ipl-logo

Relationship Between Beowulf And Grendel's Mother

886 Words4 Pages

Kahlea Johnson
Dr. Donald Gillard
English 221, Sec: 2E
16 February 2023
Relationships between mothers and sons
In Beowulf, we are shown vastly different examples of a mother. Grendel’s mother is described as a savage hell brute and the Queen of Heorot is described as a gracious and well-mannered woman. This information would lead one to think that one is an amazing mother that cares for her son while the other is uncaring with no affection for her son. Despite the notion that one mother cares for her sons more than the other, their actions indicate a different story. They both show how much they care for their sons but in their own unique way. No matter the background, a mother always has love and cares for her son and their actions prove that. For …show more content…

Grendel’s mother is described as a monstrous hell brute who is a savage demon. This leads readers to believe that she has no remorse for her actions and does not care for the people around her. For example, her son Grendel’s actions of attacking Heorot and wreaking havoc on the people for 12 years indicate that he was raised by a heartless/emotionless person. During the second attack of Heorot Grendel’s mother is said to be "brooded on her wrongs,” (1259) which allows a peek into her personality that can be interpreted as her deep sense of anger and upset within herself. Unlike Wealhtheow who is gracious, queenly, and dignified. When she is first introduced, she is adorned in gold ready to greet Beowulf and his men, “adorned in gold, she graciously saluted the men in the hall/ so the helming woman went on her rounds, queenly and dignified, decked out in rings, offering the goblet to all ranks” (614-615, 620-622). This first meeting helps portray how Wealhtheow well-mannered queen that knows how to treat her honorable guest. Wealhtheow wants the Geats to know how thankful they are for their help this scene helps portray how caring the Queen of Heorot

Show More
Related

The Secret Life Of Bees By Sue Monk Kidd

496 Words | 2 Pages

In addition, Grendel’s mother does the same thing and makes other people feel the way she does. When she finds out that her son died, Grendel’s mother is in agony and so she takes revenge because she wants people to feel the torment she does. In

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

Examples Of Archetypes In Beowulf

1091 Words | 5 Pages

While Grendel’s mother tried to kill Beowulf, she shows compassion and a sense of protectiveness over her son, which is--and was--relatable to many

Read More

Grendel's Mother: A Character Analysis

422 Words | 2 Pages

Grendel's mother is cruel. While Grendel is growing he is an immature little kid always going his own way. While Grendel was younger, he seemed to care more about his mother, he would worry about leaving her alone. “ Poor old mama”(gardner 18), Grendel said that because he was thinking he would stay stuck between those two tree trunks forever and starve to death and leave his mom alone. Grendel begins to realize that he is alone that there

Read More

Comparing Grendel's Mother And The Dragon In Beowulf

603 Words | 3 Pages

The “Monstrous ogress” was “savage in her grief,” and her actions become even more beastly than her sons (Beowulf 1258-76). Women in this Germanic Warrior society were meek, so the actions of Grendel’s mother greatly contrast with the typical behavior of a woman in this time period. Grendel’s mother’s gruesome actions are beastly in nature, but her emotions of outrage and grief for the murder of her son are human. Once again, Beowulf’s victory of the savage monster shows the overall theme of good winning against evil.

Read More

Violence In Beowulf

1599 Words | 7 Pages

Beowulf recounts the defeats of the enemies of the Geats that come in the form of monsters. After Beowulf defeats Grendel, Wealhtheow warns her husband Hrothgar if he does not honor his sons and leaves his kingdom to Beowulf she will wage a family feud on behalf of her sons for the rights of her kingdom. Grendel’s mother becomes enraged at the death of her son and engages in a feud of revenge for his death seeking retribution towards Beowulf, and being a monster, will not accept wergild or anything other than blood and death as repayment to soothe her grieving and the pain of a

Read More

Examples Of Loyalty In Beowulf

732 Words | 3 Pages

She lives alone in her cave and her need for vengeance is the only thing that keeps her moving. Grendel’s mother shows her vengeance for the first time when she attacks Heorot after Grendel’s death. Grendel’s mother stayed secluded until her child was killed “ But now his mother Had sallied forth on a savage journey, Grief-racked and ravenous, desperate for revenge”. Grendel’s mother proves her loyalty to Grendel by avenging him and eventually giving her life to defend her child’s body.

Read More

Grendel And Beowulf Comparison Essay

1346 Words | 6 Pages

He is viewed as a monstrosity in both aspects, but they mainly differ through their characteristics. Grendel has no reason for his beastly actions but continues to maul and kill anyone that strays in his path for sport. “And his glee was demonic, picturing the mayhem: before morning he would rip life from limb and devour them, feed on their flesh…” (730) The line from the epic illustrates an example of how Grendel views the people of Heorot and the pleasure that is found in killing them. This version of Grendel presents the idea that there are no human characteristics present within him. He is pure evil, which continues to prove the simplistic duality cultural views the epic portrays.

