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Telemachus is the prince of Ithaca and is Odysseus and Penelope’s son. However, Telemachus is very different from his father. Whereas Odysseus is greedy and arrogant, Telemachus is modest and humble. Odysseus boasts about his conquests, but Telegonus is haunted with guilt for murdering innocent maids at his father’s demand. While Odysseus charges headfirst into battle, valuing violence as a means to an end, Telemachus is measured and cautious, choosing not to avenge his father’s death, resulting in his having to flee from his birthright.
Unlike his father, Telemachus would be satisfied with a simple, honorable life without the need for fame and glory. While Telemachus follows in his father’s footsteps in forming a bond with Circe, their relationship differs in that it is an inherently healthy and equal partnership. For example, their bond prompts Circe to turn Scylla to stone rather than let the monster suffer as she is. Telemachus’s humanity inspires Circe to want to live a mortal, and possibly therefore more moral, life with someone who returns her love and affection.
