Abstract
The character of Telemachus occupies a place of great significance in the plot of the Odyssey. In addition to being a figure whose development the audience observes for four books of the poem before the introduction of the epic's main character, he returns in the final books of the poem to participate in the resolution of the plot alongside his father. His plot in the narrative is inextricably tied to his need to navigate his social world about which he learns through his travels and interactions with other characters. In this thesis, I examine how the Odyssey presents the way in which Telemachus fulfills social and cultural roles within the poem and how it uses his performance of those roles to create and reinforce a model of the proper performance in a society that no longer supports the structures of the heroic age. I argue that these roles do not end at those which Telemachus overtly takes over the course of the narrative; instead, he extends into the position of a reader, or auditor, of epic poetry, especially in the context of his reception of and engagement with the narrative of Orestes, and the poem encourages the audience to evaluate how effectively Telemachus participates in the tradition of which they are currently a part. I further explore the evidence of how later texts present the character of Telemachus to see to what extent these authors engage with the problems of his socio-cultural place in the Odyssey.