Telemakhos clearly makes the transition from boy into man during the first books

of The Odyssey. This development into a man is not so much of the body as it is of the

mind. Neither is this journey completely voluntary. Telemakhos must mature in order to

deal with the turbulence surrounding his household. In the beginning of The Odyssey

Telemakhos is unhappy, but uninspired to do anything about his unfortunate surroundings

until Athena arrives. Athena is, in many ways, Telemakhos' guide during his

transformation. There is a vast difference between the Telemakhos of book one and the

Telemakhos of book four; in the way he speaks, the way he thinks of his family, and in his

In the beginning of Book One, Homer describes Telemakhos: "...sitting there

unhappy among the suitors,/ a boy, daydreaming. What if his great father/ came from the

unknown world and drove these men/ like dead leaves through the place, recovering/

honor and lordship in his own domains?" Athena arrives in the next line of the poem, and

Telemakhos immediately begins to evolve. With Athena's presence we see a more mature

originally angry with the suitors for occupying his home, destroying his things, and

fantasies of his return in the first, and entertaining the very real possibility of Odysseus'

The two passages quoted above show a dramatic shift in Telemakhos. His manner

Telemakhos has learned more about Odysseus, strengthening a bond with his father that

recognizes this and praises Telemakhos' patrimony and his able speech.

My house, my good estates are being ruined.

I come to you for news of him who owned it.

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Approximate Word count = 1048
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)