Read More

Wealhtheow's Role In Beowulf

648 Words | 3 Pages

While reading Beowulf, one might think that Wealhtheow’s role in Beowulf is insignificant, or that she is merely an extension of Hrothgar, the Danish king. But after studying her character, the queen of the Danes clearly holds a far more powerful role than at a first glance. Her speeches are brief, but full of meaning and authority, and her astute counsel is often relied upon by Hrothgar. While she plays only a small role in Beowulf, Wealhtheow demonstrates that women played an integral part in medieval culture. Wealhtheow’s wisdom and respect is apparent in her role as the cup-bearer.

Read More

Examples Of Femininity In Beowulf

1473 Words | 6 Pages

In the poem, she serves as a feminine figure that is attempting to undertake a traditionally masculine role in enacting vengeance (Beowulf lines 1257-1259, 1276-1278, 1281-1291, 1290-1304, 1330-1340, 1349-1355, 1500-1569; Acker 703-709; Morgan 54-58, 60-61). As author Paul Acker asserts in his article that “Grendel’s mother acts aggressively, arguably in a fashion reserved for men” (Acker 705) when speaking about the vengeance that this character is attempting to enact (Beowulf lines 1257-1259, 1276-1278, 1281-1291, 1290-1304, 1349-1355, 1500-5659; Acker 705). In the poem, the introductory description of the attack launched by Grendel’s mother is written in such a way so that there is less emphasis placed on her actions that besieged Heorot by the poem stating that “Her onslaught was less only by as much as an amazon warrior’s strength is less than an armed man’s when he hefted the sword …” (Beowulf lines 1282-1285) to which Acker supplies the implication that “Grendel’s mother was less horrible simply by virtue (so to speak) of lacking a phallus.” (Acker 705).

Read More

Women In Beowulf And The Wife Of Bath's Tale

1333 Words | 6 Pages

Beowulf and “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” are both narratives in which gender acts as an important theme within their individual communities; both have underlying meanings when it comes to defining what the role men and women in a good community should be. Or in other words, both stories paint a vivid picture of the role of women during the medieval time period, by suggesting that one gender had more power over another. However, these two narratives take alternative paths when expressing their views; Beowulf conveys its message through what is missing, while “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” incorporates satire and uses explicit narrative when telling the experience of a woman that is highly different from other women in her time. Furthermore, another difference that is appealing to the reader’s eyes, besides the way the two narratives reflect to women’s role in medieval times, is that men become the hero in Beowulf, while “the wife”, so a woman, becomes the authority figure in the story of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.” I want to first introduce the two main differences between the two narratives and then I will explain how regardless of the differences, both of these narratives’ main goal is to show that women had less power and a good community back that time was male dominated.

Read More

Germanic Roles In Beowulf

579 Words | 3 Pages

In the epic poem Beowulf, the plot is centered on a heavily masculine view. As a result, many of the themes depicted were male-dominated, which left very little leeway for women to influence the story. Jane C. Nitzsche, however, was able to point out the ways in which Grendel’s mother represented how the Germanic ideals of women were able to be shifted, ultimately showing how women could not be confined into a single feminine role. The first instance where Grendel’s mother had shifted roles was after Grendel’s death. Not having a husband, Grendel’s mother was unable to pledge her primary loyalty towards the accepted Saxo Grammaticus dominant figure.

Read More

Epic Of Beowulf Essay: The Role Of Women

984 Words | 4 Pages

This can be through biological means such as mothers of powerful sons, or marital ties with powerful foreign kings as a type of peace contract, or socially as a cup- passing and peace weaving queen within a hall. Are women in these poems active equals of the men? Or are they passive victims of the men? The roles of the women in Beowulf and other Anglo-Saxon poems are not always stereotyped ones of passive homemaker and childbearer and peaceweaver, but sometimes ones giving freedom of choice, range of activity, and room for personal growth and development. Given this lack of female presence , one might be excused for believing that women were trivialized in Anglo-Saxon

Read More

Comparing Beowulf And Grendel's Mother

580 Words | 3 Pages

Her actions do seem cruel and evil, but she is also a grieving mother that wants to avenge her son. After Grendel’s death, “Grendel’s fierce mother” begins to exhibit human-like characteristics such as her caring and protective nature for her child. This can be shown when she carried “off the claw that Beowulf tore from her child” to demonstrates her anger and grief for her son’s death. While she is characterised to be a “she-wolf,” she is also a “mighty mother” that just wants to protect her child. Her whole purpose of killing Hrothgar’s friend and wreaking in Heorot is was to avenge Grendel’s death.

Read More

Beowulf: Movie Analysis

1090 Words | 5 Pages

When he shows up, Beowulf and his men attack the monster before its arm is cut off and it eventually dies. Not long after Grendel is killed, his mother comes and continues what he started. Beowulf tells the king that he will find Grendel’s mother and kill her for him. He goes to Grendel’s mothers home and finds her there but not as he had expected. She is not like Grendel because she is manipulative and beautiful which ultimately makes Beowulf stunned.

Read More

More about Relationship Between Beowulf And Grendel's Mother

Related Topics

Open Document