Parent-child relationships are very prevalent in works of literature especially in the pieces written in Ancient Greece and Rome. Some examples of these are the works we have read in class such as the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Electra plays, and Aristophanes’ the Clouds. Although mother-daughter relationships are important throughout each of these works; father-son relationships are even more so. The father-son relationship is one of the most important aspects of these societies especially in the Odyssey written by Homer. The significance of all of the father-son relationships depicted in the Odyssey itself is for the purpose of exploiting its themes of family, xenia and tradition. The father-son relationship is used as well to exploit the importance …show more content…
Their father-son relationship is the most important of all throughout the Odysseus and this is proven time and again throughout the entire body of work. Their relationship is not only important to the story itself but to the themes as well. Family is the fundamental principle that not only they have but that the entire family has. Penelope is especially worried for her son as he is not at home and the suitors have planned to kill him on the sea before he can reach home. Xenia has also been passed down to Telemachus even though Odysseus wasn’t there. Before knowing that Odysseus was who he was, he paid attention to him which shows the sign of being a substantial host unlike the suitors. This is proven by when he asks Eumaeus about the stranger: “How can I welcome this guest in my house? … One man, however powerful, can’t do much against superior numbers.” (Odyssey 16. 76-98). Similar to xenia, tradition is also shown through their relationship. One example of the traditions passed down through each generation which is proven by Telemachus speaking to Athena as his guest: “My dear guest, you speak to me as kindly as a father to his son. I will not
Telemachus and Penelope must take on many challenges with Odysseus gone, such as being a source of moral support for each other and taking on more tasks. With one less person in the family, there is one less shoulder to cry on and absence in moral support is definitely a great loss. Penelope and Telemachus must have a special bond to be able to get through the absence of Odysseus. They must always be there for each other for moral support. Though the man of the house back in Ancient Greece did not do much housework, there are many important jobs that Telemachus and Penelope must fill in for in Odysseus's absence.
The Relationship between Telemachus and Odysseus his father is very different. First off, Telemachus has really never met his father but there is still some relation there. Telemachus longs to meet his father and have a relationship. It is very clear that Telemachus struggles to come to the fact that his father has been away for so long and questions at the beginning of the books if he will every come home. Once Telemachus is told by Athena in disguise that his father is still alive ( lines 220-228 in Fagles) he longs on a journey to try and find his dad to see if he is alive.
In Homer’s The Odyssey, the importance of family and father-son relationships are evident through the exchanges between Odysseus and Telemachus. First of all, although Telemachus has never actually seen his father, her goes on a journey across the sea in order to find news of Odysseus. Telemachus’s bravery and courage to know of his father’s whereabouts shows the connection between father and son. Telemachus’s actions show how the Greeks value not only bravery but also being loyal to the family.
Odysseus’s son, Telemakhos discussed the problem of the suitors to Athena. The suitors believed Odysseus to be dead, and decided to try and marry Penelope so they can inherit Odysseus’s wealth and kingdom. Telemakhos realized the suitors intents and the nuisance they have become, when he converses with Athena. “‘... Ithaka’s young lords as
Although it has been around for so long, one thing has tied it together; how human it is. Students need to read The Odyssey in order to understand that people have the same feelings and desires as those thousands of years ago. In a time revolving around technology with never ending workloads, it’s key to understand that humans still have the same core characteristics as they did in a much simpler time when face-to-face relationships were higher valued. One example is the strong mother-child bond that many high schoolers can relate to. On page 191, Odysseus is able to talk to his mother in ghost form after she has passed away.
Being disrespectful toward how the old man was perceived would go against the Law of Hospitality. Xenia puts the homeowner on watch 24/7. Telemachus observed Athena and hurried over embarrassed that she was held back by the gates. Telemachus wasn’t aware that Athena would be coming to visit him. WIthout knowing she would arrive, he was shocked that no one provided assistants to her.
