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Throughout Homer’s poem The Odyssey, the goddess Pallas Athena plays a large role in Odysseus’ travels. It is no real surprise that when the adventurer finally returns to Ithaca, Athena aids him by disguising him as a poor old man. While this is a clever guise to avoid the attention of the suitors and others upon his arrival, Odysseus maintains his appearance even when he first greets his own son. Why is it that Odysseus does not drop his guard right then and there and embrace his only child? Upon inspection, it is clear that Odysseus has to remain disguised in order to satisfy the needs of the author, the characters, and even the readers of the poem. Homer, the gods, Telemachus, Odysseus himself, and the reader each have their own reason for desiring the maintenance of the disguise, creating a sort of hierarchy of needs that are satisfied by its occurance. The decision to keep Odysseus as an old man when he first meets his son, no matter how odd it might seem at first, positively affects almost everyone involved with poem. While The Odyssey is laden with fantastical characters and events, Homer clearly adheres to the rules of common logic. If Odysseus were to return home and announce himself to the island, he would have immediately been attacked by the suitors. The “master of tactics” knew that he could let no one know of his arrival except for his wife and son, not even his loyal swineherd. When he is first introduced to his son, it is in the presence of Eumaeus, and so the king tactfully withholds the revelation until the swineherd has left. In having Odysseus follow this logic, Homer imparts upon us that the great king is a logical being, and therefore reinforces the logical aspect of a poem that is filled with fantasy. While Homer satisfied his need to maintain a logical side to the poem, Odysseus’ decision also has an effect upon the characters within. The gods that dwell atop Mount Olympus are a definite part of the “hierarchy of needs”, with their own unique reason for “needing” Odysseus to maintain his masquerade. One of the definitive characteristics of the gods is that their predictions of what will come to pass seem always correct.
Approximate Word count = 1499
Approximate Pages = 6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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