Beowulf Role of Women 
Beowulf: The Role of Women in Anglo-Saxon Literature
In medieval literature, the representation of women was often portrayed as an amalgam of passivity and submission to men’s desires. When considering the medieval context and different cultures, the Old English poem, Beowulf, regards a complex representation of gender relationships. On the surface, the poem seems to have a traditional depiction of women by placing emphasis on the male protagonists and his conquest to avenge his brother. With analysis however, when analyzing the poem one can identify the underlining importance of women in an Anglo-Saxon society. Several women are introduced and each one plays an essential role within the storyline. This paper will argue that Beowulf reinforces feminism by assigning women with roles that are crucial for the maintenance of stability and political order in the Anglo-Saxon society. The significant roles taken on by women within Beowulf can be divided into three categories: peacemaker, hostess and protector.
The epic of Beowulf deconstructs patriotism by assigning women the pivotal role of peace-weaver. In the Anglo-Saxon society, a peace-waver is the most critical and challenging role for a woman. This is specifically true in the case of princess Hildeburh. She was given as a gift to the Danish King in hopes of settling a feud between two nations. She demonstrates nobility and loyalty by approving to marry the Danish King. Furthermore, by marrying a king from another land, she establishes peace and alliance between her homeland and her husband’s land. Hence, she unifies or “weaves” both communities together. To assure the peace between both communities, the rulers have children simply to prove the death of the feud. This signifies that the blood from the previous hating societies have blended and created one type of blood. Consequently, the reader discovers later on that Queen Hildeburh failed to play a strong role in peace-weaving because she mourns the death of
In medieval literature, the representation of women was often portrayed as an amalgam of passivity and submission to men’s desires. When considering the medieval context and different cultures, the Old English poem, Beowulf, regards a complex representation of gender relationships. On the surface, the poem seems to have a traditional depiction of women by placing emphasis on the male protagonists and his conquest to avenge his brother. With analysis however, when analyzing the poem one can identify the underlining importance of women in an Anglo-Saxon society. Several women are introduced and each one plays an essential role within the storyline. This paper will argue that Beowulf reinforces feminism by assigning women with roles that are crucial for the maintenance of stability and political order in the Anglo-Saxon society. The significant roles taken on by women within Beowulf can be divided into three categories: peacemaker, hostess and protector.
The epic of Beowulf deconstructs patriotism by assigning women the pivotal role of peace-weaver. In the Anglo-Saxon society, a peace-waver is the most critical and challenging role for a woman. This is specifically true in the case of princess Hildeburh. She was given as a gift to the Danish King in hopes of settling a feud between two nations. She demonstrates nobility and loyalty by approving to marry the Danish King. Furthermore, by marrying a king from another land, she establishes peace and alliance between her homeland and her husband’s land. Hence, she unifies or “weaves” both communities together. To assure the peace between both communities, the rulers have children simply to prove the death of the feud. This signifies that the blood from the previous hating societies have blended and created one type of blood. Consequently, the reader discovers later on that Queen Hildeburh failed to play a strong role in peace-weaving because she mourns the death of