Initial Tension
The initial conflict in this story is between Odysseus, his family, and the society. Telemachus' father is not in the kingdom. Calypso is obsessed with Odysseus and traps him on an island. He feels helpless as he thinks of a way to escape the island. Consequently, men with evil ambitions conspire to make Telemachus' mother their wife. Telemachus considers it so disrespectful, none of these men would even think of courting his mother if his dad were present. Furthermore, no one had confirmed that his father was dead. If anyone were to marry Odysseus wife, then they would assume the king's position, however, as things were, power lay with Telemachus. The men's attempts showed that they did not think he was man enough to deal with them or even take charge of the kingdom.
Rise in Conflict
The Odysseus struggle to find his way home and the uprising that happens in his kingdom indicates a rise in tensions. The first obstacle to his freedom is Calypso and her love for him. She knows that he is a married man but continues to hold him against his wishes. This showed that her love was now an obsession. The fact that he has spent ten years away from his family does nothing to help matters work. If anybody were to go missing for ten years without any communication to tell their loved ones that they are okay, people usually assume they died. Odysseus' long absence triggered evil men to conspire against him and his family. Matters escalate when Antinous suggest that the princes should die. He even goes further to scheme on how to make his suggestion a reality. If the conspirators were to kill Telemachus then even if Odysseus were to return to his kingdom, the new prince would be reluctant to let go of power. It is shameful enough that the men wanted to take his wife and kingdom, to kill his son in the process. Antinous is not a man to handle matters halfway and therefore sets an ambush for Telemachus when he returns home, although he does not succeed. Power makes men go to extreme lengths just to get a taste of it. Antinous and his fellow conspirators were thirsty for power. The situation in Odysseus kingdom meant that tensions would rise to extreme levels. It is, therefore, shocking though not entirely unexpected that conspirators would invest a lot of effort in the elimination of the next in line of succession.
As Odysseus makes his way home, he faces yet another hurdle to his mission. Poseidon almost jeopardizes his plan because he holds a grudge. In a past encounter, Odysseus blinded Poseidon's son Polyphemus. Worse still, the guy was already a Cyclops. Poseidon's anger towards Odysseus is, therefore, understandable. Poseidon was the god of the sea, and the sea was Odysseus only way home. Therefore, he had the power to make his journey difficult or even kill him. Odysseus survives through the help of another god. It is ironical that a god would save a man from the wrath of another god. One expects gods to works together and to respect the others decision. It is difficult to understand why Athena would interfere with Poseidon's affairs. That event indicates how tensions are rising in Odysseus' world, even between gods.
Climax
The conflict between Odysseus and his true identity as King is also an indication of the rise in tension in his land. When he arrives at Scheria, the residents there have no way of knowing his true identity. If he still maintained the power he had back at home and came with an army and many horses, he wouldn't have had to prove himself. If he was unable to explain himself, then those people may have thought he was a spy. Odysseus is a crafty man, and he gets his hosts trust by narrating his many exploits to them. Back at home, he disguises himself as a beggar, and only his swineherd can identify him. Eurycleia identifies Odysseus back at the palace. Penelope also realizes that her husband is back in the kingdom; her son does too. The fact that all these people who were close to him identifies him but choose not to reveal his identity shows that there was a lot of tension in the Kingdom. Revealing Odysseus identity of King held the danger of getting him killed.
Conclusion
All is well that ends well, except for the conspirators who Odysseus killed for their ambitious attempt. Odysseus gets his wife and kingdom back. Best of all, he manages to keep his son from getting killed. That story shows that the world is a jungle where everybody is looking out for themselves. People do what they have to do, regardless of who they brush shoulders with or even cause great harm just to achieve their objectives. For instance, Antinous put a lot of efforts in trying to kill Telemachus and even his father if the need arose. Telemachus and Odysseus were equally willing to shed blood to protect their interests. Poseidon was also willing to use his powers to get revenge on behalf of his child. The main character of the story is Odysseus, so the story was bound to focus on the challenges he faced and the successes he achieved. Not surprising, Odysseus always comes on top of every struggle that he faces. That is an indication of his "Never give up" attitude which the author attempts to force on the reader. Nothing comes easy on the road to greatness. These conflicts face everybody in daily life although not with the same magnitude as they did Odysseus. An individual's will to overcome the conflicts and hurdles which come their way determines how far up the food chain they remain.
