Masculinity In Beowulf

215 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Examples of gender roles in beowulf

The society that is described in Beowulf, is to be one that is Male dominated. There are many aspects of the story that reflect Male domination in its society. The first is that all main characters that play a role in the story are males. Men are involved with all events, and actions that take place in the story. The females seem to play a passive role in the story, where they are probably staying in their homes or within the village. They are viewed as an item to men in Beowulf. Hrothgar’s wife, Wealhtheow is beautiful, respectable, and has a gentle character. Hrothgar being king, expects this from her because she is a representation of his status. In Beowulf, men of status all seem to have a female of desirable characteristics that they show

Show More
Related

  • We Have Always Lived In The Castle Gender Roles Essay

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    But even through a gap of almost 1,200 years, we see in We Have Always Lived in the Castle, written in the 1960’s, that the views of women having a say in the community is a minority, and not everyone agrees. Yes, there has been some sort of progress in women’s right, from 800 AD, alike in Beowulf, a person who wants revenge on her son’s death, is considered a hell-bride, but in the mid 1900’s, it would receive a little bit of a less negative reaction. But in both in Beowulf and We Have Always Lived in the Castle men are considered the ruler of them family, well at least until Merricat kills everybody. In my opinion, Merricat’s way of looking the hierarchy of gender, is different of having women in control, that symbolizes that idea that began as a minute topic in the time period of the 1960’s, and has expanded into the situation of women’s role of

    Read More

  • Power of Women in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the poems of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight show, women have always had power, yet not as overt a power as wielded by their masculine counterparts. The only dynamic of women’s power that has changed in the later centuries is that the confines and conditions in which women have wielded their power has become more lax, thus yielding to women more freedom in the expression of their power. The structure, imagery, and theme in the excerpts from Beowulf (lines 744-71) and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (lines 2309-30) support the concept of more power in the later centuries, by contrasting the restriction of Wealhtheow and the power she practices in Beowulf with the Lady’s more direct assertion of power in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight five centuries later.

    Read More

  • The Courage, Strength, and Integrity of Beowulf

    449 Words  | 1 Pages

    direction is like trying to hit a cloud with a bow and arrow.  A hero is also

    Read More

  • Role of Women in the Epic of Beowulf

    1575 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Role of Women in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

    533 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • A Summary of Beowulf

    983 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beowulf begins with a history of the Danish kings. Hrothgar is the present king of the Danes. He builds a hall, called Heorot, to house his army. The Danish soldiers gather under its roof to celebrate and have fellowship with each other. Grendel, who lives at the bottom of a nearby swamp, is awakened and disgusted by the singing of Hrothgar's men. He comes to the hall late one night and kills thirty of the warriors in their sleep. For the next twelve years Grendel stalks the mead hall known as Heorot.

    Read More

  • Beowulf : The Warrior For Glory, Protection, And Reputation

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    With the great power possessed by Beowulf, great battles are destined to be fought for glory, protection, and reputation. As the demon Grendel approaches the great kingdom of Danes, his mother coming to avenge the wrongs done to her son, or when a great dragon is awakened, posing a massive threat only a warrior the likes of Beowulf can deal with. This creates a situation in which constant battle for glory, honor, and protection keep taking place. He travels to distant lands to maintain his warrior status, whilst battling the creatures posing problems to him.

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Beowulf:The Anglo-saxon Women

    1518 Words  | 4 Pages

    Promp: what does beowulf have to say about women? Specifically, what is a women’s proper role in Beowulf? Consider actual Anglo- Saxon queens

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Beowulf

    1635 Words  | 4 Pages

    The women characters in Beowulf show that during the time period in which this was written, the roles of women were clearly defined. While, the author's views on women may never be fully revealed, it is made apparent that he believes in male superiority, and disobedient females ought to be suppressed. Like Wealhtheow, females were to exert minimal power and influence, but should always keep the drinks coming.

    Read More

  • Beowulf as a Reflection of Anglo-Saxon Values

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    In history, evil men have reigned supreme across many cultures. Some people say that being evil is inherent in every human. If this is true, then writing may be the ultimate way of releasing hatred of the world without hurting anyone. In Beowulf, all of society's evil men can be personified within the demons of Cain. The main demon presented in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel personifies the exact opposite of what the Anglo-Saxons held dear. Beowulf, the story's hero, is the embodiment of what every Anglo-Saxon strove to become in their lifetime. Grendel is constantly angry, afraid and unsure of himself; while Beowulf is fearless and loyal to his king.

    Read More

  • Women's Roles In Beowulf

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Epic poem of Beowulf centers around the masculine figures of Anglo-Saxon society. The men play the main roles in this poem. This poem is also persuaded by male themes. This leaves little room for the women to stand in the spotlight. There is a stereotype in the poem that the women are frail and much weaker than the men. This stereotype is something that we notice even in today’s society. However, as readers we must examine the roles that these women play. As sophisticated women of the Anglo-Saxon time in the epic poem of Beowulf, the women have three major roles to fulfill: servant, peace weaver, and a mother.

    Read More

  • Masculinity In Beowulf

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    My topic for this paper is analyzing how great Beowulf was as a King and a Warrior and how he represents masculinity. Scholars are in complete disagreement over how Beowulf represents masculinity; however, despite their disagreement on how it should be accomplished, all scholars place masculinity as the goal. Scholars agree that Beowulf is about masculinity and the different separations of gender, but are disagreeing on how he shows it. I believe that Beowulf represents masculinity by doing what he did like every great man has done in history, he stepped up to the plate and lead by example and didn’t let the power go to his head. So, I will analyze both articles and show where the dispute occurs, but at the same time showing that both Morey

    Read More

  • Masculinity In Beowulf And The Wanderer

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    Merriam-Webster defines exile as the state or a period of forced or voluntary absence from one’s country or home. Both the Wife in “The Wife’s Lament” and the narrator of “The Wanderer” have their own form of exile that results in inner conflict. The Wife suffers from the estrangement from her husband, and she constantly mourns for happier times. The Wife despises the fact that women must be serious, strong, and well-held together for their family and husband and never show a frowning face. Both of these elegies are based on loss, sorrow, and grief.

    Read More

  • Beowulf Women Analysis

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the poem, Beowulf, the presence of women is limited to a few passages. Although the main focus revolves around Beowulf, the poet helps readers understand the expectations of women in power. The poem makes it clear that Kings and Queens are supposed to act differently. Their superiority is seen through their words and actions. The presence of Hygd and Modthryt is included to address the proper behavior of women. By using uplifting and hostile diction as well as contrasting the image of Queen Hygd to Queen Modthryt, Beowulf highlights the ideal representation of women in the Anglo-Saxon hierarchy. The differences portrayed in these women advocate the importance of maintaining traditional gender roles in order to conserve a functional society

    Read More

  • Theme Of Patriarchy In Beowulf

    81 Words  | 1 Pages

    The obsession with patriarchal history manifests itself throughout Beowulf, which opens by tracing Hrothgar's male ancestry and constantly refers to characters as the sons of their fathers. An awareness of family lineage is one way in which the heroic code integrates itself into the warriors' most basic sense of identity. By placing such an emphasis on whom their fathers were and how their fathers acted, the men of Beowulf bind themselves to a cycle of necessity governed by the heroic code.

    Read More

More about Masculinity In Beowulf

Open Document