The first is a sad and painful cry: the cry that faces intense trauma. The second is a cry of joy. The first, experienced by Ulysses, represents the fate of all the women whose husbands died in Troy. This shows the connection to Penelope, who felt the same sense of grief after she was certain that Odysseus was lost at sea and would never return. The second, experienced by Penelope, shows the bond with Ulysses, who after ten years detained by Poseidon should have felt this sense of overwhelming joy upon his return home. However, Penelope and Odysseus' cunning and self-control prevented them from expressing such emotions. Penelope, although she sometimes lost her temper in front of her son, never did so in front of her suitors. Odysseus was too cautious about possible dangers when he returned to Ithaca to experience much joy. Because neither could afford to be compromised by such intense feelings, their loving connection allows them to experience each other's emotions. This perfectly reflects the unbreakable bond between husband and wife that will ultimately bring the lovers together again. Homeric similes give us a much better understanding of the psyches of the characters in The Odyssey than we would have through dialogue and narration alone. All these similarities show the way Homer connects characters on an interpersonal level such that their emotions transcend