Telemachus:
We are introduced to Steven Dedalus, Buck (Malachi) Mulligan and Mr. Haines in the first chapter of the book, living together in a tower. As the title of the chapter has been given to “Telemachus” I couldn’t help but assigning such a persona to Steven. Joyce continually makes a connection between Steven and prince Hamlet. Most notably when Steven recalls seeing her ghost. She says to him in Latin “pray for me” (though this is my basic interpretation). In Hamlet the father says, “remember me”, a very similar expression. In addition, Steven remains in a subtle state of morning. He refuses to wear grey, though it doesn’t explicitly say that he only wears black. And he confronts Mulligan for being disrespectful to his dead mother. Also, It seems that Steven has just come back from Paris, where he must have been studying, as Hamlet was (studying abroad but not in Paris) when his father was killed.
Hamlet and Telemachus have very much in common. Besides the fact that they are both missing their fathers, they are both apart of a royal family being threatened by foreign (or not so foreign) infiltration. I wonder then, if Buck Mulligan and Mr. Haines could be interpreted as the suitors of Penelope? What we do know is that both Mulligan and Haines leach off of Steven. They are staying in the tower, where Steven pays rent and don’t hesitate to ask for favors, whether it be the key to the place or just some money for drink. Steven has problems with both Mulligan and Haines, but he doesn’t kick them out of the tower. In Mulligan’s case, Steven thinks he is rude and a bully. In Haines case, Steven is just annoyed by his obscure sleeping habits. In both cases the reasons are benign but present.