What is the significance of facial hair to the main characters? Before leaving for the Trojan War, Odysseus had told Penelope to
remarry when Telemachus could grow a beard. Penelope created a story that explained that Odysseus had informed her to marry once Telemachus grew facial hair. Odysseus wanted to use his facial hair as a disguise. Odysseus used facial hair on his men to disguise who he was.
Odysseus told Penelope that because when Telemachus was able to grow facial hair it meant that he was becoming a man and that many years had passed, meaning he probably was dead. As for the disguise part, I suppose it was because beards cover a large portion of the face and make you look tougher, more masculine, and gruff.<span />
