Symbols In The Odyssey Essay

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Symbolism in the Odyssey The Odyssey is an incredible piece of literary work in which the author, Homer, explores the adventure of a lost king named Odysseus. In this epic poem, Homer uses the literary technique of symbolism to depict messages through symbols. Although there are a multitude of symbols in The Odyssey, two that are most important are the shroud that Penelope weaves for Laertes and the sea itself. These symbols represent time and journey in the poem. In order to achieve the goal of explaining the significance of the shroud of Laertes and the sea, I have organized my paper into four sections. In the first section, I provide a brief summary of The Odyssey. Next, I will provide an explanation …show more content…
While Odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope's hand and Ithaca's throne long enough for Odysseus to return. The Odyssey ends as Odysseus wins a contest to prove his identity, slaughters the suitors, and retakes the throne of Ithaca (Cliff …show more content…
Odysseus’ men turn to him and say, “All too much with enduring heart she does wait or him there in your own palace and always with her the wretched nights and the days also waste away her weeping (Book 16, lines 38-40). Penelope is extremely devastated as she waits for Odysseus’ homecoming. Her heart is torn apart and her feelings are scattered. The exterior of the installation displays how her hope, like the yarn crisscrossing the ground and draping the plants, is a metaphor of Penelope being strangled by her suitors, while the cocoon or the spider wed describes how much she’s neglected her responsibilities of marrying another man because she awaits for Odysseus to

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