The Character of Odysseus - Essay Example

Odysseus has been gone for most of Telemachus’ life so Telemachus has no idea of how he’s supposed to behave in the face of the troubles that have fallen on his father’s kingdom. Because Telemachus is Odysseus’ son, he is expected to have many of Odysseus’ qualities, such as a strong sense of hospitality, loyalty to his men, intelligence and patience as well as impeccable manners. Unfortunately, since he has not had the example of his father to follow, Telemachus proves unable to manage the household effectively once the houseguests arrive and he is very awkward in his manners, which is shown when he arrives in Pylos. It is because of these problems that lead Athena to send Telemachus on his hero’s quest, hoping both that he will find his father and that he will learn those things that he is supposed to know in order to take his father’s position should that be necessary. However, Telemachus still manages to demonstrate enough of his father’s character traits to gain him the goddess’s support. Telemachus finds the example he needs in the father/son relationship shared between Nestor and his son Peisistratus and again later in the palace of Menelaus. These examples also instruct the audience of the expected ‘father figure’ status these men adopt toward their kingdom. Arriving in Nestor’s household, Telemachus is finally given an example of a successful male leader and a good father at the same time that he is given an example of what is expected of his own rank in the figure of Peisistratus. It is mostly Peisistratus that teaches Telemachus the lessons in manners and behavior that are expected of him. This, in turn, eases Telemachus into the court of Menelaus where he is able to practice his new skills on his own. By successfully navigating through this second court, Telemachus is able to build confidence in his own instincts and abilities. Interestingly enough, the events of his journey are very similar to the journey that is being taken by his father many miles away. Books III and IV teach Telemachus more about what is expected in the heroic life and by Book XV, he earns the right to transcend these rules in order to look to his obligations toward his family. As he leaves the lands of Menelaus and Nestor, he has become much surer in the proper response for those around him. He tells Peisistratus, “So I beg you, my dear prince, not to drive me past my ship, but to drop there and thus save me from being kept at the palace against my will by your old father’s passion for hospitality. For I must get home quicker than that” (Book 15; 235). By becoming a replica of his father during this journey, Telemachus is now able to stand by his father’s side as they outwit and outfight the uninvited houseguests and thus restore the peace and prosperity of Ithaca. Telemachus’ growth contributes to several of the important themes of the story including the importance of family, the importance of honor and how the strength of family relationships will carry them through tough times. Almost everything that happens in the story is somehow connected to the idea of family and the importance of a well-balanced unit. There are plenty of examples of good families whose balance extends to their kingdoms as well as examples of bad families whose imbalance leads to hardship in the kingdom. There are a lot of father and son relationships explored in this story as a result. These include, obviously, the relationship between Odysseus and his son Telemachus as well as the relationship between Odysseus and his father Laertes. Other father/son relationships shown are Nestor and Pisistratus, Poseidon and the Cyclops Polyphemus and Eupithes and Antinous. By focusing on these relationships, Homer is able to illustrate the importance of maintaining a continuity between the generations either for good or evil. At the same time, he shows how the strength of family can help the group overcome impossible odds. By focusing on the father/son relationship, Homer reveals what was important to the ancient Greeks and what should still be important to us today. The character of Odysseus demonstrates many of the virtues prized in the Greek community. He demonstrates wisdom in several places throughout the story such as when he first sets out from Circe’s island with his men. The goddess has already informed him of the dangers of the journey he’s about to undertake, including the knowledge that he will definitely lose at least six of his men along the way. He wisely decides to share some of the knowledge with his men so they will act as a team, but tells them what will cause them least grief while staying as safe as possible: “Friends, it is not right that only one or two of us should know the prophecies that Circe, in her divine wisdom, has made to me, and I am going to pass them on to you, so that we may all by forewarned, whether we die or escape the worst and save our lives” (Book 12, 193). However, knowing how difficult the trip is going to be, Odysseus chooses not to share this information with his men until they’ve already put out to sea, so that they’re already committed to the journey instead of just deciding to stay on Circe’s isle. He doesn’t tell them about Scylla and he attempts to keep his men from landing at all on the sun-god’s island so they won’t be tempted to eat the cows. He demonstrates tremendous self-control in the storm caused by Chronos after they leave this island in Book 12, waiting until the boat has been torn apart and his men have all been washed away before he assesses what’s left and uses it for a raft. His piety is demonstrated when he arrives at the land of the Phaeacians and prays to the god of the river to help spare his life. Finally, he metes out swift justice as he kills all of the suitors in the court, as well as several others, but only after he had drifted around for a while in disguise in order to determine who was still loyal to him. The suitors, in contrast, demonstrate few of these virtues. Eurymachus, for