They are Odysseus' audience when he relates the account of his wanderings, which is central to the Homeric epic. When the Phaeacians listen to Odysseus, they reflect the Homeric audience, much as Odysseus mirrors the Homeric poets when he tells the Phaeacians his narrative. Thus, the Phaeacians are essential to understanding the context in which Odysseus' story is told. In addition to being Odysseus' audience, the Phaeacians play an important role in the plot of The Odyssey. They give Odysseus permission to marry their daughter, Penelope, and this becomes essential when it turns out that all of his previous marriages have been used as a pretext to allow him to fight wars. Without this marriage, there would be no continuity in the action of the poem and it would be difficult to understand how it ends with Odysseus returning home after ten years' absence. The Phaeacians also provide the setting for one of the most famous passages in the work: the bedding scene. After Odysseus has spent several days with the court ladies, Penelope can no longer resist her husband's desire for her and gives in too. As soon as she does this, Odysseus escapes from prison where he has been held captive by Hermes before coming to Phaeacia.