Sunday, December 13, 2009

From Boy to Man

" And Athena lavished a marvelous splendor on the prince so the people all gazed in wonder as he came forward, the elders making way as he took his father's seat"

(Book II, line 12-14)

For me this part of the epic is very important because is when the boy is showing signs that he is going to become the man that we are all expecting to see. Telemachus needs to take action against the suitors but he still does not know how. I think the conversation with Athena is a Catalyst for him to understand that the next step is leaving Ithaca in order to become a man and come back again as a hero and inherit the Kleos from his father. When he takes his father's seat in the council of Ithaca and he is the one who calls the meating, we can say that he is taking charge as the prince and future king. We can also say that although he does try he is not ready yet because after he explains his concerns to the council he starts to cry, letting us know in a way that he is not ready yet and that he needs to undergo the rite of passage.

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