Illustration of Odysseus tied to a ship's mast

The Odyssey

by Homer

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Why do Odysseus and Telemachus return separately to their house in The Odyssey?

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The eminent English novelist, Virginia Woolf says, “To achieve this end, the writer must have a profound knowledge of life and its materials.” Tying up all the loose ends gives Homer’s Odyssey the status of a complete novel.

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In Homer’s Odysseus, Odysseus leaves his son Telemachus and wife Penelope, and stays away from them for almost twenty years. Telemachus determinedly searches for his father. In Odysseus’ absence, his house gets attacked by a large number of suitors who are after Penelope. So when Odysseus reveals his identity to Telemachus finally (in Book 16), they make a plan to take hold of their place and kill Penelope’s suitors. Telemachus informs Odysseus that there are more than one hundred suitors and, hence, Odysseus makes a careful and smart plan to accomplish this task.

Now, therefore, return home early to-morrow morning, and go about among the suitors as before. Later on the swineherd will bring me to the city disguised as a miserable old beggar 

As per the plan, both of them have to return to the home separately next day. Telemachus has to secretly go to the palace first,...

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and watch the suitors in Odysseus’ absence. He is also supposed to take hold of their arms. After sometime, Odysseus will arrive at the palace disguised as a beggar to engage the suitors. According to the plan, when Odysseus will finally reach, both of them will do a surprise attack on the suitors. 

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