ipl-logo

Gender Roles In Beowulf

615 Words3 Pages

Beowulf is an epic poem which is a long narrative poem dealing with heroism that have power to transport a person to another time. Beowulf is filled with male characters like Beowulf the main character that is strong, brave and fights for his people. However, the poem doesn't have much female characters including only one. Grendel's mother is the only female character mentioned in the poem. Grendel is a male character that keeps attacking the Herot, which is a hall where the strongest men celebrated in; he used to kill men for joy. After Grendel's death his mother took into action and decides to get revenge. Grendel's mother got very furious and cruel and kills the king's closest friend for revenge. She wanted him to feel her pain for losing someone really close to her. Her plan worked and so the king decides to call Beowulf for help. This shows us how much Grendel's mother cared about her son and how much she loved him. This also links to mothers today; they would do anything and everything for their children. They would even lose their life for their children. There is always a special bond between the mother and the child that is very hard to break easily. The mother is always attached to her children no matter what. Grendel's mother was an example of mothers in society today. …show more content…

They were usually looked down at because of being female and not male. Women were treated very poorly and harshly; they were treated like a piece of furniture that didn’t have feeling and goals in life. Women were awarded less than men and had lower social positions for no reason. Men were chosen over women in many economic, political and social decisions. In the other hand, the poem did not have many female characters because women were not strong enough to be heroes, soldiers, warriors, and rulers who fight for their people and protect them. They weren’t as important as men so they didn’t have important roles in the poem

Show More
Related

Beowulf Journal Essay

1092 Words | 5 Pages

Grendel had being killing and terrorizing Hrothgar’s people. The news of Grendel had travel to the land of the Geats and Beowulf had come to provide assistance to Hrothgar. One day after Beowulf and Grendel’s fight, where Beowulf tears off the demons’ arm, the monster’s mother came to vengeance her son’s death. She was also defeated and killed by Beowulf, for which he received many gifts and praise by Hrothgar and his wife Wealhtheow.

Read More

Examples Of Grendel's Innocence

313 Words | 2 Pages

Equally important, the innocence Grendel had as a child provide an outline for his lack of baneful intentions. One act of innocence that has shown through Grendel’s entire life, from childhood until death, was a tendency to call for his mother when in danger of any kind. Putting this into perspective, shortly before the death of Grendel, on page one-hundred and seventy, he calls for his mother for the final time. “Mama!” he is heard bellowing.

Read More

Grendel Vs Modern Day Monsters Research Paper

809 Words | 4 Pages

She was grief-stricken with her Grendel’s death which shows she did love and support him and his actions. “That an avenger lurked and was still alive, Grimly biding time. Grendel’s mother, Monstrous hell-bride, brooded on her wrongs.” (Beowulf lines 1257-1259) Grendel’s mother was furious and upset with the death of her son, just as anyone would be if the person they supported were to die.

Read More

Corruption Of Women In Beowulf Essay

949 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout Old English Literature, women were seen as evil. Like in Beowulf where the woman with the most power was a monstrous sea creature who destroyed things. Or in Lanval and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight where women were dishonest and corrupted men, or like in The Wife of Bath where women manipulated men to get what they wanted; owned them in a way. In old English texts women are seen as an evil force; a force of destruction, corruption and cunning.

Read More

Beowulf Gender Roles

1543 Words | 7 Pages

Role of Women in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight While identifying the heroic components of male characters in Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is easily achieved, the place of women within these two contexts portrays significant variations. The difference in time seems to have influenced the manifestation of the female role, with the latter text making these characters more central to the plot than manifested in Beowulf. Despite the apparent differences, it is sufficient to note that the role of women remains consistently inferior to that of men in both texts with their positions being defined subject to the capacities and desires of men. Beowulf seems to portray women as marginalized creatures.

Read More

The Portrayal Of Women In Beowulf

518 Words | 3 Pages

They inherited and held property and if they were married they gained control over their property. They were treated as equal as the men. They had a voice and they were able to say what they wanted when they wanted. The only problem that really arose was that the women were sometimes bossing around the men and it didn’t always go over so smoothly. Just like today’s women, they raised their children, managed their houses and educated their children but they were very handworkers and they weren’t giving up.

Read More

Women In Beowulf

566 Words | 3 Pages

Grendel 's mother is shown as a very devious, and powerful mother. She embodies her masculinity and does not perform to social standards. She fights her own battles, whereas in the Anglo-Saxon society only men fought battles or sought vengeance. She is an outcast because of the fact she does not conform to society 's view of a woman. She is very hostile towards guest, and uses violence to solve everything.

