"Never, your majesty,"
Telemachus countered gravely, "that will never
come to pass, I know. What you say dumbfounds me,
staggers imagination! Hope, hope as I will,
that day will never dawn…
not even if the gods should will it so."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 3, lines 255-260. This is Telemachus’ response to Nestor, who says that if only Athena favored Telemachus as she did his father Odysseus. This is an example of dramatic irony since the reader knows that Telemachus is being guided by Athena, disguised as Mentor, in his search for his father. It also shows Telemachus’ modesty and lack of pride.