So, she orders Eurycleia to action: “move the truly sturdy bedstead out of our bridal chamber - / that room the master built with his own hands. / Take it out now, sturdy bed that it is, / and spread it deep with fleece, / blankets and lustrous throws to keep him warm” (Kass et al. 353). Suddenly, Odysseus reacts with great passion and offense. He claims that no one on this earth but himself can move the bed that he has built, the bed that symbolizes something only he may lay claim to (Penelope):
Woman—your words, they cut me to the core!
Who could move my bed? Impossible task,
Even for some skilled craftsman—unless a god
Came down in person, quick to lend a ha
...