Wednesday, November 14, 2012
O Brother!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Extra Credit: Wedding Vows
Hey!
Post a few wedding vows in a comment, and if we choose to use yours in our actual vows, I'll give you some extra credit. I need them by Thursday morning.
Remember: they must have something to do with literature, English, school, teachers-student. So use your creative brain--puns, metaphors, and plays on words always please me!
This is a pun, for example:
Post a few wedding vows in a comment, and if we choose to use yours in our actual vows, I'll give you some extra credit. I need them by Thursday morning.
Remember: they must have something to do with literature, English, school, teachers-student. So use your creative brain--puns, metaphors, and plays on words always please me!
This is a pun, for example:
Friday, November 9, 2012
Telemachus' Growth
Jake Lipman, Ben Racusin November 9, 2012
At the beginning of the Odyssey, Telemachus is introduced as a young teenager who is longing for his father to come home. For example, “First by far to see her was Price Telemachus, sitting among the suitors, heart obsessed with grief” (Book 1: 132-133) Homer also illustrates Telemachus as a helpless boy who is surrounded by suitors willing to kill him for his father’s kingdom. Although, Telemachus does show that he is aware of xenia, and is smart enough to offer Mentes a bath and gifts, “But come, stay longer, keen as you are to sail, so you can bathe and rest and lift your spirits, then go back to you ship, delighted with a gift, a prize of honor, something rare and fine as a keepsake from myself” (Book 1: 355-359). When Athena, disguised as Mentes, tells Telemachus to embark on a journey to find his father, he acts very calmly and handles the situation nicely which show that he is maturing. In Book 4, Telemachus has matured slightly but still cries when he hear Odysseus name. As Book 4 continues, Telemachus is trying harder to figure out facts about where his father which shows that he is maturing. Telemachus says, “Son of Atreus, King Menelaus, captain of armies, I came in the hope that you can tell me now some news about my father” (Book 4: 353-355). Homer also begins to call Telemachus “clear-sighted Telemachus” because he is becoming smarter and more persistent in finding details about his father (Book 4: 335). In Book 4, Telemachus shows a different side to his character, and moves from being a weak teenager to a “clear-sighted” individual (see previous quote). In Book 20, when Telemachus reenters the story, he is smart enough to realize that the beggar is Odysseus, and makes sure the maid attended to him. Telemachus, in Book 20, supported his father when he was still in his beggar form. He told him to ignore the suitors mocking words and gave him food and wine. Before Telemachus and Odysseus killed the suitors, he volunteered himself to try to shoot the arrow through the axes. This shows that he has become confident since the beginning of the book and has matured a lot.
Telemachus’ Growth
At the beginning of the Odyssey, Telemachus is introduced as a young teenager who is longing for his father to come home. For example, “First by far to see her was Price Telemachus, sitting among the suitors, heart obsessed with grief” (Book 1: 132-133) Homer also illustrates Telemachus as a helpless boy who is surrounded by suitors willing to kill him for his father’s kingdom. Although, Telemachus does show that he is aware of xenia, and is smart enough to offer Mentes a bath and gifts, “But come, stay longer, keen as you are to sail, so you can bathe and rest and lift your spirits, then go back to you ship, delighted with a gift, a prize of honor, something rare and fine as a keepsake from myself” (Book 1: 355-359). When Athena, disguised as Mentes, tells Telemachus to embark on a journey to find his father, he acts very calmly and handles the situation nicely which show that he is maturing. In Book 4, Telemachus has matured slightly but still cries when he hear Odysseus name. As Book 4 continues, Telemachus is trying harder to figure out facts about where his father which shows that he is maturing. Telemachus says, “Son of Atreus, King Menelaus, captain of armies, I came in the hope that you can tell me now some news about my father” (Book 4: 353-355). Homer also begins to call Telemachus “clear-sighted Telemachus” because he is becoming smarter and more persistent in finding details about his father (Book 4: 335). In Book 4, Telemachus shows a different side to his character, and moves from being a weak teenager to a “clear-sighted” individual (see previous quote). In Book 20, when Telemachus reenters the story, he is smart enough to realize that the beggar is Odysseus, and makes sure the maid attended to him. Telemachus, in Book 20, supported his father when he was still in his beggar form. He told him to ignore the suitors mocking words and gave him food and wine. Before Telemachus and Odysseus killed the suitors, he volunteered himself to try to shoot the arrow through the axes. This shows that he has become confident since the beginning of the book and has matured a lot.
