The violence that Odysseus displays in Book 22 allows Odysseus to re-live his past and display his strength in battle one final time. Odysseus possesses the skill and cunning of a fighter, so it seems important from a character development standpoint, for the reader to see Odysseus in his element. Also, in this battle, unlike the battles of the Iliad, Odysseus is fighting for a peaceful home for himself and his family, not just for glory. Odysseus could not restore peace to his house and remove the suitor without killing them. Based on the end of the text, only the Gods can do that. The contrast between the power that the Gods have to solve problems without violence, and Odysseus' need spill blood, illustrates the superiority of the Gods over humans.

Odysseus and Penelope's bed serves to symbolize the steadfastness of their marriage. The bed is built out of a tree that grows through their house and it is immobile. Both the bed and their marriage have deep roots which can stand the test of time. The way that Penelope tests Odysseus by asking her servant to move the bed, is another example of her using her "feminine knowledge" to take control of the situation, very much like the way that she knitted and un-knitted the funeral shroud and the beginning of the text. After Odysseus says that the bed cannot be moved, she knows it is him and that she can trust him.