instance, shows his lack of wisdom in making it clear to the people of Ithaca that he is a dishonorable man when he threatens Telemachus that they will ruin Odysseus’ house unless he turns Penelope out and has her father prepare for her to remarry. “For we are afraid of no one at all – certainly not of Telemachus … nor, old gentleman, do we pay the slightest attention to these prophecies that fall from your lips … Meanwhile, we stay, and instead of seeking other brides, each according to his station, we feed our hopes from day to day on the thought of the incomparable prize for which we are competing” (Book 2, 42-43). Within this same scene, they illustrate their impiety as they defy all of the valued customs and traditions important to Greek society as well as insist on committing the injustice of vowing to destroy Telemachus’ home until Penelope agrees to marry one of them. Their injustice is demonstrated later in the story, though, in the way that they treat Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, back in the palace. Their lack of self-control is illustrated throughout the story as well, such as when they continue to ridicule Telemachus and his guests at the stringing of the great bow despite being warned again and again that they are about to meet their deaths. Although the four virtues of wisdom, self-control, piety and justice are all important elements of the story, it seems that wisdom emerges as the most important of these. This is perhaps because wisdom contributes to a person’s ability to remain controlled even in trying situations, humbles the individual enough to bow to the will of a higher power and assists one when having to make judgment calls before dealing out justice. Revelation is another major theme in this story as it is in the revealing identity that all becomes clear. Odysseus is celebratory in his safety from the now-blinded and enraged Cyclops after having tricked the monster and then securing the release of his men, but in their leaving, Odysseus makes the mistake of revealing his identity as a way of claiming his deed. This gives Polyphemus a name to use when he begs his father to avenge him: “Hear me, Poseidon ... If truly I am your son, and you acknowledge yourself as my father, grant that Odysseus, who styles himself Sacker of Cities and son of Laertes, may never reach his home in Ithaca. But if he is destined to reach his native land, to come once more to his own house and see his friends again, let him come late, in evil plight, with all his comrades dead, in someone elses ship, and find troubles in his household” (Book 9, 153-154). Poseidon, already angry with Odysseus, grants his son’s prayer and pursues Odysseus all the way to Ithaca, making the journey as difficult as he can make it. In revealing himself to the Phaeacians, Odysseus adopts a much humbler stance, approaching them as he does in nakedness and forced to reveal himself to young girls. “So the gallant Odysseus crept out from under the bushes, after breaking off with his great hand a leafy bough from the thicket to conceal his naked manhood” (Book 6, 105). Although his approach to these girls is described in association with a lion in his pride, his requests are very humble – directions to the palace and any old piece of cloth with which he might cover his nakedness so that he might appear in public without grossly offending people. Although he is told to come to the palace with the girl’s servants, Odysseus feels this would be unseemly and determines to approach the palace later on his own. As he makes his appeal to Arete, the queen, though, he retains a very humble and short-winded appeal. Here, he asks only for passage home and doesn’t even reveal his name until Book 9 after he’s proven his worth in manners and physical deeds. It is not until the Phaeacians press him that he finally begins to tell his tale in more heroic language. When Odysseus first meets his own son, he does not immediately reveal himself to the boy because he is instead obeying Athene’s instructions to remain concealed and his identity hidden. However, soon after Telemachus’ arrival at the farmhouse, their host Eumaeus is sent on an errand and Odysseus and Telemachus are left alone. Athene doesn’t give Odysseus a chance to give in to temptation and instead calls Odysseus outside to tell him that he may now reveal himself to his son and then changes his appearance to something more fitting for a king. When he steps back into the house, Telemachus is convinced he is a god because of the sudden transformation and the heroic nature of his bearing. Odysseus answers, “Why do you take me for an immortal? … Believe me, I am no god. But I am your father, on whose account you have endured so much sorrow and trouble and suffered persecution at men’s hands” (Book 16, 250). Once the shock wears off, father and son are able to reunite in an emotional display until they begin to plan how to take back their own house. The way that Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors is brilliant. Disguised as a beggar and having acted humbly for days, the suitors assume that he is no one special or powerful and pick on them as often as possible. However, when Penelope sets the challenge of the bow, they become worried because no one but Odysseus is supposed to be strong enough to string it. Telemachus tries and, as Odysseus’ son, almost succeeds but stops just short when he sees his father shake his head. After the other suitors have tried, the beggar stands and insists on a turn in which he succeeds where the others have failed. In the meantime, the women of the house have been made secure and all the doors out of the hall have been locked. It is only at this point that the suitors start to think seriously about all the warnings they’ve had. “The suitors were confounded. The celer faded from their cheeks; while to mark the signal moment there came a thunderclap from Zeus, and Odysseus’ long-suffering heart leapt for joy at this sign of favor from the Son