The Odyssey by Homer holds many symbols and ideas that sink the story further into itself but, one of the most prominent symbols is the the Odysseus’s bow. This weapon, given to the hero in his travels as a prince, presents a key to further understanding the depth of the epic. The bow is used to symbolize the hero’s relationship with Penelope, the will of Odysseus, and irony of the suitor’s peril.
Just as the bow has been restrained from its’ owner, Penelope, the queen of Ithaka, has been without her husband for 20 long years, has waited patiently for the hero to return. This weapon, like the queen, has power, but until the hero returns, the potential- be it dangerous like the bow or guideful like Penelope- remains unreachable. The bow represents the relationship between the couple by revealing that even though the time of separation their love remained strong just like the bow- untainted my termites- or the pursuit of suitors. The bow further portrays the connection of Penelope and the tactician in how the only one who can string the bow and shoot through the axes is the man who she loves, unlike the suitors who are unable to bend the shaft. …show more content…
The bow has remained unused for 20 years being locked away from the family for the whole duration of Odysseus’s expedition symbolized the lack of presence of the hero. Similarly when Odysseus returns to Ithaka, the bow is removed from storage, and soon enough in his hands, polished and unused, just like his will to reclaim his
Just as the bow has been restrained from its’ owner, Penelope, the queen of Ithaka, has been without her husband for 20 long years, has waited patiently for the hero to return. This weapon, like the queen, has power, but until the hero returns, the potential- be it dangerous like the bow or guideful like Penelope- remains unreachable. The bow represents the relationship between the couple by revealing that even though the time of separation their love remained strong just like the bow- untainted my termites- or the pursuit of suitors. The bow further portrays the connection of Penelope and the tactician in how the only one who can string the bow and shoot through the axes is the man who she loves, unlike the suitors who are unable to bend the shaft. …show more content…
The bow has remained unused for 20 years being locked away from the family for the whole duration of Odysseus’s expedition symbolized the lack of presence of the hero. Similarly when Odysseus returns to Ithaka, the bow is removed from storage, and soon enough in his hands, polished and unused, just like his will to reclaim his