Beginning of Essay
The Odyssey, by Homer, is about a Trojan War hero, Odysseus, struggling to return home to his wife and son. While Odysseus is experiencing many hardships, which are preventing him from returning home, his wife is being besieged by suitors, and his son, Telemachus ....

Middle of Essay
.... Athena feels obligated to help. Athena's main motive for going to see Telemachus is to "rouse [him] / to a braver pitch, inspire his heart with courage (page 80, lines 104-105)" She realizes that Telemachus needs to be advised by a wise older man, she disguises herself as an old friend of Odysseus's, Mentes. As opposed to Athena disguising herself as just some stranger, she disguises herself as a very close friend of Odysseus, an equal, in order to seem more reliable. In the following passage Athena tries to convince Telemachus about her close relationship with his father "As for the ties between your father and myself, / we've been friends foreve ....