Literature: The Portrayal of Key Characters

Odysseus is the central character in Homer’s Odyssey, renowned for his intellect and cunning, earning the epithet “the man of twists and turns.”
His resourcefulness and wit are highlighted in various episodes such as the blinding of Polyphemus and the ruse of the Trojan horse.
Although Odysseus frequently demonstrates courage and strength, his main asset is his cunning mind.
Odysseus is not portrayed as a perfect hero; episodes such as his prolonged stay with Circe and Calypso indicate his vulnerabilities and fascination with magical women.

Penelope is Odysseus’s wife, who waits faithfully for his return for twenty years.
She is a symbol of marital fidelity, wisdom, and cunning. Her most notable trick is to promise her suitors that she’ll marry them once she has finished weaving a burial shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes. Each night, however, she unravels her work, effectively stalling for time.
Penelope can be seen as a match for Odysseus in terms of intelligence and resourcefulness, although she operates primarily within the domestic realm.

Telemachus, son of Odysseus, undergoes a journey of his own, both physical and emotional, which is a key subplot alongside Odysseus’s adventures.
His development from a passive youth to an active young man who assists his father in defeating the suitors is a blossoming narrative theme. This is known as his “coming of age” or “rite of passage.”
The interactions between Telemachus, Athena (in disguise) and the suitors give valuable insights into the notion of Xenia (guest friendship) in Homeric society.

The suitors are a large group of men (over a hundred) vying for Penelope’s hand in marriage, eating Odysseus’s food, and disrespecting his household in his absence.
They represent arrogance, disrespect for Xenia, and a lack of political order.
They challenge Telemachus’s authority and composure in his own home, amplifying the need for Odysseus’s return, and setting up their bad fate.