The nurse mentions the telltale boar tusk scar on odysseuss knee, but penelope refuses to believe the story. She asks odysseus to, tear down my bed and bring it here. This test not only admits odysseus to penelopes arms but also sheds some light on why their love for. Penelopes test of odysseus in book 23 of the odyssey. This subtle test reveals penelopes clever side, the side we have seen in her ploy to use a nevertobefinished burial shroud to put off remarriage for four years. To test the stranger, penelope tells eurycleia to bring him the bridal bed, but odysseus cries out angrily that the bed cannot be moved because he built it around. 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. She is in disbelief and chooses to test odysseus to see if it really is him.
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. 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. Penelope was talking to odysseus and told her maid to move odysseus bed so this beggar odysseus could stay the night. Book 23 of the odyssey begins after odysseus has cleaned the palace of the foulness of battle and fumigated it. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the odyssey and what it means. The real odysseus would know this isnt possible because the bed is built around a tree. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Penelope orders their bed removed from their chamber. 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.
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