By Evan Wind & Rhett Cardwell
Step 1: First he was shy, he had the epithet of “self-possessed Telemachus”. He would give in to the suitors needs and not stick up for himself. Later on in the in Book One, Telemachus talks to grey-eyed Athena and understands that the information that she shared with him is vitally important and he wishes to gain more wit and knowledge from Athena AKA Mentes. The quote that backs this statement would be in Book One, line 354, “I won’t forget a word”. We also feel that Athena thinks that Telemachus is actually very mature for his age and for his position.
Step 2: Now, Telemachus sees his father for the first time and it doesn’t say it out loud that Telemachus now believes that he is the son of Odysseus. Like his father, he becomes becomes a fighter, he begins to stand up for him and his family. An example of this is when all the suitors are in the dining hall and Ctesippus throws a ox hoof at Odysseus but he dodges it and feels resentment. Instead of Odysseus flaring up Telemachus tells Ctesippus he is lucky the man dodged the hoof and that if anything like that happens again to the guest he will kill them. Also another passage which shows the dark side of a warrior is when his dad tells him to stab all the maids to death. Instead, he hangs them to give them a more respectful death. Well respected warriors do not shameless torture others but give them a honorable death.
Step 3: The Telemachus we begin to read about is rather curious to the world but also quite hesitant. He is hesitant in the regard of he hasn’t had a father or a father figure to help teach him the ways to help him grow as a man. Telemachus needs a father figure or a mentor if u will. When Athena comes along in the form of Mentes, Telemachus even me mentions the fact that, “You’ve counseled me with so much kindness now, like a father to a son”. That quote is found fairly early in Book on lines 352-353. At the end of Book Four, Telemachus has pounds of anxiety due to the fact that Mentes has told him information that his father is still alive. But, after all that Mentes has told him, talking to King Nestor and King Menelaus, Telemachus has become very mature and is ready to take on the real world.
In Book 20, Telemachus and Odysseus are planning on how to end the suitors lives. For a young and inexperienced Telemachus, he has to have nerves bothering him all day and night. Suitors wanting to put an end to his life. He has to be very worried. Lucky for him, he and Odysseus are being surveyed by Athena and she mentions in Book Twenty that, “But I am a goddess, look, the very one who guards you in all your trials to the last”. (Quote found on line 50-51). Then, through the next few books he slowly starts to adapt to what his father has been dealing with. Basically, Telemachus starts to be able to grow and become more mature. He witnesses his father’s great cunning aspects and slowly begins to comprehend on how Odysseus does this. In Book Twenty-four, Telemachus has already slain the hundreds of suitors that were dying to wed his mother, Penelope. A changed man, Telemachus has gone through a huge transformation. He is taught things by word and in action. Understanding what the great Mentes has told him, watching his witty father trick and deceive other common folk, and joining in on the massive slaughter-fest that had just occurred in his home. Telemachus has changed from a growing boy, to a matured man.
Step 4: Telemachus grows in his courage and his maturity. His courage grows and a prime example we already used is when he stuck up to the suitors after they threw a hoof at the “stranger”. Since his courage grew his maturity grew without him knowing. Telemachus in the beginning is a young boy who is scared and timid but in the books twenty through twenty-four he begins to act like a man. He acts like a man for defending his family and standing up against the suitors.
Step 5: A passage we selected from Book One is when Telemachus has just about finished talking to Mentes, he acknowledges the fact that he understands what Mentes has told him. But, he also mentions on line 355 that, “But come, stay longer keen as you are to sail,”. As you can notice, Telemachus wants Mentes to stay longer so he can help teach him more lessons and help him understand more aspects. This passage shows that Telemachus is starting to become more matured but also shows that he is quite scared of what the future holds and he is eager to learn more from his new found mentor. Both of the young, child-like Telemachus and the matured, adult Telemachus’ are brought forth in this passage. The product from Mentes little lessons promoted Telemachus to try to learn and become an adult. In the end of the epic, Telemachus finally becomes what he had been searching for which is belief in himself.
Telemachus’s Growth
Step 1: First he was shy, he had the epithet of “self-possessed Telemachus”. He would give in to the suitors needs and not stick up for himself. Later on in the in Book One, Telemachus talks to grey-eyed Athena and understands that the information that she shared with him is vitally important and he wishes to gain more wit and knowledge from Athena AKA Mentes. The quote that backs this statement would be in Book One, line 354, “I won’t forget a word”. We also feel that Athena thinks that Telemachus is actually very mature for his age and for his position.
Step 2: Now, Telemachus sees his father for the first time and it doesn’t say it out loud that Telemachus now believes that he is the son of Odysseus. Like his father, he becomes becomes a fighter, he begins to stand up for him and his family. An example of this is when all the suitors are in the dining hall and Ctesippus throws a ox hoof at Odysseus but he dodges it and feels resentment. Instead of Odysseus flaring up Telemachus tells Ctesippus he is lucky the man dodged the hoof and that if anything like that happens again to the guest he will kill them. Also another passage which shows the dark side of a warrior is when his dad tells him to stab all the maids to death. Instead, he hangs them to give them a more respectful death. Well respected warriors do not shameless torture others but give them a honorable death.
