The Odyssey

Telemachus is the only son of Odysseus and Penelope. Hinds depicts him as a slender young man, and his inexperience in the ways of the world is clear. When the story begins, he is only beginning to assume the responsibilities of adulthood. Athena’s visit in Book 1 pushes him to start filling his absent father’s place on Ithaca, and he slowly starts asserting himself over his mother and the suitors. He also enters the political arena when he calls an assembly of Ithaca’s leading men in Book 2. In Book 3 and Book 4, Telemachus leaves Ithaca in search of news about his father and soon learns many important practical lessons about the world. These changes in Telemachus’s personality compel the suitors to regard him as a threat to their interests, and they even attempt an unsuccessful plan to kill him. Telemachus and his father Odysseus share certain attributes, for Telemachus also has the favor of the goddess Athena; she assumes the form of Mentes and later Mentor to guide him. Telemachus is also brave and loyal like his father, helping to fight against the suitors even against staggering odds.

Penelope is Odysseus’s wife and the mother of Telemachus. She is represented throughout the graphic novel as an aristocratic but tired-looking woman. She remains faithful to Odysseus throughout his 20-year absence, even though almost everybody else believes him to be long dead. Penelope’s faithfulness complements Odysseus’s determination to reach home, illustrating The Importance of Family Loyalty.

Penelope’s intelligence and cunning are also important aspects of her character, and her attributes complement those of her husband. She spends years holding the suitors at bay, at times resorting to clever ploys. Most notably, she promises to choose a new husband once she finishes her father-in-law’s burial shroud, which she proceeds to unravel every night to buy herself more time. Penelope also uses her cunning on Odysseus, testing him to make sure that he is really her husband.

Penelope’s suitors are over 100 of the most important nobles of Ithaca and the surrounding islands. In Odysseus’s absence, they try to force Penelope to marry one of them, and until she makes up her mind, they insist upon spending their days lounging in Odysseus’s home and consuming his wealth. The suitors thus reject the basic rules of civilized society by squandering another man’s goods and trying to steal his wife. Antinoos, the ringleader of the suitors, even attempts to kill Telemachus. When Odysseus returns home in disguise, Antinoos and the other suitors treat him poorly, showing that they do not respect the customs of hospitality. With the help of Telemachus and a few loyal servants, Odysseus finally kills all the suitors, punishing them for their lawless and impious behavior.

Athena is the Greek goddess of war and wisdom. Hinds depicts her and the other gods, in a paler color palette that suggests her otherworldly status. In her appearances in the graphic novel, she is drawn with an emphasis on blue hues, and no matter what disguise she dons, she always retains her bright blue eyes. These visual cues enhance the existing details of the story, delivering crucial information without words. Athena loves Odysseus and works tirelessly to help him return to Ithaca. In Book 1, Athena urges Zeus, the ruler of the gods, to have Calypso release Odysseus, and she continues to direct the action by guiding Telemachus to search for his father, disguising Odysseus as a beggar to fool his enemies, helping Odysseus to kill the suitors, and securing peace between Odysseus and the people of Ithaca.

Eumaeus is Odysseus’s swineherd and one of the servants who remains loyal to his old master and his family. Eumaeus is represented as an older but strongly built man. He lives on the outskirts of Ithaca and offers hospitality to Odysseus when the hero first comes home disguised as a beggar. Eumaeus is a generous host, even though he himself is poor. He loves Odysseus and continues to long for his return, hating the suitors who are squandering Odysseus’s wealth. When Odysseus reveals his identity to him, Eumaeus, together with Philoetius, bravely helps him fight the suitors, apprehending the goatherd Melanthius when he tries to bring weapons to the suitors.

Eurycleia is one of the loyal servants in Odysseus’s household. She nursed Odysseus when he was a child and is an old woman when Odysseus returns to Ithaca after his 20-year absence. When Odysseus first comes to Ithaca in disguise, Eurycleia recognizes him by an old scar that he got when he was a boy. This makes Eurycleia the only person who recognizes Odysseus without needing to be told who he is. Eurycleia loves Odysseus and his family and helps him with his plot to retake his household. She gives him the names of all the disloyal servants so that he can punish them after he kills the suitors.

Alcinoos and Arete are the king and queen of Phaeacia. They offer Odysseus hospitality when their daughter Nausicaa finds him on the beach. After providing Odysseus with food, a place to sleep, and entertainment, Alcinoos and Arete even dispatch a ship to take him back home. They are impressed when they find out that their guest is none other than the hero Odysseus who fought at Troy, and they listen spellbound as he tells them his story.

Calypso is a goddess who lives on the remote island of Ogygia. She is youthful and beautiful, and Hinds depicts her as a scantily clad, dark-skinned woman. When Odysseus washes ashore on her island after losing all his ships and companions, Calypso takes him in and keeps him with her for seven years. Calypso falls in love with Odysseus and does not want him to leave Ogygia. She even tries to convince him to become her husband, offering to make him immortal if he chooses to stay. However, Odysseus refuses her offer, preferring to go back to his family, even though this choice means that he will eventually grow old and die. Zeus finally sends Hermes to order Calypso to let Odysseus go, and Calypso, knowing that she cannot disobey Zeus, obeys.

Circe is a beautiful yet dangerous sorceress. When Odysseus and his men first reach her island, she turns some of Odysseus’s men into pigs. Odysseus, with Hermes’s help, forces her to restore his men to their human forms. Circe and Odysseus become lovers, and Circe entertains him and his companions for a year. When Odysseus decides to continue his journey home, Circe gives him valuable advice on how to complete his journey successfully. She tells him to seek out the shade of the dead prophet Tiresias and shows him how to escape dangerous monsters such as the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.