Telemakhos' character changes all throughout the poem. The Odyssey shows Telemakhos growing up in stages. Telemakhos grows from a scared little boy in his heart, to a strong warrior on both the inside and the outside.

In the beginning, Telemakhos is scared, inexperienced, and does not believe in himself. He lets the suitors walk all over, disrespect, and be rude to his family as well as himself. When Athena is disguised as Mentes, Telemakhos acts defeated and feels there is no hope of his father returning, and no hope of getting the suitors out of his house. Telemakhos does not act or think like a hero's son. This is because he did not have a father to teach him how to fight, act, think, or protect himself and his family.

With Athena's help, Telemakhos is able to move into a more mature stage, where he becomes more confident...