of the body as it is of the mind. Neither is this journey completely voluntary. Telemakhos must mature in order to deal with the turbulence surrounding his household. In the beginning of The Odyssey Telemakhos is unhappy, but uninspired to do anything about his unfortunate surroundings until Athena arrives. Athena is, in many ways, Telemakhos’ guide during his transformation. There is a vast difference between the Telemakhos of book one and the Telemakhos of book four; in the way he speaks, the way he thinks of his family, and in his faith. In the beginning of Book One, Homer describes Telemakhos: “...sitting there unhappy among the suitors,/ a boy, daydreaming. What if his great father/ came from the unknown world and drove these men/ like dead leaves through the place, recovering/ honor and lordship in his own domains'” Athena arrives in the next line of the poem, and Telemakhos immediately begins to evolve. With Athena’s presence we see a more mature Telemakhos, ready to take on telemakhos, book, athena, first, father, while, very, suitors, one, odysseus, man, journey, home, four, boy, about, transition, telemakhos’, news, father’s, beginning, way, speech, return, passages, must, makes, long, household, honor, heard, change, books, asking, after, witnessed, ways, two, travels, time, through, thinks, tale, take, speaks, shown, second, real, order, now