Book XXIII: How Odysseus Found His Wife Again
12/14/2011
Odysseus reveals his identity to Penelope, but she is skeptical. She tests him by having Eurycleia provide a place to sleep by moving a bed into the hallway. Odysseus becomes angry because he built the bed out of a tree trunk and knew it could not be removed unless significantly changed. Penelope then knows that he is her husband. Next he explains the prophecy from Tieresias that he must carry an oar inland and make sacrifices to Poseidon. He also needs to gather his livestock and goods that were taken by the suitors, and visit his father. He instructs her to stay locked inside her room with the maids.
- How does Penelope test Odysseus? Why does she test him?
- Describe the one last task that Tiresias gives Odysseus in his prophecy? Why do you think this task is important?
- After Odysseus tells Penelope his adventures, he sets off again. What does he go do? What does he tell Penelope to do?
Suzanne said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:33 pm
I think this is the happiest book. Do you agree? So cool how true love prevails!
Suzanne said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:37 pm
Kosta – I wrote about the love because I want you all to appreciate the romantic nature of this story. It’s a classic and many tales are based on the theme of homecoming.
Max said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:49 pm
1. Penelope tests Odysseus by telling the maids to move his bed into the hall which meant somebody had slept with her. She tests him because she still didn’t know for sure.
2. Odysseus needs to talk to the gods and see how to restore peace in the city because Odysseus killed all the suitors.
3. Odysseus sets off because his father is worrying about him matter in fact his mom died because of him. He tells Penelope to stay in her room and to not poke her head out. (he cares for his dear wife)
MMAARRKK said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:49 pm
1) Penelope is skeptical and orders Eurycliea provide a palce to sleep by moving the bed to the hall way. she tests him to make sure thats its Odesseus.
2) He must carry an oar inland and make sacrifice to Poseidon and gather all the live stock and the goods that the suitors had taken and visit his father. its important because the gods can drive the wisest mortal mad and even guide a fool to wisdom.
3)After he tells Penelope to stay locked in a room with the maids, he goes and visits his father.
Vara(: said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:49 pm
1. The way Penelope tests Odysseus is she tells him that someone moved their bed, but Odysseus knows that it’s a very hard task so he assumes there was a man in their room. Plus Odysseus spent a lot of time and effort building that bed, and moving it made him angry. Penepole tested him to find out if the man is really Odysseus and not a disguised god.
2. One of the tasks Tiresias gives Odysseus in his prophecy is that, he must carry an oar inland and make sacrifices to Poseidon and this task is important because, he needs them (the gods), especialy Posiedon, to be good to him. Also because the gods can drive the wisest mortal mad, or even guide a fool to wisdom.
3. After Odysseus tells Penelope of all his adventures he goes off to his father’s house to visit him. While he is gone he instruct Penolope and her maids to go up to thier rooms, stay there the whole time, talk no one and ask no questions.
mike said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:50 pm
1. Penelope test Odysseus by taking a bed that Odysseus made from a tree. He got mad and Penelope knew it was Odysseus. She did this because she didn’t know if that was the real Odysseus and wanted to make sure.
2. The prophecy from Tiresias said that Odysseus was supposed to sacrifice something to the god, Poseidon because he was mad at Odysseus.
3. Odysseus goes gathers his livestock and goods that were taken by the suitors, and go visit his father. Odysseus instructs Penelope to stay locked inside her room with the maids and sevants.
elesey said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:50 pm
1) Penelope test Odysseus by telling her maids to move the bed in the bridal room. Odysseus knows this is impossible because the bed was built from a tree trunk and the roots of the tree held the bed in place. Penelope tests him because she does not yet believe that Odysseus has truly returned, plus this was a secret that only Odysseus and Penelope knew. Thats how Penelope knew that Odysseus had truly returned.
2) Tiresias tells Odysseus to travel into a faraway land, when men no nothing of the sea and are ignorant of ships. There he must offer sacrifices to Posiedon: A ram, a bull, and a boar. Then when he returns to Ithaca, he must offer hecatombs to all the gods on Olympus. This task is important because he has pissed off Posiedon and has to apologize, also he received help from the gods on his way home, so he must give them thanks.
3)After he comes home, Odysseus leaves Ithaca again. This time he sets off to see his father, Laertes, who has also grieved for him. before leaving, he tells Penelope to go to her room. She is to ask no questions and see no one because people will be curious as to what happened to the suitors.
Vara(: said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:51 pm
Suzanne- It’s not the happiest book at all, but it’s the happiest chapter of the whole book. =P
Firce said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:53 pm
1.She tells a servant to make up his bed in the hall then “In the hall!” storms Odysseus. “Who had the craft to move the bed? Odyseus carved the bedpost himself from the living trunk of an olive tree and built the bedroom around it.”She tests him because to see if he odyseus.
2.He tells him that Odyseus with a shapley oar in hand and visit many cities till he reachs land that know one man known nothing of the sea and dont use salt to season therewhat they eat and there ignorant of boats with purple cheeks and shapley oars that are the wings of ships.
3.After Odysseus tells Penelope of all his adventures he goes off to his father’s house to visit him. While he is gone he instruct Penolope and her maids to go up to thier rooms, stay there the whole time, talk no one and ask no questions
Arseny said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:53 pm
1. Penelope tests him by saying that she put their bed in the hall, and he has to say the exactly the thing he is soppose too.she test him because she doesn’t believe that it is Odysseus who have truely returned.
2. The last task Tiresias gives him is he has to is carry an oar inland and sacrifice fams and other animals to Posiedon and the onther gods. This task is important because if he doesn’t do that then Posiedon and the other gods could drive them od odysseus mad or crazy.
