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Relationship Between Penelope And Telemachus In Homer's Odyssey

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Penelope and Telemachus are left at home after Odysseus goes to fight in the Trojan war. Once this war is over suitors start to show up at their home. Both Penelope and Telemachus have different reactions. Penelope tends to stay up in her room to not be bothered by the suitors who wish to marry her. Telemachus does not really engage with these suitors but he does not choose to stay isolated from them. He ignores them at the dinner table and just eats, but Penelope chooses to have her food taken up to her room to not be bothered by the annoying suitors. These suitors are killing and eating all of the cattle, making messes, partying, and being very rude.

In the beginning of the Odyssey, Penelope herself is not really focused on like Odysseus …show more content…

She agrees to marrying one of the suitors once she is done with this blanket. So to postpone this agreement, every night she pulls it apart and starts all over again the next day. Since none of the suitors go up into her room she never gets questioned. This is one of the reasons why she is very wise. This plan works for a couple of years.

Telemachos is not really around the whole book. When he is not downstairs ignoring the suitors while he dines he is typically in his room. Athene eventually comes down to earth and likens herself to a women and tells Telemachos that his father is alive and he should venture out and look for him. Telemachus is excited that his father did not die a gruesome death in the Trojan war. He takes a couple of his men and look for his father.

After Odysseus comes home with the help of Athene guiding him. Athene disguises him as an old begger so the suitors do not try to kill him. He notices that Telemachos is not home so he is told to come home by Athene. When he gets home he does not realize the old begger is in fact his father Odysseus. Except when Athene takes off the spell and Odysseus is revealed. Telemachos is told not to tell anyone, which he does not. This is because Odysseus does not want anyone to spread rumors

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