Roles of Women in Beowulf

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Around the tenth century, women were not well respected. They often took a back seat in society and were even looked on as less than men. This is also true in the literature of that time period where women are never the main characters or heroes. However, in the epic poem “Beowulf”, of an unknown source from around the tenth century, women play a major role. They may not be the center of attention, but they are very important nonetheless. The women of “Beowulf” host the men, attempt to keep peace, and defy social expectations of the tenth century of what it means to be a woman. They play the vital roles of hostess, peace weaver, and contradiction to the standard women.
The first roll of women in “Beowulf” is the hostess. It was a very important job in the time “Beowulf” took place in. From a social standpoint, visiting warriors needed to be supplied food and drink while in a hall, such as Heorot, in order to keep them friendly to the local king. A prime example of this is Wealhtheow. She is visibly seen in Heorot handing out mead to the Geat warriors, trying to be as friendly as possible (610-630). This is not always common in mead halls, but when it does happen it is a sign of respect for the visitors as well as a sign of a good hostess. Furthermore, Wealhtheow gives out torques to all the men. She truly wants to make the Geats feel at home in Heorot, so she bestows them with gifts. This is also a sign of a good hostess since she is trying to make her guests as comfortable as possible. In addition, Freawaru, the princess and Hrothgar’s daughter, hands out mead as well. This shows that the Danes really want to be courteous hostesses to the Geats. It is a big deal that the princess is serving the warriors and Beowu...

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...to the other women. She is the only woman to fight and die directly in an actual battle in “Beowulf”. This is not normal by any standards at that time. Not only is Grendel’s mother extremely violent, she is also an outlier to the expectations of women in “Beowulf”. Grendel’s mother defies what it means to be a woman in “Beowulf” through her pure love of violence and hands on approach to battle.
In conclusion, the women of “Beowulf” play the key roles of peace weaver, hostess, and contradiction to the standard woman. They host the men, attempt to keep peace, and defy social expectations of the tenth century of what it means to be a woman. Despite the fact that the women are not the main focus of “Beowulf”, they are necessary to the story. Fortunately today, women play all kinds of important and leading roles in literature and in society.

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