How does telemachus recognize odysseus

Second, they were disloyal to Odysseus as ruler of Ithaca in their attempts to displace him by taking his wife. How many suitors does Odysseus kill? Once Odysseus returns home whom Athena initially disguises as a beggar so he can plot his revenge in secret , his son Telemachus tells him that there are suitors: 52 from Dulichium, 24 from Same, 20 Achaeans from Zacynthus, and 12 from Ithaca.

What happens after Odysseus kills the suitors? Volleys of spears are exchanged, and Odysseus and his men kill several suitors while receiving only superficial wounds themselves. Finally, Athena joins the battle, which then ends swiftly.

Odysseus spares only the minstrel Phemius and the herald Medon, unwilling participants in the suitors' profligacy.

Why do you think Odysseus chooses not to reveal? Odysseus initially tells Penelope that he is a wanderer with a past too painful to reveal. Why does Odysseus choose not to reveal his identity to his wife? He may feel that he is not yet ready to trust that his wife has been loyal to him.

Or, he may not want to reveal too much until he has executed his plan. What is Odysseus and Telemachus plan? He formulates a plan to launch a surprise attack from within the palace: Odysseus will enter disguised as a beggar and Telemachus will hide the palace's surplus arms where the suitors cannot easily reach them. The two of them will then seize the arms and slaughter the suitors. Who killed Odysseus? The royal couple, together again after ten long years of separation, lived happily ever after, or not quite.

Father and son are left alone. Taking Odysseus aside, Athena performs another transformation, returning him to an impressive image of his former self. Appearing in a form that Odysseus can see but Telemachus can't, Athena counsels the king on when and how to reveal his true identity. As a beggar, Odysseus has already dared to challenge his son about the suitors. He asks how the prince can tolerate them. Telemachus may not have learned much about his father's presence during the trips to Pylos and Sparta, but he has gained considerable maturity and insight.

He listens to the beggar and agrees that he must stand up to the scoundrels who have taken over his home. So when Odysseus identifies himself to his son, Odysseus knows that he has a willing and increasingly able partner. Being the experienced warrior that he is, Odysseus seeks reliable information about the enemy. His first step is to ask Telemachus about the suitors. The prince reveals Odysseus puts his faith in Athena and Zeus.

With that as a premise, the father and son devise their plan. Telemachus is to return to town and mix with the suitors.

Odysseus, in disguise, will follow. And note how the capacity for transformation and disguise is seen as a godlike quality. Fate, the Gods, and Free Will. Odysseus asks Telemachus to describe the suitors so that they can plan an attack. Telemachus doubts that only two men can defeat such a large group of suitors — over a hundred in total — but Odysseus reminds him that Athena and Zeus will stand by them as well.

Odysseus tells him to go to the palace and mingle with the crowd of suitors. Eumaeus will bring Odysseus, once again disguised as a beggar, into town later.

Odysseus further instructs Telemachus to keep his return secret — even from Laertes , Penelope , and Eumaeus. Athena has assured Odysseus that he can trust Telemachus, but he does not trust any other member of his family with the news of his return. His suspicion is not unkind: in a world where people's lives and loyalties change constantly just ask Agamemnon , it would be foolish of Odysseus to expect his family to stay exactly as it was for the twenty years of his absence.

Both Eumaeus and a herald from Pylos report to Penelope that Telemachus has come home. The suitors are dismayed to hear the news. They gather at the meeting grounds and complain that a god must have saved Telemachus's life. Antinous proposes to murder him on home soil, but in secret, to avoid persecution. Amphinomus suggests that they should only kill the prince if the gods are in favor of the murder, and the suitors all agree to this more moderate plan. The suitors are both impious and foolish to try to harm a person who seems to have the protection of the gods.

It is disrespectful and futile to pit one's will against the will of the gods. Over the next few books, the number of omens in need of interpretation rises dramatically, as Homer increasingly depicts the suitors as condemned men and ever more explicitly foreshadows their impending doom.

His evasion is justified by his prioritizing of practical considerations—the need to return home quickly—over decorum and other formal considerations. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Odyssey!

SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Why does Telemachus go to Pylos and Sparta? How does Odysseus escape Polyphemus? Why does Odysseus kill the suitors? How does Penelope test Odysseus? What is happening at the beginning of The Odyssey?

Why does Athena help Odysseus so much? Why does Nestor invite Telemachus to the feast before knowing his identity? Why does Calypso allow Odysseus to leave her island? Why does Odysseus sleep with Circe?