Comparison between Female Characters in Beowulf Essay -- Beowulf Compa

Comparison between Female Characters in Beowulf   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beowulf, the Old English epic tells the story of one brave hero and his battles against evil monsters. The poem deals with mostly masculine elements like fight descriptions, depictions of armor and long inspiring speeches. However, the women characters in the epic also have important roles and they are far from being superficial, as it may seem at first. There are several female figures in Beowulf; this paper will focus on three of them- queen Wealhtheow of the Danes, queen Hygd of the Geats and Grendel?s mother. These characters have many parallels between them but in a way some are the ?alter-ego? of the others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wealhtheow is the perfect hostess and devoted queen and wife. Her first appearance in the poem demonstrates her official duties as the queen: ?Wealhtheow came in, Hrotgar?s queen, observing the courtesies. Adorned in her gold, she graciously saluted the men in the hall, then handed the cup first to Hrotgar?So the Helming woman went on her rounds, queenly and dignified, decked out in rings, offering the goblet to all ranks, treating the household and the assembled troop (lines 612-623). As a queen, Wealhtheow has a role to fulfill and she does it with grace. She welcomes the guests; offers mead and creates a peaceful atmosphere in the mead-hall. The figure of Grendel?s mother is quite the opposite in this aspect- she is the ?anti- hostess? and far from being graceful. This creature does not greet the man who arrives to her dwelling; she fights Beowulf desperately and only a divine interference saves his life: ?It was hard-fought, a desperate affair that could have gone badly; if God had not helped me, the outcome would have been quick and fatal? (lines1657-1658). One can claim that these manners of Grendel?s mother are quite masculine. We find that she fights well and has the qualities of a great warrior if she was almost able to overcome Beowulf and she takes upon herself the manly duty of avenging her dead son. Beowulf himself says to Hrotgar that: ?It always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning? (lines 1384-1385). Taking vengeance for warrior?s death is noble but Grendel?s mother?s attentions are condemned by the poet ? she cannot be noble and she cannot act upon warrior?s code of honor; this notion comes from the fact that she is not really human and more impor... ...at queen does not trust her son to be a successful sovereign and she does not try to secure his future on the throne. Unlike Wealtheow and Grendel?s mother Hygd?s primary concern is to her people, not her son: ?There Hygd offered him throne and authority as lord of the ring-hoard: with Hygelac dead, she had no belief in her son?s ability to defend their homeland against foreign invaders? (lines 2369-2372). After a closer look in Beowulf one will find that the women roles in the poem are quite central and significant. They enrich the narrative by developing the plot and enlighten their men?s intentions. Nevertheless the women in the poem have their own will and power- political or physical. Thought some share similar qualities women characters are not patterned or superficial; these women are defined by dominant male figures but nonetheless they have their own significant features and depth. Works Sited: Anonymous. Beowulf. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 7th Edition. Vol. I. (pp.32-99). Ed. Abrams, M.H., New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000. ?Germanic History and Culture?, Germanic Heritage Page, The Anglo-Saxon Domain www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk .