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Symbolism Of The Bed In The Odyssey

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The Odyssey, composed during the Greek Dark Ages, is one of Homer’s famous epics. The story, in its entirety, sums up the multiple adventures of Odysseus. Symbolism plays a major part in The Odyssey.
Displayed at the end of The Odyssey Odysseus’ and Penelope’s bed has symbolic value. This bed can represent Odysseus’ skill. Odysseus built the bed himself from a living tree, demonstrating his skill. Penelope’s wit is also an interpretation of the bed. She uses the bed as a test for Odysseus, displaying her wit. In addition to skill and wit, the bed also symbolizes faithfulness. Upon realizing she is speaking to Odysseus, Penelope states, “No other man has laid eyes on [our bed],” displaying her faithfulness to their relationship. Odysseus’ and Penelope’s bed has multiple aspects of symbolism.
Penelope’s loom, shown in the middle of the story, shows symbolic value. The loom represents Penelope’s deception. Demonstrating her deception, she uses the loom as an excuse to keep the suitors at bay and give herself more time. Penelope’s strategy is also a representation of the loom. Displaying her strategic ways, she planned how she would finish the blanket and then redo it all over again. In addition to deception and strategy, the loom also represents Penelope’s perseverance. Showing her perseverance, she worked on the blanket for three long years until the …show more content…

The bow represents Odysseus’ strength. Demonstrating his strength, he was the only person in the competition able to string the bow. Odysseus’ leadership is also a representation of the bow. The bow belonged to him, and he was the leader of the house, therefore showing his leadership. In addition to strength and leadership, Odysseus’ reputation is a symbolic representation of the bow. His ability to string and shoot the bow proved his true identity because no one else could, displaying his reputation. Odysseus’ bow has clear symbolic

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This creates suspense because the audience knows that Odysseus will perfectly shoot the bow, but everyone in the room, except Telemachus, doubts him. When he does successfully shoot

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In addition to skill and whit, the bed also symbolizes faithfulness. Penelope says, “No other man has ever laid eyes on it,” demonstrating her faithfulness to their relationship. Odysseus’ and Penelope’s bed has multiple aspects of symbolism.

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Because in the beginning he was impulsive and arrogant, he set himself up for a journey of miseries, and in this quote he asks the gods to release him from those miseries. He has never asked that before and always thought he was better than the gods themselves. After being humbled, put in rags, and put through many hardships, Odysseus finds that he is not the most important being and becomes more humble because of this. When the suitors are trying to win Penelope’s heart they are tasked to string Odysseus’s bow and shoot it through axes. Odysseus waits for most of the suitors to attempt to string

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“Now I will bring them on as a trial for my suitors. The hand that can string the bow with greatest ease, that shoots an arrow clean through all twelve axes- he’s the man I follow, yes forsaking this house where I was once a bride,” (Od. 19.648-652). As soon as Penelope utters these words Odysseus urges her and assures her that her once lost husband will be home in time before the suitors can complete this task. This reassures Penelope that the beggar indeed is Odysseus.

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The skill of wielding weapons shows physical strength in the sense that he can control a dangerous weapon in his favor making people afraid of him and causing them to be at a disadvantage of his power. Odysseus’s power of skill is demonstrated through these lines, “then, as a barge strikes his harp upon his knee and draws the strings to a sweet sound, with such ease did Odysseus string the Great Beau. Holding it now in his right hand he tried the string, and it's saying sweetly at his touch like a swallow's note. And with a nod of his head, he signaled to Telemachus to put the access out in a line and the young man took them and sat them in a long row, each man standing by his own acts then Odysseus took the bow into his left hand and the arrow, which was heavy and bard, in his right, he drew the string not in vain, but with such strength that the arrow passed through every one of the ax heads and sank deeply into the trunk of the tree” (Homer 21). Odysseus's skill with the bow shows the shooters that he is the most talented with the weapon there.

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He has used this in all of his battles. When he blinded the Cyclopes he had the idea to tie the three rams together and he then “…slung a man under each middle one to ride there safely…”. Odysseus did so with each of his men, as well as himself. The third reason he is an archetype is suffering a traumatic experience. It has taken Odysseus years to get home and he has had to fight past many obstacles, which has to be traumatic in some way.

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