Gina Tangelo

March 24, 2017

English 10
Miriam Rock

How Athena Changed Minds for the Better

In The Odyssey, Athena is the most important goddess in the story of

Odysseus journey back home from the Trojan War. Athena helped

Telemachus to go on a journey so that he could grow up and become a man.

She also helped out with making sure Penelope wouldnt think too much of

Odysseus and not recognize he had come home by coming to her dreams

and helping her fall asleep after weeping for her husband. Finally, she helped

Odysseus with the fight against the suitors so that they would be defeated

once and for all. All in all, Athena changes the way Penelope, Telemachus,

and Odysseus think and act so that they can become better people and so

they can be better as a family.

Athena changes the way Telemachus thinks so that he can grow up and

get the suitors out of his house. He is the first one we see her change in the

story and really the first one she changes overall. She is just giving him

advice as she says But you, I urge you, think how to drive these suitors from

your halls. Come now, listen closely. Take my words to heart (1.311-313).

This is encouragement for Telemachus to get the suitors away and to heed

her advice since shes a mentor. Another example of her telling him to get

rid of the suitors is when she is telling Telemachus of the journey to find his

father, Odysseus. She says: Then, once youve sealed those matters, seen

them through, think hard, reach down deep in your heart and soul for a way

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to kill these suitors in your house, by stealth in open combat (1.336-340).

She wants to help him get rid of the suitors because she and him both know

what they really want is to be king and they dont deserve to marry

Penelope. She also says You must not cling to your boyhood any longer- its

time you were a man (1.341). Athena is saying that he is still a boy and to

get rid of the suitors he cant be acting like a boy, hence one of the reasons

why she gives him advice in the first place. So, he needs to grow a pair and

become a man for his mother and to be able to fight off the suitors by going

on the journey to find his father. Athena wants to help Telemachus become

better so that he can run the house properly and so that he can make his

father proud, two very important aspects of their culture.

Penelope sleeps peacefully instead of grieving for Odysseus all night

long because Athena is doing what Odysseus wants. The poor woman has no

idea that Odysseus is right in front of her (or so she acts like) and still weeps

for him because she is desperate to see him. Athena doesnt involve herself

much into Penelopes life in the beginning because she wasnt focused on

her. When Odysseus first came back he didnt want for his wife to know that

he has already returned and so Athena forces Penelope to fall asleep at night

after she weeps so that she wont suspect anything. One key example of this

is when Odysseus first comes to house as a stranger and a beggar and they

have a great conversation about her husband. After all of this: Penelope,

once they reached the upper story, fell to weeping for Odysseus, her beloved

husband till watchful Athena sealed her eyes with welcome sleep (19.679-

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681). After she weeps for her husband for a few nights, she finally recognizes

him as her husband and even then reveals that she had known beforehand.

Penelope and Odysseus are only able to talk to each other the whole night

after not being with each other for years because Athena holds the night as

she knows that its what they both need. Athena is doing whatever possible

to make sure that Penelope will have a great discovery that her husband has

returned safely and how well he had done in the war.

Athena is attracted to Odysseus because of his talent and so she helps

him and favors him. Shes only seen really interfering when hes fighting

against the suitors where she thinks that he is off his game. She says: How

can you- now that youve returned to you own house, your won wealth-

bewail the loss of your combat strength in a war with suitors? Come, old

friend, stand by me! Youll see action now, see how Mentor the son of

Alcimus, that brave fighter, kills your enemies, pays you back for service!

(22.241-246) Shes implying that shes just going to sit and watch but she

believes that the old Odysseus who fought in the Trojan War will come back

to help with this battle. She wants to test them because she believes in their

power and their ability to beat the suitors: she kept on testing Odysseus

and his gallant son, putting their force and fight heart to proof (22.248-249).

Odysseus does end up fighting harder and better because of the encouraging

words of Athena. Since Athena is a god, she also senses things that normal

mortals wouldnt be able to and so she also helps them out with the battle.

When the suitor in charge senses that Odysseus and Telemachus are

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distracted and so he tries to set an attack to get rid of them for good. At his

command, concentrating their shots, all six hurled as one but Athena sent

the whole salvo wide of the mark- (22.267-269) She helps them out because

she doesnt want the battle end with the suitors winning. Athena really

changes the battle between Odysseus and the suitors and it changes

Odysseus perspective of things as well. Odysseus is a strong soldier and is

known as a hero, something which he needs to keep up when he returns

back to the place where it all began, hence the reason for why Athena

chooses to give him advice. He needs to avenge his absence and his wife

and Athena guides him to help make his return successful and memorable.

Her focus is on him the whole entirety of the journey and it never changes.

Athena helps the entire family as a whole while interfering with each of

the family members lives. Telemachus comes back better for his moms sake

(not necessarily to make his her proud) and so hes able to talk back to

suitors and act tougher because he is tougher now. Penelope didnt grieve

anymore and shes able to talk to her husband for the whole entire night

because of Athena. Odysseus gets helped out and so he won the battle and

saves the day. Although her focus is mostly on Odysseus and Telemachus

because they are the ones going through the hardest times throughout the

journey, she still helps Penelope, but only because shes helping the other

two at the same time. All in all, the family is back together and stronger than

ever since now Telemachus actually knows who his father is and why hes

said to be so great.

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