Comparison between Female Characters in Beowulf
Beowulf, the Old English epic tells the story of one brave hero and his battles against evil monsters. The poem deals with mostly masculine elements like fight descriptions, depictions of armor and long inspiring speeches. However, the women characters in the epic also have important roles and they are far from being superficial, as it may seem at first. There are several female figures in Beowulf; this paper will focus on three of them- queen Wealhtheow of the Danes, queen Hygd of the Geats and Grendel?s mother. These characters have many parallels between them but in a way some are the ?alter-ego? of the others.
Wealhtheow is the perfect hostess and devoted queen and wife. Her first appearance in the poem demonstrates her official duties as the queen: ?Wealhtheow came in, Hrotgar?s queen, observing the courtesies. Adorned in her gold, she graciously saluted the men in the hall, then handed the cup first to Hrotgar?So the Helming woman went on her rounds, queenly and dignified, decked out in rings, offering the goblet to all ranks, treating the household and the assembled troop?? (lines 612-623). As a queen, Wealhtheow has a role to fulfill and she does it with grace. She welcomes the guests; offers mead and creates a peaceful atmosphere in the mead-hall. The figure of Grendel?s mother is quite the opposite in this aspect- she is the ?anti- hostess? and far from being graceful. This creature does not greet the man who arrives to her dwelling; she fights Beowulf desperately and only a divine interference saves his life: ?It was hard-fought, a desperate affair that could have gone badly; if God had not helped me, the outcome would have been quick and fatal? (lines1657-1658). One can claim that these manners of Grendel?s mother are quite masculine. We find that she fights well and has the qualities of a great warrior if she was almost able to overcome Beowulf and she takes upon herself the manly duty of avenging her dead son. Beowulf himself says to Hrotgar that: ?It always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning? (lines 1384-1385). Taking vengeance for warrior?s death is noble but Grendel?s mother?s attentions are condemned by the poet ? she cannot be noble and she cannot act upon warrior?s code of honor; this notion comes from the fact that she is not really human and more impor...
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...at queen does not trust her son to be a successful sovereign and she does not try to secure his future on the throne. Unlike Wealtheow and Grendel?s mother Hygd?s primary concern is to her people, not her son: ?There Hygd offered him throne and authority as lord of the ring-hoard: with Hygelac dead, she had no belief in her son?s ability to defend their homeland against foreign invaders? (lines 2369-2372).
After a closer look in Beowulf one will find that the women roles in the poem are quite central and significant. They enrich the narrative by developing the plot and enlighten their men?s intentions. Nevertheless the women in the poem have their own will and power- political or physical. Thought some share similar qualities women characters are not patterned or superficial; these women are defined by dominant male figures but nonetheless they have their own significant features and depth.
Works Sited:
Anonymous. Beowulf. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th Edition.
Vol. I. (pp.32-99). Ed. Abrams, M.H., New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 2000.
?Germanic History and Culture?, Germanic Heritage Page, The Anglo-Saxon Domain
www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk .
As an epic tale of heroes and monsters, Beowulf gives its readers much excitement and adventure, but Beowulf's importance is more than just literary. It offers many insights into the beliefs and customs of seventh-century Anglo-Saxon culture. Among these insights is the Anglo-Saxon view of women and their role in society. Good Anglo-Saxon women are peaceful and unassertive, greeting guests and serving drinks to the warriors and other men in the meadhall. Wealhtheow, the queen of the Danes, represents a typical subservient Anglo-Saxon woman. As a foil to Wealhtheow, Grendel's mother is a strong and combative monster whom Beowulf must kill. By analyzing these two characters in Beowulf, we can understand the treatment and mistreatment of women in Anglo-Saxon society. The author of Beowulf generally supports the traditional Anglo-Saxon views of women by praising Wealhtheow, condemning Grendel's mother, and showing the need to suppress feminine forces like Wyrd; however, he does offer some criticism of these views by creating sympathy for Grendel's mother, allowing Wealhtheow to assert herself in the interest of her husband and children, and revealing masculine fear of feminine power.
The women in Beowulf are barely discussed and seem to exist solely for the use of the men. They are weak and portray none of the legendary qualities that the men display. Wealhtheow, the Queen of Danes and Hrothgar's wife, is the only female character in the epic that talks. In a speech to her husband, we are able to see that she is a strong woman, who is able to speak her mind. She tells the king that it is good that he adopted Beowulf, but reminds him that he already has two sons. However, her speech is made while she carries the drinking goblet to all of the men in the room, "Wealhtheow came in,/ Hrothgar's queen, observing the courtesies./ Adorned in her gold, she graciously handed the cup first to Hrothgar, their homeland's guardian,/ urging him to drink deep and enjoy it because he was dear to them" (612-618). When she is given the opportunity to talk, she only praises the men and plays a role defined by their society.
Through out the course of history there have been several events that have been a pivotal point which has molded the behaviors and thoughts of this century. A lot of notable activist and authors wrote stories and speeches about how they believed that this day and time would be like. A lot of these views were very accurate surprisingly. In the novel 1984 author George Orwell gives his vision on how he believed that the countries would be like if they kept going the way they were.This report will give you a brief rundown of the characters, theories and principles of this novel along with some of my personal insight of the novel.
Beowulf outlines turmoil between three opponents: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. These separate discords each serve to fulfill different metaphoric purposes. Grendel’s character epitomizes the adverse persona of how an Anglo-Saxon warrior should not be. His mother represents everything that a woman during the time era should seldom be. Lastly, the Dragon embodies all the values that an Anglo-Saxon king should not dare retain. Without a doubt, the symbolic implications of the monsters in Beowulf bring the context to a new level of understanding.
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The fictional world of Grendel has great divides between male and female characters. While the novel is written in a fairly contemporary society, the world that Gardner constructs still follows under the same logic and principle as the ancient writings of Beowulf. The men are overtly masculine and tough, and the women are constructed with extreme passivity; there is marginal middle ground in both worlds. The constructions of how certain genders act are crucial to interrogate in order to understand one’s bias and become cognizant of the variety of gender roles men and women can endorse. The world of Grendel is full of symbols that construct men as violent, sexual creatures and women as passive objects.
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Promp: what does beowulf have to say about women? Specifically, what is a women’s proper role in Beowulf? Consider actual Anglo- Saxon queens
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