Step 3: The Telemachus we begin to read about is rather curious to the world but also quite hesitant. He is hesitant in the regard of he hasn’t had a father or a father figure to help teach him the ways to help him grow as a man. Telemachus needs a father figure or a mentor if u will. When Athena comes along in the form of Mentes, Telemachus even me mentions the fact that, “You’ve counseled me with so much kindness now, like a father to a son”. That quote is found fairly early in Book on lines 352-353. At the end of Book Four, Telemachus has pounds of anxiety due to the fact that Mentes has told him information that his father is still alive. But, after all that Mentes has told him, talking to King Nestor and King Menelaus, Telemachus has become very mature and is ready to take on the real world.
In Book 20, Telemachus and Odysseus are planning on how to end the suitors lives. For a young and inexperienced Telemachus, he has to have nerves bothering him all day and night. Suitors wanting to put an end to his life. He has to be very worried. Lucky for him, he and Odysseus are being surveyed by Athena and she mentions in Book Twenty that, “But I am a goddess, look, the very one who guards you in all your trials to the last”. (Quote found on line 50-51). Then, through the next few books he slowly starts to adapt to what his father has been dealing with. Basically, Telemachus starts to be able to grow and become more mature. He witnesses his father’s great cunning aspects and slowly begins to comprehend on how Odysseus does this. In Book Twenty-four, Telemachus has already slain the hundreds of suitors that were dying to wed his mother, Penelope. A changed man, Telemachus has gone through a huge transformation. He is taught things by word and in action. Understanding what the great Mentes has told him, watching his witty father trick and deceive other common folk, and joining in on the massive slaughter-fest that had just occurred in his home. Telemachus has changed from a growing boy, to a matured man.
Step 4: Telemachus grows in his courage and his maturity. His courage grows and a prime example we already used is when he stuck up to the suitors after they threw a hoof at the “stranger”. Since his courage grew his maturity grew without him knowing. Telemachus in the beginning is a young boy who is scared and timid but in the books twenty through twenty-four he begins to act like a man. He acts like a man for defending his family and standing up against the suitors.
Step 5: A passage we selected from Book One is when Telemachus has just about finished talking to Mentes, he acknowledges the fact that he understands what Mentes has told him. But, he also mentions on line 355 that, “But come, stay longer keen as you are to sail,”. As you can notice, Telemachus wants Mentes to stay longer so he can help teach him more lessons and help him understand more aspects. This passage shows that Telemachus is starting to become more matured but also shows that he is quite scared of what the future holds and he is eager to learn more from his new found mentor. Both of the young, child-like Telemachus and the matured, adult Telemachus’ are brought forth in this passage. The product from Mentes little lessons promoted Telemachus to try to learn and become an adult. In the end of the epic, Telemachus finally becomes what he had been searching for which is belief in himself.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Telemachus' Tests and Trials into Maturity
Sydney Krantz and Lily Fitzpatrick
Telemachus' Tests and Trials into Maturity
1. Book 1: Line 238 - 241
But come, please, tell me about yourself now point by point.
You’re truly Odysseus’s son? You’ve sprung up so!
Uncanny resemblance... The head, and the fine eyes-
I see him now.
2. Book 1: Line 409-414
So, mother,
go back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks,
the distaff and the loom, and keep the women
working hard as well. As for giving orders,
men will see to that, but i most of all:
I hold the reins of power in this house.
3. Book 3: Line 274-276
My fathers return?
Its inconceivable now. Long ago the undying gods
have sealed his death, his black doom.
4. Book 22: Line 162-164
“My fault, father,” the cool clear prince replied,
“the blame’s all mine. The snug door to the vault,
I left it ajar- they’ve kept a better watch than I.
5. Book 22: Line 374- 379
The inspired Prince Telemachus heard his pleas
and quickly said to his father close behind him,
“Stop, don’t cut him down! This one’s innocent.
So is the herald Medon- the one who always
tended me in the house when I was little-
spare him too.
6. Book 23: Line 111-117
“Oh mother,” Telemachus reproached her,
“cruel mother, you with your hard heart!
Why do you spurn my father so - why don’t you
sit beside him, engage him, ask him questions?
What other wife could have a spirit so unbending?
Holding back from her husband home at last for her
after bearing twenty years of brutal struggle -
your heart was always harder than a rock!”
