The Odyssey

A detailed Summary of The Odyssey


'The ways in which character respond to confrontation and battle reveal much about them.'

Discuss this statement with reference to two or more characters in Homer's The Odyssey.

There are two fundamental characters in Homer's The Odyssey - Telemachus and of course Odysseus. Both undergo journey's throughout the book, which take them into confronting situations and also into battle. It is through these encounters that much is revealed about both characters. Telemachus has confrontations throughout the story with the suitors, and at the end of the poem, he is in the battle in the hall. Telemachus' father Odysseus also has confrontations throughout the story with some friendly and other not so friendly people. He is also seen in battle beside his son in the hall.

The tale begins with Telemachus and his troubles at home in Ithaca with the suitors occupying his fathers palace. In the beginning Telemachus is still young and inexperienced. He has no way of knowing how to deal with the problem of the suitors who continue to eat him out of house and home, and he longs for his fathers return. It is quite obvious through the confrontations that he does have with the suitors, that Telemachus is quite immature, and also has a lack of co


Telemachus sets out on a journey of his own, to discover news of his father, and it is from here onwards that he continually grows as a person. He takes a big enough step in the first place by even taking up the journey, but secondly by the way with which he deals with the people he meets. He begins to show that he is articulate like his father when he talks to Odysseus' friends, and this is a quality which he begins to show more and more of later on in the story. Through meeting new people and being in foreign places, Telemachus gains confidence on his trip, for this time he has no one but himself to rely on.

Throughout these confrontations and the battle Telemachus has responded well - instead of becoming weak in the face of the suitors he stands up to them, addresses the issues, and takes action, with the help of his father though.

Odysseus also has many confrontations throughout the story and also a few battles where we are shown a lot of his character that would haven't otherwise been revealed. His whole story is based upon interaction with other people, and we can see that he is supremely confident. He is able to stand up to the nymph Calypso and tell a woman as undeniably beautiful as her, that he wants to leave. That is the first example in the story of how much he misses his home and family, and that he will do anything he can to get home.



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Approximate Word count = 921
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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