His travels also give Telemachus a chance to develop his own identity and Kleos and become a man. He develops somewhat in books one to four. Kleos in Homeric context meant what people said of you and defined how you’d be remembered when you were dead. Telemachus needs to see the world and achieve heroic status and get ready to help his soon to return father.
Also, Homer is creating suspense by delaying the meeting of Odysseus and the reminiscences build up his character and image.
The death of Aegistmus is emphasised in the novel because it is a moral point that such actions as his towards Agamemnon could not be ignored. It is a model for Telemachus showing him what he should do. In a sense he is in the same situation as Orestes as people are dishonouring his father who is as good as dead, and there is a parallel to Telemachus as they both grew up without a father. It was a rite of passage for Orestes to kill Aegistmus and so in the same way Telemachus must kill the Suitors of his mother.
If he had stayed in Ithaca, Telemachus would not have found out more information about his father. By leaving his emotional mother and servants, he can experience the real world, find out about Odysseus, and learn what it is to be a hero. He needs to meet people who knew his dad and experienced the Trojan War (gaining experiences) and learning bout heroics etc.
Since Telemachus has grown up without Odysseus, he does not really know what a well-ordered house is like and at Pylos and Sparta he learns how to speak and act in heroic company. When Telemachus meets King Nestor, he adheres to the rules of Xenia (as is expected of him), by being polite and learning the correct behaviour in respect to gods and men that is so obviously lacking in Ithaca with the suitors). Athene helps him to learn as he addresses Nestor properly:
“Nestor, Pride of the Acheans, Neleus’ son”
And all this serves to builds up his Kleos further.
Telemachus is given help on his journeys. Athene comes down to the palace in disguise of one of Odysseus’ old friends (Mentes) and then Mentor, and tries to stir Telemachus up by describing is father and the wonderful respect he was held in. She then inspires Telemachus at the feast in Pylos in two ways. First of all she says to him:
“Where your own intelligence fails, a god will inspire you”
And also that:
“The gods have blessed both your birth and your progress to manhood”, giving him confidence and making him feel special and safe as the gods were watching over him and giving him inspiration. Secondly, Athene prays to Poseidon at the feast, praying that:
“Telemachus and I may successfully accomplish the task that brings us here”
This shows that she wants Telemachus to be bold and fulfil his purpose. His knew found confidence manifests itself when, inspired by Athene, he is courageous enough to make a ‘spirited reply’ to Nestor’s questions and ask about Odysseus. Athene also aids Telemachus in returning home to Ithaca undetected as the suitors were waiting to ambush his ship. Telemachus is also aided by Peisistratus (Nestor’s son) who accompanied him on his journey to Sparta.
Telemachus seeks news from Nestor in Pylos. Nestor tells him that he has not seen or heard of Odysseus since the war ended and they left Troy. Nestor says that Odysseus was a man of strategy, that they were good friends, and that his father was the favourite of Pallas Athene. He refers to Odysseus as ‘admirable’ and ‘supreme’ and tells him of his fathers last movements where there was an argument between Menelaus and Agamemnon and that Odysseus turned back towards Troy after setting out to return home.
Telemachus is then sent by the old king to see Menelaus and Helen in Sparta. Menelaus tells him that they were the best of friends and that he misses him above all others (even his brother) and that he mourns for him still. He also said that he:
“...Had meant to favour him above all others of our race when he came back”
And tells Telemachus a story about Odysseus’ intelligence and strength. His story about Proteus the sea god locates Odysseus for Telemachus on Calypso’s island.
Another useful piece of information that Telemachus learns from Menelaus is that he was missing whilst adventuring for four years and came home wealthy. It gives Telemachus hope of Odysseus being alive. Menelaus is a fatherly role model to Telemachus and tries to make him more positive:
“One can see that you have the right blood in your veins”.
Helen instantly admires Telemachus as he resembles his father and doesn’t deal with the grief of remembering Odysseus very well. The fact that he resembles his father is beneficial to Telemachus. It helps to build up his Kleos (reputation) and prove that he is indeed Odysseus’ son. Helen She thought extremely highly of Odysseus, saying:
“He lacked nothing in intelligence and looks”
And tells a story of one of the ‘daring feats of dauntless Odysseus’, and points out that Odysseus played a major part in the winning of the Trojan War (he was prepared to infiltrate the camp). Despite all this, Telemachus still doubts that his father is alive.
So far Telemachus has been presented as a sympathetic character. We are made aware of his weaknesses and failings, such as the fact that he is not able to protect his mother from the many suitors:
“Meanwhile they are eating me out of house and home. And they will very soon destroy me too”
However, we are also made aware of what he has gone through and suffered in his life. For example, he has had to grow up without a strong male role model and now is plagued by suitors to his mother behaving raucously and rudely in his father’s palace:
“The Suitors came swaggering in”
To conclude, Telemachus is sent on his travels to learn about his father in order to build up his Kleos. He must sever the apron strings, which tie him to his childlike life with his overly emotional mother. He needs to learn about being a hero and polite etiquette in the company of gods or heroic men. He must prepare himself for the imminent arrival of his father, which is delayed by Homer whilst Telemachus becomes a son resembling his father in ways other than physically. He gains a role model in characters such as Menelaus and a positive attitude that comes from reassuring words from him and confidence from Athene. Telemachus discovers the last known whereabouts of his father, is given hope that he could still be alive and learns that his father was indeed a hero with many important friends. We feel sorry for Telemachus’ difficult childhood, and yet think that he needs to become a stronger, more confident character, that his father can be proud of.