In The Odyssey Telemachus goes through an odyssey of his own as he enters manhood.We can see that by looking at Book 1: Line 238-241 (see quote #1 above) even as a young man, Telemachus resembles his father physically and by looking at Book 1: Line 409-414 (see quote #2 above) it is clear that he feels entitled to Odysseus’s power and plans on ruling Ithaca. However, in the beginning books of the Odyssey, Telemachus isn’t yet emotionally mature enough to take over, and so the suitors still reside comfortably in his palace. By the later books of the Odyssey we can observe Telemachus’s obvious emotional growth. He begins to take charge of his situation and tries to make things better by killing all of the suitors with his father. However, even though Telemachus has grown up throughout the book, it is apparent that he is not yet completely mature, because when Penelope cleverly tries to test Odysseus after the slaughter of all of the suitors, he becomes angry and lashes out (quote #6). This moment demonstrates the fact that Telemachus is not yet mature or clever like his parents.
The Maturation of Telemachus by Zach Roubein and Colby Gottschalk
Telemachus transforms in body and mind as Odysseus fights to return home from Troy. His development is split among three distinct stages: childhood, adolescence, and manhood. Before he is visited by Pallas Athena, he is merely a flighty, capricious boy. Galvanized by his visits from Athena, who is disguised as Mentes and then Mentor, Telemachus enters his adolescence as he prepares to sail to Pylos and Sparta. By the time he has successfully completed his journey and seen the return of his father and the downfall of the suitors, he has completed his metamorphosis and become a full-fledged man.
Prior to his visits from Pallas Athena, Telemachus is young, grief-stricken boy lacking hope. He is anxious and intimated by the suitors, and they do not regard him as much of a threat to mount the throne they so desire. His downtrodden, depressed, hopeless, and passive nature is well-outlined by this quote in Book 1: “First to see her (Athena) was Prince Telemachus, heart obsessed with grief. He could almost see his magnificent father... if only he might... regain his pride of place and rule his own domains!” (Book 1: Line 132) This quote illustrates Telemachus’s sheer wistfulness, youth, and inability to help himself.
Once he has conferenced with Pallas Athena, Telemachus is emboldened. Just the mere presence of a god has thrust him into adolescence and all of the instability and uncertainty that comes along with it. He is no longer a timid child; in fact, he can even be caught ordering around his own mother, a true sign of adolescence if ever there was one. “So mother, back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all: I hold the reins of power in this house.” (Book 1: Line 409) Further illustrating his development, some distinctly teenage emotional highs and lows plague Telemachus as he continues to grow. “Filled with anger, down on the ground he dashed the speaker’s scepter-- bursting into tears” (Book 2: Line 87) Grown men are allowed to cry; Odysseus himself does so frequently on Phaeacia. However, they are not allowed to throw the type of tantrum Telemachus threw while trying to chastise the suitors. He has grown some, but he still has yet a long way to go at this point in The Odyssey.
Telemachus is a full man upon his return to Ithaca, as demonstrated by his shrewdness and wittiness, but especially by his boldness and self-confidence. He no longer thinks of himself as a child, and has a sense of morality that Odysseus either lost or never had, as portrayed by his last minute decision: “…Prince Telemachus heard his pleas and quickly said to his father close beside him, ‘Stop, don’t cut him down! This one’s innocent. So is the herald Medon- the one who always tended me in the house when I was little- spare him too.’”(Book 22: Line 374). He also shows his maturity and patience while he and his father bided their time, waiting for the right moment to strike down the suitors. “So they (the suitors) jeered, but the prince paid no attention... silent, eyes riveted on his father, always waiting the moment he’d lay hands on that outrageous mob.” (Book 20: Line 428).Telemachus begins The Odyssey a boy not even on the cusp of adolescence. His maturation process is expedited by a visit from Pallas Athena, and her galvanizing visits send him off into the uncharted waters of adolescence. By the time he and Odysseus cut down the suitors in Odysseus’s halls, he is a grown man, and a shrewd one at that. He now possess strong ethics and a heightened sense of morality, and we begin to see some of the shrewdness and wit inherited from Odysseus himself. Telemachus truly embodies the growth of a boy to a man, yet another universal truth that allows The Odyssey to remain relevant even today.
Lenox Butcher, Catie Asarch and Shreya Muchimilli
Telemachus is a very interesting character who has many different stages of maturity throughout the book because the story occurs while he’s growing up from a boy to a man. The very beginning of the book shows a completely different level of maturity in Telemachus but by the the very end you can see that Telemachus has become a responsible and mature man.
In book one Athena knows that Telemachus needs help and when she comes to the disguised as a beggar he appears as more of a boy than a man, lost in the midst of the suitors, sulking and wishing for his father to come home. He simply caters to the suitors’ needs waiting for his father to come home or his mother to marry one so Telemachus can be rid of them. His emotions are all over the place, from random bursts of courage demanding the suitors to leave, to pool of tears when they refuse. Telemachus is constantly trying to state his authority as the man of the house, but he still hasn’t proven himself to the suitors to earn any respect or grown old enough for him to handle the responsibility himself.
