In lines 23.183-204 of the Odyssey Ulysses is trying to prove to his wife that he is truly himself and that he is not the manifestation of a trick played on her by his of the. Penelope tricked Odysseus into giving himself away by telling a servant to move Odysseus' bed out of the room. Odysseus becomes angry at this command because he built the bed himself and knows that the bed cannot be moved easily. Homer then has Odysseus give a monologue describing how he built the bed. In these twenty-one verses Homer uses Odysseus's description of the construction of the bed to parallel the constitution of Odysseus' character and the events of his life. Homer's diction contributes to the allegorical characteristics of this passage while the tone of the passage portrays an Odysseus very different from the Odysseus of the previous chapters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay From the beginning of the passage, the tone in which Odysseus speaks reveals a more sensitive side of the courageous warrior that Homer wrote about in the Iliad and much of the Odyssey. When Ulysses says "What you said, dear lady, has hurt my heart deeply" it is the first time that Ulysses shows that he truly misses his wife and that he loves her dearly. In previous chapters Odysseus has mentioned that he misses his wife and wants to return home: when he is on Calypso's island he misses his wife so much that he chooses his freedom over immortality. But it is only in this first private conversation between Odysseus and Penelope that Homer reveals the depth of Odysseus' love for his wife. When Odysseus describes how he built the bed, Homer has him speak in a nervous, pleading tone. He meticulously describes every detail of the bed's making, as if Penelope would doubt him if he left anything out. At the end of the piece, Ulysses' tone returns to the affectionate tone he used at the beginning. In the last three lines, the tone of Odysseus' speech reflects the desire he feels for his wife. The monologue ends on a painful note, and the reader is convinced that Odysseus is overcome with emotion, that Odysseus's whole soul is hinged around what Penelope will say next. Homer develops the tone throughout the entire passage by carefully choosing words that give an aura of painful supplication. For example, when Odysseus says "there is no mortal man alive, no strong man", his redundancy shows that Odysseus is very distracted by the thought of another man moving his bed; Ulysses is almost trying to convince himself that the act would be impossible. Homer has Odysseus speak in this distracted and pleading way to show how important Penelope's faithfulness is to Odysseus. As mentioned above, Odysseus' entire monologue parallels the essence of his character as well as the events of his life. Homer's diction helps create this allegorical aspect in the passage. When Odysseus says "it would be difficult...to change his position" (l. 184-186) Homer uses the sturdiness and firmness of the bed to represent the strength and uprightness of Odysseus' character. Odysseus suffered many trials and tribulations, yet he arrived at his goal with his mind intact and never abandoned the ideas and things that are important to him. During all his travels nothing could distract him or change his position. Subsequently, Odysseus states that "There is a particular characteristic...he has made it" (l. 188-189). Here Homer is saying that, like the bed, Odysseus built his character and intelligence on his own, and that no other man played a role in making him who he is. This characteristic of Ulysses is very important; for he never let anyone influence him while he wasstill building his character, it is not difficult for him to remain true to himself and his goals. Homer's diction in this sentence is very forceful; he uses the word "peculiar" and the redundant phrase "I myself, no other man" to emphasize how Odysseus's construction of his own character has made him a particularly intelligent individual. This phrase emphasizes that all of Odysseus' intelligence and morality come from within him. Odysseus's description of the actual construction of the bed (l.190-194) also parallels the construction of his character. He begins by describing the "bole" or trunk of an olive tree. This trunk represents the body of Ulysses. It was "growing strongly" and "was big, like a pillar." Homer's choice of the word "column" creates the image of a colossal Odysseus who is as strong and beautiful as a Greek marble column. When Odysseus says "I have arranged my chamber around this" it parallels Odysseus placing his character and intellect around his body to protect it. “And I built it until I finished it” means that Odysseus perfected his body and soul until he became a man. The "set stones" represent Ulysses' mental coherence while the "compacted doors" represent the connection between the way Ulysses thinks and the way he physically carries out his intelligence. An example of how Odysseus opened the "compacted doors" between his body and his mind was when he conjured up the plan to blind the Cyclops and then had the physical strength to execute his plan. Ulysses says that after building his bed (and his character) he began to perfect it (l. 195-201). He "cut off the foliage of the long-leaved olive tree and cut off the trunk from the roots up"; metaphorically he began to put the finishing touches on his mind and body. The tool that Homer chooses to include in this passage for "planing" the bed, the "bronze axe", is a symbol of perfection. A bronze ax is an axe-like tool, made of brass, mounted on the head at a perfect angle of ninety degrees. Ulysses uses this tool to "align [the plane of the bed] directly to a chalk line." Homer's use of the word "true" emphasizes Odysseus' loyalty to himself. Thus, the construction is summarized by the phrase "I began with this and built my bed, until it was finished", which symbolizes how Odysseus began with a natural intelligence and built his mental and physical abilities until he could rival the physical and mental talents of the immortals. The "gold, silver, and ivory" she uses to decorate her bed represent the honor, wealth, and attractiveness she has achieved by having such a strong mind and body. At the end of the description Ulysses states "there is his [the bed]... he moved it elsewhere" (l. 202-204). This statement undermines everything Odysseus said earlier about the strength and immutability of the bed. Homer shows the reader that for the first time in Odysseus' life he is doubting himself. The line "I don't know now" shows that Odysseus is not sure if his character can handle his wife's rejection, even though he has the strongest mental strength of any mortal. Odysseus thinks that if a man has "cut under the stump of the olive tree and moved it [the bed] elsewhere" it will be the equivalent of someone uprooting all physical and mental strength from his body and getting rid of it. After a very detailed monologue about the greatness of his strength, the recognition of how his wife's love makes him weak is a passionately strong conclusion. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Personalize EssayThere is a striking contrast between Odysseus's description of his strength and his revelation of weakness, but Homer makes.