Rather than begin with a familiar character such as Odysseus, The Odyssey starts off with his son Telamachos.
In the first few books of The Odyssey, everyone wants a slice of the Odysseus pie but Telamachos. His mother constantly grieves Odysseus' loss, obsessed over whether he is dead or alive, while the suitors courting her are interested in their estate. Telamachos barely remembers Odysseus as he left ten years ago. Telamachos feels so disconnected from Odysseus that when asked whether he is his son, he replies: "My mother says I am his son; I know not surely" (8). Telamachos is only curious about the condition of his father as long as it worries his mother and means that suitors freeload in his house. Telamachos has inherited a major problem in which he personally has no emotional stake.
On top of the pressure of his mother and the suitors, Telamachos must strive toward the ideal of Orestes. Nestor tells Telamachos the story of how Agamenmon's son nobly "killed the snake who killed his father" (44); he then generally advises Telamachos to do right by his father in a similar way.
One might think these forces bring Telamachos down, making him simply the unlucky shadow of his father. But Telamachos is his own person, with his own desires and sadness. Internally, Telamachos has always wanted to have a father in his life. Having a reputable, glorious, wealthy father has not sufficed. Telamachos says: "I wish at least I had some happy man as father, growing old in his own house - but unknown death and silence of him that .... they call my father" (8). We will have to read further in order to see how Telamachos' internal conflicts play out and whether the many high expectations of him are met.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
The Significance of the Interaction Between Hektor and Andromache in Book 6 (Prompt 9)
In Book Six of "The Iliad," Hektor goes to see his wife Andromache and their son before returning to battle. Andromache begs Hektor to stay with his family and avoid death, while he is compelled to go back to fight.
Andromache is not irrational or blinded by emotion, as other women are portrayed to be in the world of "The Iliad." Andromache simply wants to stay away from the immediate threats of battle, and moreover, she wants to remain with her husband to the very end. It is Hektor, rather, who comes off as naive, effectively committing suicide by returning to the war. Andromache has to remind him: "Oh, my wild one, your bravery will be your own undoing! No pity for our child, poor little one, or me in my sad lot - soon to be deprived of you!" (148).
Even though Hektor claims he understands Andromache - "Lady, these many things beset my mind no less than yours" (149) - it still seems that family is not as important to Hektor as kleios. He fears dying "of shame" and evading battle "like a coward" (149).
Hektor does suggest he is fighting for his family's sake - "Let me be hidden dark down in my grave before I hear your cry or know you captive!" (150). But the more important motivation for Hektor is glory. Like so many men in "The Iliad," Hektor strives to achieve kleios, which entails skill and bravery in battle. The Trojan War provides Hektor the opportunity to attain this goal. Hektor has two options: he can stay by his family who needs him more than ever, or he can die in battle in order to gain a glorious reputation among other men. Hektor chooses the latter because he is more committed to the rest of the Argives than to his wife and son.
This interaction demonstrates several discrepancies between male and female attitudes in the world of "The Iliad." In the face of war, men accept the fate of death while women strive to avoid it. Though war is destructive and terrible for both men and women, at least the male characters have the opportunity to achieve kleios. The most any man can hope to attain is a reputation of fearlessness and prowess in battle; the most any woman can strive to have is the unity of her family.
Andromache is not irrational or blinded by emotion, as other women are portrayed to be in the world of "The Iliad." Andromache simply wants to stay away from the immediate threats of battle, and moreover, she wants to remain with her husband to the very end. It is Hektor, rather, who comes off as naive, effectively committing suicide by returning to the war. Andromache has to remind him: "Oh, my wild one, your bravery will be your own undoing! No pity for our child, poor little one, or me in my sad lot - soon to be deprived of you!" (148).
Even though Hektor claims he understands Andromache - "Lady, these many things beset my mind no less than yours" (149) - it still seems that family is not as important to Hektor as kleios. He fears dying "of shame" and evading battle "like a coward" (149).
Hektor does suggest he is fighting for his family's sake - "Let me be hidden dark down in my grave before I hear your cry or know you captive!" (150). But the more important motivation for Hektor is glory. Like so many men in "The Iliad," Hektor strives to achieve kleios, which entails skill and bravery in battle. The Trojan War provides Hektor the opportunity to attain this goal. Hektor has two options: he can stay by his family who needs him more than ever, or he can die in battle in order to gain a glorious reputation among other men. Hektor chooses the latter because he is more committed to the rest of the Argives than to his wife and son.
This interaction demonstrates several discrepancies between male and female attitudes in the world of "The Iliad." In the face of war, men accept the fate of death while women strive to avoid it. Though war is destructive and terrible for both men and women, at least the male characters have the opportunity to achieve kleios. The most any man can hope to attain is a reputation of fearlessness and prowess in battle; the most any woman can strive to have is the unity of her family.
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