Reunion of Odysseus and Penelope

THE REUNION OF ODYSSEUS AND PENELOPE

DOES SHE IMMEDIATELY ACCEPT HIM AS HER HUSBAND?
NO.

WHY IS SHE STILL SUSPICIOUS?
SHE HAS KEPT HERSELF GUARDED AND WARY FOR SO MANY YEARS AGAINST THE SUITORS, THAT IT IS DIFFICULT FOR HER TO BE WARM AND ACCEPTING.

PENELOPE REMEMBERS THE FIGHT BETWEEN HER AND TELEMACHUS OVER HER INABILITY TO ACCEPT ODYSSEUS.

ONE MINUTE SHE THINKS HE DOES LOOK LIKE HER HUSBAND, BUT THE NEXT MINUTE ALL SHE SEES IS AN OLD BLOODIED SOLDIER.
SHE THINKS THE GODS MIGHT BE PLAYING A TRICK ON HER.

THE CLEVER PENELOPE DECIDES TO TEST HIM BY TELLING HIM:

TO MOVE THEIR BED OUT OF THE BEDROOM SO THAT HE MIGHT SLEEP ON IT.

ONLY THREE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THE BEDROOM AND THE BED. THEY ARE ODYSSEUS WHO BUILT THE BED AND THE BEDROOM; ACTORIS, THE SERVANT, AND OF COURSE, PENELOPE.

WHEN ODYSSEUS FLIES INTO A RAGE, SHE KNOWS THAT HE IS INDEED THE ONE.

HE RAGES THAT HE BUILT THE ROOM AND THE BED AROUND AN OLIVE TREE. THE OLIVE TREE WAS USED AS A BED POST. HE PLANED THE TREE, CUT OFF THE BRANCHES, AND THEN BUILT THE WALLS FROM THE TREE. THEN HE MADE THREE MORE BEDPOSTS LIKE THE OLIVE TREE AND STRETCHED PLIANT OXHIDE BETWEEN THE BEDPOSTS TO MAKE THE BED. HE INLAID SILVER, GOLD AND IVORY IN THE BEDPOSTS. THERE IS NO WAY TO MOVE THE BED WITHOUT DISMANTLING THE BED. ONLY SHE AND ODYSSEUS KNOW THAT.

HOMERIC SIMILE:

NOW FROM HIS BREAST INTO HIS EYES, THE ACHE OF LONGING MOUNTED, AND HE WEPT AT LAST, HIS DEAR WIFE, DEAR AND FAITHFUL, IN HIS ARMS, LONGED FOR AS THE SUN-WARMED EARTH IS LONGED FOR BY A SWIMMER SPENT IN ROUGH WATER WHERE HIS SHIP WENT DOWN….

WHO IS THE SWIMMER? WHO IS THE WARM, LONGED FOR BEACH?