Throughout Book 1, Athena Inspires the Prince, Telemachus shows immaturity, saturnine behavior and wishes for his father to return. For example, “...heart obsessed with grief. He could almost see his magnificent father, here...in the mind’s eye-if only he might drop from the clouds and drive these suitors all in a rout throughout the halls and regain his pride of place and rule his own domains! Daydreaming so as he sat among the suitors...” (page 81 lines 133-138). These lines show that Telemachus isn’t prepared to take an entire kingdom and wishes for his father to come home.In Books 2-4 Telemachus starts to take action, after being visited by Athena. He begins his odyssey for Odysseus and starts to take up responsibility. Yet he hasn’t matured, but his confidence has been boosted. Telemachus is respected more than he was in the first book but he still isn’t capable of taking care of the entire kingdom more less the suitors and still acts childish. For example, “...so the people all gazed in wonder as he came forward, the elders making way as he took his father’s seat.” (page 93 lines 13-14). These lines show that Telemachus starts to take responsibility and that people begun to respect him. “Now we have no man like odysseus in command to drive this curse from the house.” (page 95 lines 63-64). These lines show that even though Telemachus was respect, he still isn’t able to take care of this herculean task. “Filled with anger, down on the ground he dashed the speaker’s scepter-bursting into tears. Pity seized the assembly. All just sat there, silent...no one had the heart to reply with harshness.” (pages 95-96 lines 85-89) These lines show that Telemachus is emotionally stable and that he can not handle things very well, instead he is throwing a tantrum.
However by Books 20-24, Telemachus is more clear-headed and is often compared to a young god; these books also say that Telemachus has passed a threshold-from childhood to adultery, his maturity level raises and his courage and confidence increase as well. “Telemachus climbed from bed and dressed at once, brisk as a young god-...” (page 414 lines 139-140) This line compares Telemachus to a god. “ ‘My fault, father,’ the cool clear prince replied, ‘ the blame’s all mine. That snug door to the vault, I left it ajar-they’ve kept a better watch than I. Go Eumaeus, shut the door to the storeroom, check and see if it’s one of the women’s tricks or Dolius’ son Melanthius. He’s our man, I’d say.’ ” (page 444 lines 162-167) these lines show maturity because taking blame and coming clean takes a lot of courage. “The inspired Prince Telemachus heard his pleas and quickly said to his father close beside him, ‘Stop, don’t cut him down! This one’s innocent. So is the herald Medon-the one who always tended me in the house when I little- spare him too. Unless he’s dead by now, killed by Philoetius or Eumaeus here-or ran into you rampaging through the halls.’ ” (page 450 lines 374-381) These lines also show bravery and courage because he stopped his father, Odysseus, from killing an innocent person in his rage.
We first meet Telemachus when the goddess Athena is dressed up as mentor, but Telemachus does not know it is Athena. So seeing this new visiter he shows the popular form of Xenia and invites the stranger to a high,elaborate, chair of honor over it draped a cloth, and here he placed the guest with a stool to rest the stranger's feet. From these actions you can tell that Telemachus is a traditional and polite person since he is following Xenia. After he follows the regular guidelines of Xenia he ask the stranger who he was. The stranger responds that he is a old friend of Telemachus's father. Then he tells Telemachus that his father is alive, first Telemachus does not believe Mentes, a bunch of stories are told from Mentes, and Telemachus believes him. Right then you get a sense that Telemachus wants to find his father. The next morning Telemachus pops up out of his bed to find his father, in fact he is so exited that he already had on his clothes. On this voyage he gets tested, in book 2 line 143 he tells Antinous that he cannot send his mom home back to her father. First of all Odysseus would not like that but Penelope's father would not appreciate it either. So right then he puts on his "big boy pants" and says that he can't do so. Telemachus runs into King Nestor and in book 3 line 113 King Nestor helps Telemachus by leading him in the right way and even gives Telemachus some ships to help him find his father. With Telemachus receiving the help he is not ashamed to receive help from a human. Telemachus, King Nestor, and their fleet ships head to Sparta to talk to the Red Haired King Menelaus. In book 4 line 352, Telemachus is awaken by King Menelaus and asks him what business Telemachus has in his land. Telemachus responds and basically says he is trying to find his father, and asks the King for his help. The King tells Telemachus that he has seen his father and tells him that the gods are mad at hime so he is having a hard time getting home. Then in mainly in books 21-24 you see the more emotional part of him. Why would you blame him, he sees father for the first time in his life. In seeing his father first he thought it was a trick, but then Odysseus got the message to him that he was his father. When Odysseus told Telemachus about the plan to kill all of the suitors he was completely on board. Normally if a dad who has not really been a father figure to his son, the son will act defiant against the dad. But no, Telemachus was mature enough to do what his father said and not be disobedient. From this point on Telemachus has learned to be a man because now he has his dad back, and who else is there to have a role model than the Great Odysseus.