of Chronos of the crooked ways” (Book 21, 326). Before they can fully process what this means, Odysseus has stripped off his rags and reveals his royal identity even as he starts firing arrows into the most potentially threatening of the suitors. Although he cannot reveal himself to Penelope yet, when Odysseus disguised as a beggar sits with her on the night of his arrival at the palace, he realizes the depth of her love for him still and gives her hope for the future by suggesting to her that he is near and that she will be reunited with him soon. “I swear first by Zeus, the best and greatest of the gods, and then by the good Odysseus’ hearth which I have come to, that everything will happen as I foretell. This very year Odysseus will be here” (Book 19, 296). He also insists that no one but an old maid of the family, who would recognize his identifying scar, should clean his feet. He knows on an intuitive level that Eurycleia will give Penelope unspoken moral support if she knows of his identity even if he has to disguise his actions even from himself in order to fulfill his task. The concept of xenia or hospitality is a very strong theme through the story and it can be argued that this is the main theme. Good examples of proper hospitality are found in the courts of King Nestor and King Menelaus. Upon his arrival at Nestor’s door, Telemachus experiences for the first time what true hospitality means. Nestor is quick to accept Telemachus into the household, providing him honored places at the table for feasts honoring the gods, speaking lovingly of the deeds of his own sons, having his daughter provide Telemachus with a bath and generally providing the much-needed father figure Telemachus has been lacking. Pisistratus, the same age as Telemachus, is able to provide an appropriate model for Telemachus as to how a respectful and well-loved son should behave in a kingly court. That Pisistratus offers Athena, disguised as Mentor, a drink before he offers one to Telemachus indicates he has been raised to respect the wise first and social rank second. The example set by Nestor and his household is reinforced by the example of Menelaus’ house. Telemachus receives much the same royal treatment here as a guest that he had experienced in Nestor’s court with the exception of having a son Telemachus’ age. This enables Telemachus to practice his newly learned social graces. He learns just how much the xenia of his own house has been abused by Menelaus’ reaction to his news: “It’s just as if a deer had put her little unweaned fawns to sleep in a mighty lion’s den and gone to range the high ridges ad the grassy dales for pasture. Back comes the lion to his lair, and hideous carnage falls upon them all. But no worse than Odysseus will deal out to that gang” (Book 4, 73). This reaction gives Telemachus the strength of purpose to return home and attempt to put things right even though he has no idea how he’s going to do this. Homer also includes examples of poor xenia and the disaster that can be brought on a house when it is not observed. One example is found in the house of Polyphemus, which is really more of a cave with a boulder serving as the front door that only Polyphemus can move. Rather than welcoming the men who have arrived on his island and showing proper hospitality, Polyphemus traps them within his home and begins feeding on them – eating one sailor at random for each meal. Poor xenia was expected by Odysseus who describes the entire race as “a fierce, uncivilized people who never lift a hand to plant or plough but put their trust in Providence” (Book 9, 142) while Polyphemus humself is described as “a giant … who had no truck with others of his kind but lived aloof in his own lawless way. And what a formidable monster he was!” (Book 9, 144). Not knowing that the Cyclops they encountered was the son of Poseidon, the surviving men of Odysseus’ landing party help Odysseus gouge out the single eye and then work to fool the giant into giving them the opportunity to get back to their ships as repayment for their own poor treatment. While this case is somewhat arguable as Odysseus and his men forced themselves on the Cyclops in much the same way that the suitors have forced themselves on Penelope, the example of the suitors is a strong example of poor xenia. Penelope herself points this out in Book 19 when she tells them, “Yours in by no means the good old way for rivals to conduct their suit for a gentlewoman and a rich man’s daughter! Surely it is usual for the suitors to bring in their own cattle and sheep to make a banquet for the lady’s friends, and also to give her valuable presents, but not to enjoy free meals at someone else’s expense” (283). Antinous has taken charge of the group and is therefore the acting host at Penelope’s house. Antinous proves his low status and inability to effectively rule when, still considered a houseguest in Odysseus’ house, he refuses to allow Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, to eat a crust of bread that Antinous is planning on discarding. He even throws a footstool at the beggar to chase him away, striking Odysseus on the back. This kind of uncharitable behavior makes the other suitors nervous, but not nervous enough to do anything to stop the behavior or attempt to correct Antinous. In the end, both Antinous and his father are killed by their mistreated ‘guest’ as he reclaims his throne and his wife. The idea of xenia is important because it contributes to a peaceful functioning of society. It isn’t until he makes contact with first Nestor and then Menelaus that Telemachus is finally provided with the examples he needs of a healthy father/son relationship as well as the example these leaders set in being a “father figure” to their kingdoms. By setting the example of a bountiful kingdom in being a good host, the kingdom prospers in trade and good neighborly relations. Works Cited Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. E.V. Rieu. New York: Penguin Books, 1946. Read More