Odysseus spends so much time sailing home that the sea really takes up a good chunk of his life. This is fitting, since the sea and its perils work much the same way the Odyssey argues that life does; it is full of suffering, but it can’t be avoided. The sea can send blessings like sea breezes to blow him home or obstacles like storms, Skylla and Charybdis, and treacherous islands. Because the sea is ruled by Poseidon, it is also a manifestation of the superiority of the gods and nature over man.
Laertes’s Shroud
The shroud is a symbol of female deception. Because she is a woman, Penelope doesn’t have much power to resist the suitors (as seen repeatedly by her son’s commands to go back upstairs to the bedroom, since everything else is a man’s affair). So, since she cannot fight them off or throw them out of her house, all she can do is delay the day she must pick a suitor. So she stretches that out as far as she can by prolonging the time it takes her to complete an honorable feminine task – weaving a death shroud for the despairing father of Odysseus. Though she spends all day weaving, she unravels her work each night. The fact that Penelope does not actually produce the shroud symbolizes her immobility and her helplessness to make any real progress against her enemy suitors.
Odysseus’s Bow
The bow is a symbol of kingship and strength. Whoever strings it is worthy of King Odysseus and can rightfully take the throne. Physical strength was an important quality to the ancient Greeks, not only in warfare, but because psychologically it was tied to political strength and the iron will needed to govern a people who were given to argument and debate.
Not surprisingly, none of the suitors even comes close to succeeding, showing their weakness and folly in vying for Penelope’s hand. Telemachos almost strings the bow and might have done it had Odysseus not interrupted him; this shows that Telemachos has matured into manhood and is almost ready to take the place of his father. Of course, that he stops upon request reminds us that he maintains deference to Odysseus’s will.
Argos
Odysseus’s pet dog is a symbol of unconditional loyalty. Though Argos was a puppy when he last saw Odysseus, many years later he still loves him and shows his affection for his master by wagging his tail and trying to move nearer Odysseus when he hears his voice. Though he is ignored and often mistreated by the hands that once fed him, Argos still hangs around the palace hall, waiting only for his master’s return. After seeing him at last, Argos dies happy.
Disguises and Dreams
In the Odyssey, disguises are usually a sign of divine intervention, manipulation, and sanction. The gods have no qualms deceiving mortals and helping their favorites deceive others. They often use disguises themselves, reminding us that the gods, too, can be devious. Dreams as well are the direct result of divine power, but tend to be more straightforward and often comfort the sleeping mortal.
Food and Banqueting
In a culture that holds hospitality as an all-important test of character, feasting and festivities are a measure of hospitality and human civility. Often, defects in the banquet signal some fundamental flaw in the host. For example, Polyphemos feasts on human flesh, which makes him, well, an inhuman monster. Circe seems hospitable because she serves good food, but proves to be a witch by poisoning that very food with a drug that turns the diners into animals. Odysseus’s men transgress boundaries of hospitality by dining on Helios’s sacred cattle and suffer death as a consequence. The most obvious example of a misused banquet is the suitors’ pillaging of Odysseus’s provisions. This shows that the supposedly "noble" men do not have the human qualities of restraint and propriety; they are therefore somewhat less than human and worthy of death (or so the Odyssey argues). On the other hand, Nestor, Menelaos, and the Phaiakians serve proper banquets – full of good food, wine, and singing. They are considered not only good hosts, but great human beings.
Odysseus and Penelope’s Bed
It turns out that Odysseus carved his bed from the roots of a live olive tree. As such, the bed is unmovable. It’s also growing, but evidently that’s not a problem for anyone. The point is that the bed can’t be moved, altered, or shaken – it’s steadfast and constant, much like the love between this royal couple. Odysseus's sleeping around seems not to count, but Penelope’s continuous loyalty is represented by the unmovable bed.
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