The Growth of Telemachus
Created by: Mia Bonner and Morgan Vicknair
As telemachus sits among the suitors with a grieving heart, he dreams of his father coming home. He is immature, full of grief and immature, which is understandable given he’s young and lets his emotions get the best of him. An example of him being disrespected is in book 1 lines 440-443, where Antinous is mocking him because he’s a young boy who tries to act high and mighty. This angers telemachus because the suitors don't respect him even though he is the princes of their country and is in most ways more powerful than them. Telemachus was a young boy who had to fill the big shoes of his father. This has caused him to appear to be cocky not knowing how to handle that amount of power, responsibility, and dealing with the arrogant suitors. Book 2 line 370 shows that the suitors and other high ranked nobles thought telemachus was full of himself and didn't respect him. On page 81 lines 132-33 “First by far to see her was Prince Telemachus, sitting among the suitors, heart obsessed with grief” shows how he ached for his father.
In these books we witness a change in Telemachus’ character since books 1-4.Telemachus is also more mature, commanding, and its apparent that he cares about the well being of his mother. An influence of this change, between book 4 and 20, was Athena appearing to him as mentor and guiding him to be more confident around the suitors and stand up to them. She also guided him to take a journey in search of news for his father. This gave him a sense of self importance and allowed him to mature. He is more mature and stands up to the suitors in defence of his father, although, in our culture a son commanding him mother is disrespectful, this wasn't the belief during this time. Book 21, line 382-390, demonstrates telemachus taking control of the household and standing up to the suitors. As it says in book 21 line 130, “Id even take a crack as the bow myself... If i string it and shoot it through all the axes, I’d worry less if my noble mother left our house with another man and left me behind...” This shows that Telemachus now respects his mother and doesn't want her to leave the palace behind with another husband. On page 421 line 371, it is clear that Telemachus has now matured.Agelaus encourages Telemachus to help his mother make decisions and help her through difficult times, since he is now mature enough to do so.
“So go, Telemachus, sit with your mother, coax her to wed the best man here...”
“So go, Telemachus, sit with your mother, coax her to wed the best man here...”
From a young squirt,
to a mature young adult
Telemachus's Transformation
Telemachus is first depicted in The Odyssey as a boy, naive and timid, but though his years living in Ithaca he begins to mature and develop. In book one, he is first seen as an incompetent boy longing for the guidance of his father and a united family once again. "First by far to see her was Prince Telemachus, sitting among the suitors, heart obsessed with grief. He could almost see his magnificent father, here in the mind's eye- if only he might drop from the clouds and drive these suitors all in rout though out the halls and regain his pride of place and rule his own domains!" (Book 1: 132-137). Telemachus soon realizes he must not wait in his misfortune, and soon the pressure almost forces him to begin development from a boy to a young man. By the time the reader reaches book four, Telemachus is referred to as "clear-sighted," as he beginning to take initiative and recognizes what he must do. And further within the chapter, on line 668, the book acknowledges Telemachus's newfound tact, further showing that he is relinquishing his dependence and summoning the courage to make his own decision and chose his own destiny.
Fast forwarding to book 20, after Odysseus's great odyssey, we see Telemachus as a nearly different person, full of bravery and determination. In line 285 of book 20, we see Telemachus mock the very suitors he feared in the beginning of the Odyssey. Furthermore, Telemachus begins taking initiative and commanding his home. "'Good Eurycleia- Telemachus commands you now lock the snugly fitted doors to your own rooms. If anyone hears from there the jolting blows and groans of men, caught in our huge net, not one of you show your face- sit tight, keep your weaving, not a sound.'" (Book 21: 426- 431). Telemachus finally is seen as a figure no longer in need of his parents support, and is instead supporting his father by book 4. "Only Telemachus urged him to take it up, and at once he got it in his clutches, long-suffering great Odysseus strung his bow with ease and shot though all the axes, then, vaulting onto the threshold, stood there poised, and pouring his flashing arrows out before him, glaring for the kill , he cut Antinous down, then shot his painful arrows into the rest of us, aiming straight and true, and down we went, corpse on corpse in droves." (Book 4: 192-200). It is seen that Telemachus gave his father the courage his father once and still gives him. Telemachus's true nature developed from being a weak and delicate child, to a powerful and strapping young man.
