Telemachus Coming Of Age Quotes In The Odyssey

Although many characters show different themes from the epic poem The Odyssey by homer, Telemachus represents the theme of coming of age throughout the poem. He shows this theme several times in the book the odyssey. Some examples are from the beginning of the poem, while other examples are from the ending of the poem.
An example of Telemachus’ coming of age is when he had helped Odysseus kill the suitors. He was told to follow Odysseus’ orders and wait until the word to hide all the weapons. Before Odysseus had started killing the suitors, Penelope had decided to make whoever was able string Odysseus’s bow and shoot it through twelve axe handles would marry her. The quote “You see divine Odysseus’s mighty bow; whoever strings this bow with greatest ease will be the man I follow”(pg421) shows the task to string the bow that only someone as strong as odysseus can. Telemachus had tried and failed to string the bow a couple of times but

He had called a meeting to talk about the suitor problem and to tell the elders of his plan that he was going to do. The quote “Then I shall make my way to sandy Pylos and Sparta, seeking tidings of my father, who left so so long ago.”(pg30) shows what Telemachus says about his plan. When he had landed on Pylos he had to seek out Nestor. When Telemachus had found Nestor he had asked if Nestor had info on his father Odysseus. Nestor replied with “I’ve come in search of word about my father- the famous, the unfaltering, Odysseus.”(pg44) and had a feast. In the beginning Telemachus didn’t know how to talk to the kings that were there. Telemachus had learned how to talk to kings and was told to speak to Menelaus in Sparta. When Telemachus went to Sparta to find king Menelaus, Menelaus had told Telemachus all that he knew about the whereabouts of Odysseus. Menelaus had said “Against his will, he’s kept a captive in the grottoes of Calypso- her island home, where he can only sorrow”