Although men often prevail over women regarding superiority, women have always had to take on necessary roles in society. In works of literature, women often portray caregivers, villains, and workers, inevitably impacting the outcome of the work. In Beowulf, the women characters take on prevalent roles which aid other characters, thus deepening the themes of the poem. Grendel’s mother acts as a dominant figure due to battling the main character, Beowulf. The poem describes the battle writing, “..But she rose quickly and retaliated, grappled him tightly in her grim embrace. The sure-footed fighter felt daunted...” (Unknown). Since Beowulf finds Grendel’s mother’s “grim embrace” incredibly difficult to escape on his own, he begins to question …show more content…
As Robert Harris writes, “Grendel’s mother becomes most terrifying when seeking vengeance; she is the horrible but inevitable pinnacle of a society built of feuding tribes and uneasy peace…” (Harris). While Grendel’s mother serves the primary purpose of avenging her son’s death, her character serves the purpose of demonstrating the capability of female villains. Due to the stereotype of men dominating women in regards to strength, readers find it laughable when a female character, such as Grendel’s mother, makes a male character question his competence. However, the role Grendel’s mother plays in Beowulf denotes that women have equal power to men in society. Despite Grendel’s mother getting defeated, the battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother goes to demonstrate the impact of a fierce female role on the overbearing confidence of a male …show more content…
The epic poem reads, “..she graciously saluted The men in the hall, then handed the cup First to Hrothgar, their homeland’s guardian, Urging him to drink deep and enjoy it..” (Unknown). Although Wealhtheow has a queen title, her status does not make her superior or inferior to her male counterparts. Instead, she supports the Geats in their endeavors through acting as a mistress of Heorot Hall. Without Wealhtheow’s assistance, Beowulf and his warriors would lack essentials such as mead in order to prepare for and recover from battles. In addition, without Wealhtheow’s relentless support, the Geats would have more than likely given up on their