-Josh Raizner and Culver Stedman
Fast forwarding to book 20, after Odysseus's great odyssey, we see Telemachus as a nearly different person, full of bravery and determination. In line 285 of book 20, we see Telemachus mock the very suitors he feared in the beginning of the Odyssey. Furthermore, Telemachus begins taking initiative and commanding his home. "'Good Eurycleia- Telemachus commands you now lock the snugly fitted doors to your own rooms. If anyone hears from there the jolting blows and groans of men, caught in our huge net, not one of you show your face- sit tight, keep your weaving, not a sound.'" (Book 21: 426- 431). Telemachus finally is seen as a figure no longer in need of his parents support, and is instead supporting his father by book 4. "Only Telemachus urged him to take it up, and at once he got it in his clutches, long-suffering great Odysseus strung his bow with ease and shot though all the axes, then, vaulting onto the threshold, stood there poised, and pouring his flashing arrows out before him, glaring for the kill , he cut Antinous down, then shot his painful arrows into the rest of us, aiming straight and true, and down we went, corpse on corpse in droves." (Book 4: 192-200). It is seen that Telemachus gave his father the courage his father once and still gives him. Telemachus's true nature developed from being a weak and delicate child, to a powerful and strapping young man.
-Josh Raizner and Culver Stedman
Telemachi
In the introduction of Telemachus he was depicted as timorous and mousy. Telemachus was always one to bow down to the suitors and let them walk all over him and Penelope. When Mentes presents himself it is conspicuos that Telemachus needs to go in search of his father. So he sets sail to Pylos and Sparta. Once Telemachus returned to Ithaca he is reunited with Odysseus; this time when Telemachus sees the suitors he starts to take command. Now that Telemachus and Odysseus are reunited they both put their machiavellian minds together and think of a mischievous plan to take down the suitors. At this moment Telemachus shows great courage, he needs this in order to terminate the suitors. This was a major trial that Telemachus faced, this trial truly showed that Telemachus has grown and really matured and is starting to become a sturdy, well grounded young man that resembles his father
Taylor Guidry
Hannah Holliday
Growth of Telemachus
Q Tabarestani, Worthely Burke, and Mason Mings The Kinkaid School
English 9-3 November 8, 2012
The Evolution of Telemachus in The Odyssey
At the start of the Odyssey, the reader is introduced to Telemachus, son of the great Odysseus, and Homer provides a few characteristics that truly depict the character. First, the book describes Telemachus as a daydreaming man with a “heart obsessed with grief” among a crowd of dangerous suitors ready to kill him for the kingdom (Book 1: 133). He is also portrayed as being helpless and powerless which leads to his rather low self-esteem. He longs for his father to “drop from the clouds and drive these suitors” away from him and his lonely mother (Book 1: 135-136). On the other hand, when Athena arrives disguised as Mentor, Telemachus shows hospitality and generosity towards his guest. During this time, the suitors continue to mock and belittle him but “cool-headed Telemachus” remains calm and follows the instructions of Athena to set sail and find his father (Book 1: 445). As he prepares to leave, he begins to give orders to his followers and calls a full counsel which shows that his bravery and courage have increased slightly. He also is still immature because he continues to go to Athena for assistance and says, “leave me alone to pine away in anguish” which reiterates his inability to handle his issues. In addition, Athena gets annoyed by Telemachus and tells him not to speak anymore nonsense to the suitors. As the Book 4 progresses, Homer begins to describe Telemachus as “clear-sighted” and demanding as he searches for clues on the location of his father (Book 4: 325). He is said to have a “newfound tact” or sense of diplomacy (Book 4: 667). Overall, at the end of his search for Odysseus, Telemachus truly shows a different side of his character with new abilities such as maturity, courage, and self-esteem which is shown throughout his dialogue with the kings and Athena.
After Telemachus returns home to Ithaca and is convinced that the beggar in disguise is Odysseus, the reader sees another growth of Telemachus that can be interpreted in several ways. First, we see a more cunning Telemachus that “[maneuvers] shrewdly” and mocks the suitors into trying to string the bow (Book 20: 285). He also builds the strength to defend his father in the presence of sardonic suitors and Telemachus does not even take into account their attitude towards him. Once the slaughter begins, which he also took a major role in planning, he stands by his father with persistent courage and massacres most of the sin committing suitors. However, in Book 23, Telemachus shows a little immaturity towards his mother when he says, “cruel mother, you with your hard heart” because she has not yet embraced her husband (Book 23: 112). He does not realize what she is planning and jumps to conclusions like many young teenagers do in modern times. All in all, through books 20-24, Telemachus demonstrates his loyalty towards his father, immaturity to his astonished mother, and the strength to overpower the suitors who had ruined his life for many long years. He truly grew as the story progressed from a lonely, spineless, and weak boy to a strong, diligent, and witty young man.