Read More

Roles Of Women In Beowulf

595 Words | 3 Pages

In Anglo-Saxon culture, women had a variety of laws protecting them; thus, allowing them to own property, and it was forbidden to marry them without their consent. The Anglo-Saxons regarded men as the dominant gender in their society. One of the fundamental roles women executed in this society was to settle feuds through marriage; in result they were commonly known as peace-weavers. In addition, society labeled them as cupbearers since they served their lord, his kinsmen, and troops in mead halls. The unknown author of the epic poem “Beowulf” presents various female characters to depict the different roles and characteristics each performed and represented in Anglo-Saxon culture and society; these include queen Wealhtheow, Grendel’s mother, queen Hygd, Freawaru and Hildeburh.

Read More

Roles Of Women In Beowulf

854 Words | 4 Pages

Grendel’s mother reaffirms the motherly gender performance associated with women. She is a loving mother who will do anything for her child regardless of the consequences associated with the act. After the death of Grendel, she takes it upon herself to avenge the death of her child. In doing so, she manifests how much she loves she has as a mother. She is willing to go to the extent of killing the king and facing Beowulf, who was a fierce soldier to avenge Grendel’s death.

Read More

Masculine Ideals In Beowulf

650 Words | 3 Pages

Beowulf reflects the traits that conformed to their masculine norms . While sorrowful Hrothgar laments the deaths caused by Grendel’s mother, Beowulf urges him to “not grieve” and to “avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning” (1384-5). However, earlier the epic alluded to a story about a princess named Hildeburh who after losing her husband, child, and brother, was “waylaid by grief” (1081). There is a definite contrast between how men and women are expected to confront loss- according to the patriarchal values, men avenge and women weep. Therefore, Beowulf is even more of an ideal masculine hero because he adheres the the Anglo-Saxon gender roles.

Read More

Gender Roles In Anglo-Saxon Literature

644 Words | 3 Pages

Grendel’s mother is not a typical mother, but rather a grotesque version of one (Porter, 2001). She has all of the attributes that society admires about mothers, but she displays them in different ways. First of all, she shows loyalty for her family. When she attacks the Danes, it is not out of randomness, it is because she does not want her son to be used as a trophy, she wants to avenge his soon to be death! She is willing to fight on his behalf and defend him when he could not for himself.

Read More

The Role Of Grendel's Mother In Beowulf

172 Words | 1 Pages

Grendel’s mother is seen as a vicious character in this story, which in medieval times most women tend to play the role of a witch, demon or sorcerer. In Beowulf, Grendel’s mother played the role of a so called “Masculine Queen”. Even in the title it still seems sexist, claiming a woman cannot be powerful unless she acts masculine. According to Dorothy Porter Carr, “Grendel’s mother, is a hardier opponent than her son was, and she is certainly physically capable of carrying out her desired vengeance.” Grendel’s mother acts in a more masculine manner than the other women do; she poses some strong physical and magical powers, which in medieval times she is considered evil.

Read More

Comparing Beowulf And Grendel's Mother

580 Words | 3 Pages

After Grendel’s death, she channeled all that hatred and grief towards the people that harmed her child. Her love for her child lead her to commit these acts. Even though her actions are considered evil, it is natural to feel some sort of pity and sympathy for Grendel’s mother after her loss. Unlike Grendel, Grendel’s mother doesn't kill or destroy randomly. It is clear that she only wanted to take revenge for her son and targeted those that harmed him.

Read More

The Women's Roles In Beowulf

1075 Words | 5 Pages

In describing Grendel’s mother in comparison to the other women portrayed is true to the fact that “she has the form of a woman” (pg 155) but is “monstrous hell-bride” (pg 34). Her behavior is unnatural and unlike “female ‘peacemakers’ do not wage war…her unnatural behavior seems more

Read More

Women Characters In Beowulf

192 Words | 1 Pages

In conclusion, the values of the women characters in Beowulf are very important in the Old English epic poem literature. All these women in Beowulf 's poem has showed all good things that they possesses from the hero powerful man in the medieval period of society. All the men are always wanted that they get a lovely wife in the poem to marriage. They do not know all the women are very evil, scary, and cheat on them. All the women love all the powerful and loyal men around them, they hold the big part position in the good relationship with all the men.

Read More

More about Gender Roles In Beowulf

Related Topics

Open Document