Roles Of Anglo Saxon Women

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What roles did the women throughout the Anglo- Saxon time period play in British Literature? Some would say women were viewed as independent strong individuals, but British Literature writers during this time would disagree. The Anglo-Saxon women took full responsibility of the day-to-day activities of their households. The wife‘s responsibility was to take care of their families, husbands, and play hostess. In most societies the wife prepares the food, but in Anglo-Saxon culture, it was extremely common for the man to prepare the food and the women to serve the drinks in the mead hall. Writers during this time, such as Shakespeare, Chaucer, and others presented women as less worthy than men. The women in the Anglo Saxon time period in British Literature were viewed as objects, described as weak, and seem to be made close minded. Women were viewed as objects not, only for their sexuality, but for their appearance. If a woman wasn't as beautiful as others, as young, or didn't have a pleasing appearance, women were often shut down and discouraged by men. In The Wife of Bath's tale, the old …show more content…

In both The Green Knight, and The Canterbury tales, women are viewed upon as sexual objects to the men. The green knight rapes a woman who he feels is no greater than a body. In The Green Knight, Pearl Poet makes The Knight's wife act upon the nobleman as promiscuous and unfaithful. A great amount of times the wife tries to lure the nobleman into her bedroom, making her look desperate. The Knights lady said, “She begged him for her sake to not say a word, and keep it hidden from her lord.” (Gawain Poet, line 244). On the other hand, the nobleman is viewed as strong for resisting the wife's affection. In The Anglo Saxon time period women were often used for sex and other disputes. Therefore the writers in this time period enjoyed stereotyping women into being nothing but sexual

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