She asks odysseus to, tear down my bed and bring it here. Odysseus is perturbed that she does not instantly welcome him home and she devises a trick to test him. Penelope sees a moment to test the man who claims to be odysseus by suggesting that their own bed be brought for him. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Penelope orders their bed removed from their chamber. Eurycleia tells penelope that odysseus has finally come home and killed the suitors. Like a lioness caught in the toils with huntsmen hemming her in on every side read page 463 in the unabridged version, book 23 between lines 259 to 278. The real odysseus would know this isnt possible because the bed is built around a tree. Summary and analysis book 23 the great rooted bed summary now that the battle has ended and the house has been cleaned, good nurse eurycleia scurries up to penelopes quarters to tell her all that has happened.
What was penelopes test of odysseus in book 23 of the. The test is that the bed is unmovable since it is built into the trunk of a tree, but only odysseus and penelope know that. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the odyssey and what it means. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Penelope tests odysseus identity by cleverly suggesting that they move their bed to another room so that she can get used to odysseus, whom has been away for so long. Penelopes test of odysseus in book 23 of the odyssey. The nurse mentions the telltale boar tusk scar on odysseuss knee, but penelope refuses to believe the story. She tests odysseus by ordering her servant eurycleia to move their marriage bed. Penelope sets out a final test for the stranger asking eurykleia to brin out the bridal bed but odysseus angrily cries out it cannot be moved as he built it around an olive tree. She is in disbelief and chooses to test odysseus to see if it really is him. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. This test not only admits odysseus to penelopes arms but also sheds some light on why their love for.
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