Marriages are made up of two lovers who never forget each other, no matter how long it lasts and no matter how much they have changed. They know things about each other that no one else knows, sometimes they even have secret signs that only the other will recognize. This is the same case for Penelope and Ulysses in Homer's Odyssey; Even though they have been separated for almost 20 years and Ulysses is in disguise, Penelope still recognizes him. In their conversation, Odysseus drops clues that only Penelope would recognize and says things that make her suspicious, making her realize that Odysseus has finally returned. If you saw someone 20 years ago, how much would you remember them? what were they wearing? How beautiful were they? Probably not very good. If someone actually manages to do this, it might raise some eyebrows. No man pays so much attention to what another man wore to remember detail after detail after 20 years. During the conversation between Odysseus and Penelope, Penelope tests him by asking him what Odysseus was wearing. So the beggar Odysseus responds with exactly what Odysseus wore. "he wore a heavy woolen cape, sea purple, double-pleated, with a gold brooch to fasten it, double sheaths for the pins, on his face a work of art: a dog clutching a dappled fawn in his front legs, cutting him as he twisted. Everyone was amazed to see it, all solid gold, the slashing dog, strangling the dying fawn, its hooves beating to free itself. (19.260-265). Odysseus tries to send a message to Penelope, trying to tell her that it is Odysseus. He does this by giving too many details about what Odysseus was wearing, trying to make Penelope suspicious, trying to make her understand that no one but Odysseus himself would remember it...... middle of paper ......d if she did. touch my feet. »(19.392-397). Their argument is invalid because she knows it's him but wants to make sure it's him, which is her reason for saying that. This shows that she recognizes Odysseus but she says this because she just wants to be sure it's him. Odysseus does not want to suffer the same fate as Agamemnon, so he disguises himself as a beggar when he returns to Ithaca. Only a few people recognize him and one of them is his wife Penelope. During their conversation by the fireplace, Odysseus tries to signal to Penelope that it is him by making her suspicious with the things he says. The wise Penelope picks up these signals and recognizes that the beggar is Odysseus. She then keeps her mouth shut so that the suitors do not discover that Odysseus has returned. Their marital bond kept them together and led them to recognize each other even after 20 years..