Circe tells Telemachus that he is “not [his] blood” to remind him that he is not defined by his family. This means that just because Odysseus is his father, Telemachus shouldn’t worry that he is going to turn out to be violent and callous like him. Additionally, it implies that he shouldn’t feel guilty for Odysseus’s actions. But Telemachus rejects Circe’s sympathetic words because he
does feel guilty and
does see himself as a villain. Having gone along with Odysseus’s orders, Telemachus contributed to the careless violence of the world. He feels particularly guilty for killing the enslaved girls whom Odysseus ordered to be killed in spite of their innocence. Odysseus wanted to make an example of their deaths, showing people what happens when people dare try to usurp his power. These girls were already victims, as they had been raped by the suitors who saw them as objects, which speaks to the misogyny of ancient Greece. Telemachus did as Odysseus said and killed the women, and he feels terribly guilty for it. He keeps this guilt close to him, like Circe does with her guilt regarding Scylla, possibly to remind himself of his capacity for cruelty. His guilt and regret motivate him to be less like Odysseus.