After discussing Odysseus's character traits this week, I have come to conclude that Telemachus, Odysseus's son, is generally a much better hero compared to Odysseus (at least from a normal reader's perspective). There are many unlikable things about Odysseus's character. First of all, he is arrogant and is often quite full of himself. We can tell he cares quite little about his crew and often risks their lives for no concrete reason. Furthermore, he receives all the sympathy for his continuous misfortune, while his shipmates receive none. After all, aren't his shipmates just as eager to get home? In addition, Odysseus has a clear sexual double-standard. While he expects Penelope to be loyal, he sleeps with numerous women/nymphs/goddesses on his trip. While this may have been more normal in the day, it certainly seems like quite a despicable quality to the modern reader.
Telemachus, on the other hand is a much more likable hero (at least to me). While Odysseus has a rather personal goal, Telemachus steps up to defend his family and his household. While Odysseus sometimes cries and sometimes masterfully conceals his emotions, we see a more consistent personality in Telemachus. The reader witnesses Telemachus transforming from a helpless child into a more assertive prince. This transformation really helps sell Telemachus as a character, and we fail to see such a profound development in the character of Odysseus.
I think this is really interesting and I totally agree with a lot of what you say about Odysseus's faults vs. Telemachus's strengths. It seems like what you're saying with the point of this post is that Telemachus is really more of a hero, or makes a better hero, than Odysseus. However, you cite one of the reasons that Odysseus makes a bad hero as his crew receiving none of the sympathy. As much as I dislike Odysseus (I'm definitely on your side), I don't think this really has anything to do with his heroism. Sure, it's annoying and unfair to the crew, but it's not Odysseus's fault. The whole journey is to live out the prophecy about Odysseus (the path deviates a lot but the prophecy provides the basis), so naturally the attention is going to be drawn to him since he's war hero and the center of the story.
ReplyDeleteTo back up Julia, Homer makes a point to mention in the invokation the "recklessness" of the crewmates, those "blind fools" (and remember, they were the ones who persuaded Odysseus to stop at the Sungod's island)! I do like your view of Telemachus -- he does have a more solid character development and ascent to manhood.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that Odysseus has many faults, but he does have heroic qualities. He is assertive, far more so than Telemachus. Telemachus might never have ousted the servants from his house if Odysseus didn't come home. He is courageous. He is very good at what he does: telling stories. In this time period, the ability to tell stories was highly valued. His pride is his fatal flaw, but the presence of this flaw does not necessarily make him less of hero. It is something he has to work at--he has to reign it in when he is planning to slaughter the suitors--and this effort is admirable.
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense that Telemachus, as a coming-of-age character, might show more dramatic development over the course of the poem, even if his "journey" seems slight in comparison to his father's (as was suggested in class). Odysseus is an established hero of the Trojan War when the story takes place--his credentials, as king and as "tactician," are already secure. The challenge for him is simply returning to a normal domestic life. But aren't his and Telemachus's goals intertwined? Don't they both aim to restore order and respectability to their household? Haven't they both been personally disrespected by these suitors? We see the prince come of age, and assume his position as a worthy successor to the king. But their interests in this plot seem to me to be basically the same.
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