Odysseus proves his identity by successfully stringing his great bow and shooting an arrow through twelve axe heads, a feat that only he could accomplish. This test, set by Penelope to determine her true husband among the suitors, highlights his exceptional strength and skill. Additionally, his intimate knowledge of their bed's construction solidifies his identity when he reveals that it is immovable, further confirming he is indeed Odysseus.
Odysseus proves his identity to different people in different ways: He shows the swineherd Eumaeus and the stockman Philoetius his boar scar. He strings his bow and shoots the arrow through the handles of the 12 axes. He tells Penelope that the bed cannot be moved. He tells his father Laertes each of the crops that were planted from year to year.
Odysseus' wife was Penelope, daughter of Icarius and Periboea.
No, Penelope does not recognize that the beggar is Odysseus.
Odysseus left Penelope bound for Troy.
Penelope tests Odysseus by asking him about their bed, which only the true Odysseus would know was built inside a living olive tree. This test confirms his identity to Penelope and proves that he is her husband returned after a long absence.
Odysseus tells her so directly. Penelope then tests Odysseus, and he passes her test, confirming his identity.
Odysseus proves his identity to Penelope by revealing a secret detail about their bed, which only he would know. He explains that he built their bed from an olive tree trunk still rooted in their home, making it impossible to move. This intimate detail convinces Penelope of his true identity as her husband.
Odysseus proves his identity by successfully stringing his great bow and shooting an arrow through twelve axe heads, a feat that only he could accomplish. This test, set by Penelope to determine her true husband among the suitors, highlights his exceptional strength and skill. Additionally, his intimate knowledge of their bed's construction solidifies his identity when he reveals that it is immovable, further confirming he is indeed Odysseus.
Penelope asks Odysseus if he will arrange to have his bed moved out of their bedroom while she gets used to him being home. Odysseus replies that this is impossible because the bed is built around a tree which grows within and forms a fundamental part of the structure of the palace and so to move it would be impossible. Only Odysseus would have known this and so he passes Penelope's test.
The secret is that one of the bed legs is a living olive tree.
The climax of "The Odyssey" is when Odysseus reveals his true identity to his wife Penelope and proves his identity through a test only he could pass - stringing his bow and shooting an arrow through a line of axes. This moment marks the resolution of Odysseus' journey and sets the stage for his final confrontation with the suitors.
Odysseus convinces Penelope that he is her husband by revealing the secret detail of their bed, that he alone knows. This detail is that their bed was constructed by Odysseus himself and cannot be moved as one of its legs is made from a living olive tree. This intimate knowledge proves to Penelope that it is indeed her husband Odysseus returned to her.
In Book 22 of Homer's "The Odyssey," Penelope and Odysseus finally reunite after his long absence. Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, proves his identity by demonstrating his knowledge of their bed, which was uniquely constructed by Odysseus himself. This recognition solidifies their reunion and marks the beginning of Odysseus reclaiming his rightful place as king of Ithaca.
Athena helps Odysseus disguise himself before he reveals himself to Penelope, so that he can observe her interaction with the suitors. She also helps him defeat and kill Penelope's suitors before he plans to meet his wife and answer her questions about his identity.
The "marriage" bed or more formally known as the "bridal" bed, was the bed that Odysseus made with his bare hands, and he carved it into a tree that was growing through his house. Odysseus had taken years to build the bed, and it was a gift to Penelope, as a symbol of his love for her. When Penelope tells him the bed had been moved, he gets upset (which only Odysseus would do, because only he and Penelope even knew about the bed.) and this proves to Penelope that he really is Odysseus. The marriage bed/bridal bed was very sacred to Odysseus and Penelope, and only the two of them knew about it. There was a tree that was growing through a small room in their house, so Odysseus built a beautiful bed (bridal bed) he carved into it flowers, and ivory, and built it all by his self and with his bare hands. Odysseus initially built his entire house around this tree, and when Penelope states that she moved the bed, meaning she cut it out of the tree, it infuriates Odysseus (which Penelope knew it would) and then she knows that it really is him. But the basic point of the bed is that only he and Penelope knew about it, so it was used as a test.
Odysseus proves his identity to different people in different ways: He shows the swineherd Eumaeus and the stockman Philoetius his boar scar. He strings his bow and shoots the arrow through the handles of the 12 axes. He tells Penelope that the bed cannot be moved. He tells his father Laertes each of the crops that were planted from year to year.