Women In Beowulf

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Throughout time women have had many different roles in their lives, most of their jobs were stereotypical. Women were meant to cook the food for their family, while men would fight an evil creature. Since the beginning of time, women and men were never fully equal, which is still true today. In the epic Beowulf, Queen Wealtheow saluted her guests as they entered her home and served them a drink while Queen Modthryth took power and made sure earned respect. Women and men were far from equal, while the man went to slay a dragon, the women was home cooking dinner.

The stereotypical woman works in the kitchen, takes care of the child, and stays home all day. This is similar in Anglo-Saxon culture, where one of the main roles of women is a cupbearer. …show more content…

Ceremonies could be organized by anyone but the women. Usually, organized marriages took place because there was tension between two tribes. Women were seen as peace-weavers in the culture, and were still treated as objects. If a woman wanted to receive glory, her idea would be beaten down. Once a women got married, she was under her husband's power and he could do whatever he wanted with or without her . The church thought that all women should be subjects to men. An example of a woman who was forced to marry a higher man was queen Modthryth. “If any retainer ever made bold to look her in the face, if an eye not her lord’s stared at her directly during the daylight, the outcome was sealed” (133) Queen Modthryth was a Queen who was looked upon because she killed people and forced people to follow her. She was different from the other women because she was strong, brave, and took things into her power to show men that they aren’t the only ones who can take control. Queen Modthryth had an arranged marriage to the brave Offa. She was ordered to marry, because she needed a strong man to take her under his thumb. This quote is the narrator voicing what the society thinks of Queen Modthryth, “A Queen should weave peace, not punish the innocent with loss of life for imagined insults”(133) After she was married to Offa, “In days to come she would grace the throne and grow famous for her good …show more content…

Men would trade off their (female) family members for other things. Women were treated as property and not given rights to do as many things as they wanted or the same things men could do. Women were not thought to be as high,strong,or brave as men but they are! Queen Wealtheow, for instance, is a beautiful queen “Adorned in gold”(41). She is only looked at for her beauty and being a cupbearer.

In the Anglo-Saxon culture, the women’s roles are cooking, cleaning, making babies, and cup bearing. Women know their place and were not as important as men. Throughout history women have earned greater rights as the years go on. Women all around the world have little to no education,or jobs, and are single with children. People are working on how to make it better so women can make a change and be equal to

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