Book I: Telemachus.What is his situation and what do you think about it? What kind of guy do you think he is? What do you think his relationship is with his mother? Who are the suitors and what does Telemachus think of the them? What is Telemachus called to do? Who calls him?
Telemachus has been forced to grow up without a father. I can only imagine that that was a huge struggle for him, and not only did he have to deal with that, but he also did not even know if his father was dead. I feel bad for Telemachus in this situation. Also, his house is being basically destroyed by suitors. Suitors are men who take up room in their household waiting for who shall be chosen to wed the woman there. Not only by marrying the woman (in this case it is Penelope) will that man gain land, but he will also become king because the power will change over. Telemachus seems to be a very wise man, but he also seems to be one who "likes the ladies" we will say. He does not seem to be full of anger, but he is angry about the suitors in his house, the fact that he does not know if his father is still alive (he is also full of sorrow from this), and anger towards his mother when he scolds her. She was telling Telemachus that it struck her emotionally when she heard his wonderful singing in the midst of this bad time. Telemachus states, "My mother, why not let the faithful singer delight us as his heart impels? The singer is not to blame; this grief was brought by Zeus, he who assigns to those who feed on bread the good or evil he alone decrees" (14). Athena, a Greek goddess, visits Telemachus in disguise. She told him that her and her people had previously befriended his father a long time ago. Telemachus does eventually realize that she is not who she said she was, but really one of the gods. She told him that she believed his father was still alive through what she can see, and that he is to go off on an adventure. He was called to seek word of his father by sailing to Pylos first to question Nestor. If he hears that his father is alive and headed homeward then he should still hold out for one more year, but if he is pronounced dead then Telemachus shall return home. He will then marry off his mother to some man and kill the suitors that reside in his house.
Background:
Epic Poem
-really long adventure poem
-anonymous author- called Homer
-also wrote Iliad
*the Greek gods chose sides
*Poseidon- king of ocean
*Odyssey- means journey
*king of Ithaca- Odysseus- Poseidon is angry with him
*Poseidon causes a huge storm that wrecks all ships, but one of Odysseus' & tells the other gods that he may not leave
*Telemachus- Odysseus' son- 19 yrs. old now
*Penelope- Odysseus' wife
*Story starts with Telemachus
*His mother is supposed to get married because Odysseus is gone and has been for 19 yrs.
*Penelope believes he is still alive, but the rest believe Odysseus is dead
*Suitors are ransacking their home
*They want to marry her for her land, money, and the kingship they would receive (Odysseus was/is king)
*Penelope cannot possess the land for herself because she is a woman
*Athena is now talking other gods into letting Odysseus come home from the island he has been trapped on for 19 yrs. now
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