Emily Wilson’s translation of the Telemakos’ dialogue highlights his assertiveness and desire to take charge of the events around him. After Odysseus arrives back in Ithaca and cleans up his streets previously polluted with suitors, he orders Telemakos to finish up the job by hanging the women who slept with the evil suitors. However, instead of doing as his father says, Telemakos, “Showing Initiative,” “insisted: I refuse to grant these girls a clean death, since they poured down shame on me and Mother, when they lay beside the suitors.” Wilson chooses to use the words “initiative”, “insisted”, and “grant” to convey that Telemakos is stepping up and using his voice to assert his desires. Telemakos’ refusal to show mercy to the women confirms that he …show more content…
Overall, Wilson’s translation emphasizes Telemakos’ use of assertive language to highlight his growth as a son and a leader. On the other hand, Robert Fitzgerald’s translation uses abrasive diction to reveal Telemakos’ pure hatred towards the women. In the same scene as previously mentioned in Wilson’s translation, Telemakos’ words and tone are more hateful and vicious. Telemakos, “Who knew his mind, said curtly: I would not give the clean death of a beast to trulls who made mockery of my mother and of me too– you sluts, you lay with the suitors.” Telemakos is portrayed as “knowing his mind” which shows his transformation into an independent thinker because he is speaking from his own original thoughts. Additionally, Telemakos condemns the women for their betrayal by using vile slurs to describe them. He even addresses them directly, which adds a layer of intimacy and elevates his condemnation to a more personal level. His verbal attack on the women displays the anger that Telemakos feels towards the