straps across the frame. So I have shown you the secret. What I
don’t know, lady, is whether my bedstead stands where it did,
or whether someone has cut the tree-trunk through and moved
it.’
At his words her knees began to tremble and her heart melted
as she realized that he had given her infallible proof. Bursting
into tears she ran up to Odysseus, threw her arms round his
neck and kissed his head. ‘Odysseus,’ she cried, ‘do not be angry
with me, you who were always the most understanding of men.
All our unhappiness is due to the gods, who could not bear to see
us share the joys of youth and reach the threshold of old age
together. But don’t be cross with me now, or hurt because I did
not give you this loving welcome the moment I first saw you.
For I had always had the cold fear in my heart that somebody
might come here and deceive me with his talk. There are many
who think up wicked selfish schemes. Helen of Argos, born of
Zeus, would never have slept in her foreign lover’s arms had she
known that her countrymen would go to war to fetch her back
to Argos. It was the god who drove her to do this shameful
deed, though not until that moment had her heart contemplated
that fatal madness, the madness which was the cause of her
woes and ours. But now you have faithfully described the secret
of our bed, which no one ever saw but you and I and one maid,
Actoris, who was my father’s gift when first I came to you, and
was the keeper of our bedroom door. You have convinced my
unbelieving heart.’
Homer’s Odyssey tells the epic tale of the victorious Greek hero Odysseus and his ten-year journey home to Ithaca. Though dogged with both natural and supernatural enmities during the voyage, Odysseus used his cunning and witty tactics to evade all obstacles that stood before him. Odysseus relied on his never-failing bravery and native quick thinking upon his return to his homeland to deal with the unruly Suitors. The vile men who have been courting his wife Penelope and abusing his inexperienced and non-confident son, Telemachus, in hopes of competing for Penelope’s hand in marriage will finally meet their match.
The journey is complete, and destiny almost fulfilled. Odysseus’ return home to Ithaca is at last coming to the end of its cycle. One can only imagine the swirling emotions that Odysseus must have felt when all his turmoil had come to a close. The ruthless and greedy Suitors who have infiltrated the humble and modest palace had their deaths written down by fate. When Odysseus reveals his inherent superiority to the suitors, they all suffer the same sort of humiliating and painful punishments. Their disrespectful and cowardly behaviour during Odysseus’ twenty-year absence was returned with full vengeance. In the aftermath of the bloody battle, the faithful nurse, Eurycleia, informs Penelope of the return of her loving husband, though she discards the news without concern. Even the words of her own son do not seem to alter her emotions because she remains wary, afraid that a god is playing a trick on her. Telemachus rebukes her for not greeting Odysseus in a more loving manner because even he was unsure how to react when he first saw his father. The themes of cunningness over strength and the loss and regaining of identity play a significant role in the moments after Odysseus and Penelope first laid eyes upon one another. In comparison to traditional Greek hero epics or fairy tales, the two lovers would be reunited upon the hero’s arrival and they would live “happily ever after.” However, the Odyssey illustrates the complete opposite of this so-called tradition. Cunning Odysseus disguised himself in order to develop a plan to successfully rid the Suitors from his house and thus waited for some days after his initial arrival. This time frame allowed Odysseus to assess the situation and take drastic actions to kill the Suitors when drastic measures were called for. The scene in which Penelope tests her husband’s knowledge of the bed neatly brings together several topics the Odyssey has explored. This subtle test reveals Penelope’s clever side, the side we have seen in her ploy to use a “never-to-be-finished” burial shroud to put off her marriage for several years. This test not only reveals Odysseus’ identity to Penelope but also sheds some light on why their love for each other is so natural and oure in the first place. They are united by the commonality of their minds, by their love of scheming, testing, and outwitting. They are kindred spirits because they are kindred wits. None of the suitors could ever replace Odysseus, just as Circe or Calypso could never replace Penelope. Literally and metaphorically, no one can move their wedding bed. The mood and tone of the first interaction was full of rage and intensity as Odysseus was initially frustrated that his loyal wife for many years had turned against him without reason. Did he deserve such a cruel fate for the hardship he had suffered on the mighty seas? What had caused his faithful lover to turn against him in such a cold-hearted fashion? “No other wife could have steeled herself to keep so long out of the arms of a husband who had just returned to her in his native land after twenty wearisome years.” However, Penelope appears to be unfazed by the arrival of her husband, as her belief of his returned slowly dwindled after each warning thus far proved to be false. One can depict the wedding bed as the foundation of the love of Odysseus and Penelope, due to the fact it portrays such a key object in their lives. “A great secret went into the making of that complicated bed; and it was my work and mine alone.” This further emphasizes the fact that only Odysseus himself would have been able to correctly explain how the wedding bed could not possibly be moved. The diction and stunning choice of words creates a vivid image within the mind as every intricate detail of the bed is emotionally explained by its creator Odysseus. “Inside the court there was a long-leaved olive-tree, which had grown to full height with a trunk as thick as a pillar. Round this I built my room of compact stonework, and when that was finished, I roofed it over carefully, and put in a solid, neatly fitted, double door. Next I lopped all the branches off the olive, trimmed the trunk from the root up, rounded it smoothly and carefully with my adze and trued it to the line, to be my bedpost. I drilled holes in it, and using it as the first bedpost I constructed the rest of the bed. Then I finished it off with an inlay of gold, silver and ivory, and fixed a set of gleaming purple straps across the frame.” The poignant statement unlocks a sympathetic response from the audience, as one can truly comprehend the compassion, faith and trust Odysseus had placed within Penelope. The mood and tone transform from anger and intensity to warmth and sympathy. It was destiny that set them apart and destiny that brought them together; it was all meant to be. The wedding bed represents the tranquility of the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope, husband and wife. The distinct similarities between Odysseus and Penelope, especially their crafty minds, show that their marriage can never fail, no matter what obstacles come between them. Even with the stress, anxiety and confusion in their given situations, this special bond always seemed to guide both Odysseus and Penelope towards the correct path. The theme of the loss and regaining of identity can be incorporated with Odysseus and Penelope. Their time away from one another results in them losing their identities and Odysseus’ response to the wedding bed question allows their identities to blossom once again.