3. Odysseus goes to the his fathers wooden farm to visit his father who is mourning him. He tells Penelope to go and stay inside your room upstairs, see no one, and ask no questions.
fetinaa said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:53 pm
1) Penelope says that she still doesn’t believe it Odysseus, and then Odysseus gave her a secret signal.
2) The task that Tiresias gives Odysseus, with shapely oar in hand must visit many cities till he reaches the land where men know nothing of the sea and don’t use salt to eat; they’re ignorant of boats with purple cheeks and shapely oars that are the wings of the ships.
3) After Odysseus tells Penelope what he has to do. He told her to take the maids and go to their rooms, lock themselves and talk to no one and answer no questions. Odysseus goes to see his father
Vara(: said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:54 pm
Elesey- Nice complete full answers, good job. Heehee 🙂
Kosta-Yo said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:55 pm
1. Penbelope tests him by making Euricleia providing a place to sleep by moving a bed in to the hallway. She tests him because she is trying to find out if it is her true Odysseus.
2. He must carry an oar inland and make sacrifices to posiden, he also needs to gather his livestock and goods that were takenby the suitors, and lastly he tells Odysseus to visit his father. Odysseus needs the gods to respect him more, and gods can drive the wisest man mad, or guide a fool to wisdom.
3. He tells Penelope and the maids to go and hide in the closet and do not let anyone in, while he goes and talks to his father.
katya said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:55 pm
1. She tests him by telling her maid to make his bed in the hall and only Odysseus would know that i can`t be done because he was the one who crafted it. She tests him to see if he is truly her dear Odysseus.
2. Tieresias told him that he needed to carry an oar inland and sacrifise to Posiedon. It`s important because he needs to make sure Poseidon isn`t mad at him and he is also saying sorry.
3. Odysseus goes to see his father Laertes. He tells Penelope to lock doors and not to talk or amswer questions to anyone because news are going to spread and they will know that the suitors are dead.
Vara(: said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:56 pm
Firce- I like your answer to question one, nice quoting from the book (:
danno said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:57 pm
1. Penelope tells a servant to make a bed for Odysseus in the halls because she was looking for the sigh; Odysseus thinks somebody had moved his bed which is impossible because it’s a tree trunk and that’s the sigh Penelope was looking for and then he starts yelling about how he made the bed with his own hands. Penelope did that because she truly didn’t believe it was Odysseus.
2. Tiresias last prophecy is that Odysseus has to find a land where men know nothing of sea and they don’t salt everything they eat, who know nothing of boats or the shapely oars. It’s important because he needs the gods to like him and the gods can make the wisest man go crazy and even guide a fool to wisdom
3. He tells Penelope to take her servants and go to the upstairs room and stay there and talk to no one. Odysseus himself has to go visit his father because he grieves for him. He also has to collect what was taken from him.
steve-o said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:57 pm
1.Penelope tests Odysseus by telling her maid to bring their wedding bed from their wedding room that Odysseus built with his own hands. She tests him because she can’t be sure that it is some god in disguise.
2.Tiresias’s prophecy is that Odysseus will visit many cities with an oar in hand until he reaches the land where men know nothing of the sea and don’t use salt to season what they eat and sacrifice a couple bulls to Poseidon. That task is important because Poseidon is mad at him and Odysseus needs to apologize to him.
3.Odysseus goes to meet his father Laertes on a wooded farm. He tells Penelope that the word that suitors were killed would spread throughout the country. He told her to stay in her room and don’t talk to anybody and don’t see anybody.
faliley said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:57 pm
1. she tests him by Telling him that she had changed his room, Penelpoy did that because she wanted to be sure it was Odysseus not someone else.
2. His one last task it to go someplace and give Poseidon handsome gifts. this task is important because nobody wants to have an angry, god bad things will happen.
3. he gathered his lifestock and good that were taken by the suiters and gos to visit his father. Odysseus tells his wife to go and stay locked inside her room with the maids.
Vara(: said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:58 pm
Katya- NICE SPELLING!!! 😉 lol
katya said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:58 pm
my bad heehee (: I was typing very fast.
Alex said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:59 pm
1) Penelope tests Odysseus by having Eurycleia provide a place to sleep by moving a bed into the hallway. Penelope tests Odysseus because she knows something that only Odysseus would know.
2) The one last task that Tiresias gives Odysseus is he must visit many cities till I reach a land where men know nothing of the sea and don’t use salt to season what they eat; they ignorant of boats with purple cheeks and shapely oars that are the wings of ships. It is important because the gods can drive the wisest mortal mad and even guide a fool to wisdom.
3) After Odysseus tells Penelope of all his adventures he stops by his fathers. He tells Penelope that don’t go out talk to anyone and don’t ask questions or else they will find out that the suitor are dead
Yakov Kuzmin said,
December 14, 2011 @ 8:59 pm
1. Penelope tests Odysseus by having a carved bed made out of a tree trunk moved into the hallway to see how he would react. Odysseus gets angry and Penelope knows it is him. She tests him because she hasnt seen him in 20 years and its hard for her to accept that he has come back.
2. The task that Tiresias prophecy said that Odysseus must go to a far away land and sacrifice a ram, bull, and boar to Poseidon. When he is home he must also offer hacatombs to the Olympian gods for helping him.
3. Odysseus goes off to see his father, Laertes, who hasnt seen him in 20 years as well. He tells Penelope to lock herself in her room with her maids and answer no ones questions about the suitors.