![]() ![]() ![]() The bed can be seen to represent the oikos, or the home. Odysseus says the doors of the inner chamber were “ close together,” just as Penelope and Odysseus are fitted metaphorically in their marriage. The bed represents the intimacy between Odysseus and Penelope they consecrated their marriage on that bed, and are presumably the only two people to ever have slept in it (“no other mortal man beside has ever seen, but only you and I” ln. The bed has stayed in its place for 20 years, and while Odysseus has been gone for 20 years, he never relinquished his control over his estate and has now come to re-establish himself as the rightful ruler.Īdditionally, the bed’s construction from an olive tree conjures images of home and contentment olive trees are native to Greece and oftentimes symbolize peace in Greek mythology. The bed’s permanence is a shadow of Odysseus’ greatness. ![]() The bed is unique in construction one of the posts is the trunk of an olive tree, thus making the bed immovable. This is a wise ploy because only Odysseus would know the particulars of their bed since he personally built it (“I myself, no other man, made it” Line 189). In book XXIII of The Odyssey, Penelope tricks Odysseus into describing their unique marriage bed. ![]()
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