Table of Contents
Why do Telemachus and Penelope need Odysseus back in Ithaca?
Telemachus needs Odysseus at home if he’s to learn the valuable arts of kingship. As for Penelope, she needs Odysseus to get rid of all those bothersome suitors that have been paying court to her all these years. So the sooner he arrives back on Ithaca after his epic wanderings, the better it will be for Penelope.
Why does Odysseus wife have suitors?
Odysseus’ wife has suitors because they all want the wealth and power that comes with being married to her. With the absence of Odysseus, and his assumed death, his wife is subject to having to choose a man to be her husband and Ruler of Ithica.
What is the relationship between Telemachus and Odysseus?
Telemachus loved his father all his life and he even respected Odysseus while he was absent for years. Telemachus respected Odysseus nobility and believed in his integrity while waiting for him to return home.
WHO recognizes Telemachus as the son of Odysseus when he is visiting her kingdom?
In Sparta, the king and queen, Menelaus and Helen, are celebrating the separate marriages of their son and daughter. They happily greet Pisistratus and Telemachus, the latter of whom they soon recognize as the son of Odysseus because of the clear family resemblance.
What are Telemachus strengths and weaknesses?
He was also very loyal to his father and had high hopes for bringing him back. Weaknesses : Telemachus lacked courage in the beginning of the epic. He often had a hard time standing up to the suitors that was taking over his home.
How is Telemachus similar to his father?
Telemachus’ and his father Odysseus’ experiences/journeys parallel each other in many different ways. One way that they are both similar is that they are both very well liked by Athena, who accompanies both on their journeys around Greece. Athena acts as guardian to both father and son.
Why is Odysseus important to the story of Telemachus?
Although Telemachus develops considerable maturity throughout the poem, as a relatively young man he still isn’t strong enough to be able to take on his mother’s suitors and expel them from his father’s palace. For that, he will need the assistance of Odysseus. Hence the importance of setting off on his voyage to find his long-lost father.
Why does Penelope need Odysseus in the Odyssey?
Penelope needs Odysseus because she is essentially powerless against the suitors. In the first four books of the Odyssey, we see Telemachus become a man. Still, there are 108 suitors and only one of him. He and Odysseus need each other (and Athena) to defeat all of them.
How did Odysseus get rid of the suitors?
Telemachus is infuriated at the suitors hanging around his fathers house, making advances at his mother. So they need Odysseus to come home, reclaim his position of authority, and expel the suitors. Which he eventually does when he kills them with the help of his son and Athena.
Why was Odysseus away from home for so long?
Odysseus has been away from home for quite some time. He was involved in the Trojan War, and then a long journey home delayed by a number of misfortunes. His absence has affected his family in several ways.