Telemachus bravely called a meeting of Ithaca’s leaders. He declared that his father was dead and his kingdom was on the brink of ruin. He hopes the leaders will help him against the suitors.
The suitors blame Telemachus’ mother, Penelope, and refuse to leave. (For years, she wove a shroud for her father-in-law, saying she would marry one of the suitors when finished. However, she unwound it at night.)
A prophet predicts Odysseus’s return and the suitors’ demise, but he is mocked. Later, at Telemachus’ home, a suitor asks Telemachus to join them in feasting as he did as a boy. Telemachus refused, saying he would bring them harm. Lastly, he makes preparations for his quest to find news of his father.
Telemachus did well, but not completely:
- He displayed courage by calling a meeting of the leading men and taking a stand against the evil suitors
- He displayed temperance by not taking the easy way out. Instead, he prepared for a dangerous and difficult journey
- He did not persuade the leaders to stop the suitors
- His anger and anxiety overwhelmed him; an older friend (Mentor) had to argue on his behalf
What do you think? What did he do well, and not so well?