“The Odyssey,” written by Greek poet Homer is an epic tale depicting the brutally enduring quest home of the Greek hero, Odysseus. Within this heroic story, women play a very large and pivotal role in Odysseus’s trip home from the Trojan War. In his attempt to get back to his wife, Penelope, Odysseus’s progress is constantly hindered by the intervention of women who will do anything in order to either convince the heroic figure to stay with them or have him killed. The intentions of the women in the epic are all very different but one of the most prominent roles lies in the seductresses and the alluring women who will deeply influence Odysseus. Most importantly, Penelope plays a large role in portraying the importance of women’s roles in the story.
The Odyssey is an epic poem written by the blind, illiterate poet Homer. It takes place in ancient Greece and tells of a man’s journey home from war. The topic, intervention of the gods, is seen throughout the book numerous times as the gods who are in favor of Odysseus lend a helping hand. It is well-known that the gods are very important to the Greeks. In this epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer demonstrates the importance of the positive and encouraging intervention of the gods in Greek culture; the brave actions, encouraging words, and cunning strategies of Athena as she assists and guides Odysseus on his journey back home.
However Odysseus, despite being a good man, does not display honor and dignity when he refuses to forgive the suitors, then slaughters them all, and has an affair with Calypso. Since Penelope can react to tough situations with grace and poise, she is more admirable than
Fathers are some of the most influential people there will ever be; they teach you some of the basic rules of life, they show you how to act, they lead you when you don’t know what to do. But what happens when you grow up without a father? In The Odyssey, written by Homer, we follow the story of a man who, on the day of his son’s birth, was forced to go to war. Odysseus was gone for a painstakingly long 20 years, and during that time, Telemachus grew up watching his mother struggle. As the queen of Ithaca, Penelope had many suitors fighting for her hand: the king was gone and they took control.
Odysseus captures the importance of relations which serves as major theme in The Odyssey.(CM) First Odysseus plans ahead to not warn the men of Scylla because he is familiar with crew and yearns for what is best.(CD) Since Odysseus and has a connection with his crew he knows their characteristics and instincts.(CM) Once the crew is aware of monster Odysseus makes up for his lack of communication by encouraging them and persistently urging them to success.(CD) Although not informing the crew of danger is a little
“Foundation of Family” Family is the fundamental building block of all societies. It is all inclusive across generations and cultures. Based on the epic poem The Odyssey and current families today, we see that family is where we learn to love ourselves and each other, to bear one another’s burdens, to find meaning in our life and to give purpose to other’s lives, and to feel the value of being part of something greater than ourselves. Family is where we experience our biggest triumphs, deepest vulnerabilities, and where we have the greatest potential to do good.
Towards the middle of Book II, Telemachus feels discouraged about the probability of him being able to successfully complete the quest to retrieve his father. Seeing his distress, Athena attempts to rally him by stating that Telemachus’ quest couldn’t fail because he possessed the distinctive traits of his father that Athena seems to find so admirable. “Telemachus, you’ll lack neither courage nor sense from this day on, not if your father’s spirit courses through your veins- now there was a man, I’d say, in words and actions both! So how can your journey end in shipwreck or defeat?
Throughout all of human history, various pieces of literature usually reflect the nature of people and the current culture of the time it was written. A topic that was frequently written about in Greek Mythology were family dynamics and relationships between family members. More specifically, father-son relationships were an extremely prevalent topic in Greek Mythology. In particular, The Odyssey touched upon this topic greatly. The basic structure of father-son relationships have stayed the same like how the parent are supposed to take care of the children.
Mothers: Mothers in the Odyssey, are determined figures. They are seen as the suppliers of compassion and distress, instead of genuine “supporters” of their children and spouses. Throughout the Odyssey, some of the females need backing and direction as they are weak, fragile, feeble and delicate. Without a tough male figure to guide them, these females seem to be sad and lost. Mothers in the Odyssey depend highly on their son’s devotion to them.