Jeel and Samantha - Telemachus's Growth
Throughout the Odyssey, Telemachus grows physically, mentally and emotionally. In the beginning of his life, Telemachus seems to be just a normal teenager - insecure, sometimes rude, but always following the rules. He followed the code of xenia and could be a bit shy at times. He had lost all hope for his father’s return, thinking “The day of his return will never dawn”. Telemachus as well as his mother grieved constantly, for example, “[Odysseus] left me tears and grief” (Book 1, 85). At the end of the book, he knew how to turn heads. There is a huge difference between how he talked to the suitors and his mother in the beginning of the story versus the end. Odysseus’s return provides him with confidence, pride, and daring. He also learns to shove off all of the many insults thrown at him. When the suitors mock him, “Telemachus paid no heed” (Book 20, 419). Lastly, he musters up the courage to stop his aggressive father from killing an innocent life. All in all, Telemachus gradually transforms from a shy teenager to a honorable man.
Telemachus' Growth
In the beginning of the Odyssey, Homer illustrated Telemachus as a shy and defenseless teenager. He brainstorms ideas that would be auspicious for him and his mother, but is not able to convince himself to take action. Mentor pushes Telemachus to talk to King Nestor in regards towards his father, Odysseus. However, Telemachus, being the shy teenager he is, responds, "I'm hardly adept at subtle conversation. Someone my age might feel shy" (Book 3: 25-26). As Telemachus continues his journey to find his father, his sensitivity is noticed by King Menelaus when Telemachus decides to leave his parting gifts in the King's glory. King Menelaus responds "Good blood runs in you... your words are proof" (Book 4: 87). Although changes in Telemachus are seen, there are also changes for the bad. Telemachus is depicted as an insensible teenager. He expects his mother to forgive and trust his father as soon as she sees him. He insults his mother by saying her heart "was always harder than a rock" (Book 23: 117). However, Odysseus did not expect much from Penelope other than a talk. Although Telemachus' sensitivity evolves from some to none, it was only based on the circumstances. In the end, Telemachus is seen as a brave grown man by slaughtering the suitors one by one in companionship with his father, Athena and Zeus. Telemachus is both tested for courage and sensitivity in search for his father.
-Alondra Reyes and Jack Schuette
-Alondra Reyes and Jack Schuette
Telemachus
In the beginning of the Odyssey, we see Telemachus as a timid boy constantly under the wrath of the suitors. (Book 2: 298-9) "The suitors most of all, the pernicious bullies - foil each move I make." We can see here that Telemachus has little courage. It is at this time when he realizes that he cannot stay like this forever, and so he sets sails to find new of his father. Upon return, he is reunited with Odysseus and by this time, Telemachus has shown a great display of courage and pride in himself. No longer timid, in book 22 line 487, he is called "Stern Telemachus." We can also see that upon Odysseus' return, Telemachus takes no hesitation to lash out at Penelope for not weeping at his feet. This is a sharp change from the beginning, when he is very mindful of his mother (Book 23: 111-19). At the end of the book, Telemachus, with the help of his dad and 2 other people, slaughter all of the suitors. This is the true test of Telemachus' courage as he was very scared of them in book 1.
Blake Lattimer
Colin Sunderland
Telemachus' Growth
Telemachus's Growth
In the beginning of the Odyssey, Homer characterizes Telemachus as shy and insecure. The suitors constantly walk all over him, and he never stands up for himself. Telemachus believes the suitors will "grind (him) down as well" (Book 1: 293) He acts like a ''momma's boy'' and does not even believe that Odysseus is his father. After being inspired by Athena disguised as Mentes, Telemachus realizes he needs to grow up and take on the responsibility of finding news of his father in order to protect his kingdom. When Telemachus returns from the journey, he has transformed to a new person. He finally begins to act like a man. Although some of the changes were good, some things changed him for the worse. Unlike in the beginning of the book, he is disrespectful towards his mother and thinks he knows everything. When Penelope is actually showing her cunning, Telemachus believes she is being evil and says "cruel mother with your hard heart!" (Book 23: 112). He finally gets the courage to stand up to the suitors and kill them one-by-one. He becomes bold when he takes upon all of the suitors, only having his father and two other men on their side. Now, instead of being the shy, insecure, ''momma's boy'', Telemachus changes to a confident, clever, ''daddy's little man''.
-Amy Drews and Madison Frandina
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Vocabulary Practice for my Most "Special" Students
In a comment, please write a short paragraph in which you persuade me of something--you choose. You must use at least 3 Ch. 6 vocabulary words in your response as well as one EUPHEMISM (the more creative, the better).
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