Book 1 of Homer’s The Odyssey is entitled “Athena Inspires the Prince.” In this book, Athena comes to Telemachus and informs him that his father is still alive. At home, suitors have been pestering Penelope and Telemachus. Athena inspires Telemachus and gives him the confidence to take command and drive the suitors that are plaguing his mother away. He first tries to take control of the suitors by saying:
“See to your feasting elsewhere,
devour your own possessions, house to house by turns.
But if you decide the fare is better, richer here,
destroying one man’s goods and going scot-free,
all right then, carve away!
But I’ll cry out to the everlasting gods in hopes
that Zeus will pay you back with a vengeance-- all of you
destroyed in my house while I go scot-free myself!” (Book 1, 430-437).
At this, the suitors “bite their lips” and are “amazed the prince could speak with so much daring” (438-439). They did not take Telemachus seriously at all and did not leave. They knew Telemachus as a meek little boy, with no real power at all. They had been taking advantage of him and his mother for years. Telemachus also describes to Athena how his house once was great and rich, but now is not. He says, “Now the gods have reversed our fortunes with a vengeance” (line 272). He believed that Odysseus did not return home because the gods want vengeance. There is repetition of the word “vengeance” in Book 1 which indicates that vengeance probably will be a bigger theme in the poem. The repetition also enforces the fact that gods in Greek mythology are typically known for holding grudges and wanting to avenge their enemies.
Book 2 of The Odyssey is entitled “Telemachus Sets Sail.” By the second book, Telemachus has much more self confidence. The contrasting titles of Books 1 and 2 show the growing independence of Telemachus. He no longer needs Athena for inspiration; Telemachus is setting sail. Athena has given him more advice and he is less hesitant than he was in Book 1, but he is still does not seem like he is completely in control. Athena continuously gives him reassurance as he prepares to set sail and find his father. He again has to get rid of the suitors. He proclaims,
“See to your feasting elsewhere,
devour your own possessions, house to house by turns.
But if you decide the fare is better, richer here,
destroying one man’s goods and going scot-free,
all right then, carve away!
But I’ll cry out to the everlasting gods in hopes
that Zeus will pay you back with a vengeance-- all of you
destroyed in my house while I go scot-free myself!” (Book 2, 156-163)
Telemachus says the same words that he did in Book 1 to get rid of the suitors, but this time they come from himself and not Athena. Zeus also “sends down a sign”. Once the suitors see that Telemachus is very serious and is asserting his power, they back down and are nicer to him. These eight lines are repeated from Book 1, but the reaction from the suitors is very different. It took the repetition to make the suitors actually take Telemachus seriously. In general, repetition makes a person take something more seriously and remember it. When memorizing something for a class, repeating it is one of the best ways to put it into our brains. The repetition of these lines shows how Telemachus is growing in self confidence.
I agree that Telemachus' exact repetition of Athena's words is significant and that the new reactions from the suitors is interesting. Additionally, I think it is noteworthy that Telemachus does does alter the words at all, for this would have signified some careful thought and analysis on his part. It may be wise to take the advice of the Gods exactly as they give it, so perhaps Telemachus made the right decision, but I would have liked to see him take Athena's words and make them his own. By exactly replicating her speech, he shows a knack for memorization, but not for thought. Just as the memorization of material for a class may yield desirable results on a test but may not infuse the knowledge into our minds, I believe Telemachus' repetition is effective in what it accomplishes but not particularly beneficial in terms of his growth and maturation.
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