Comparing Women In Grendel's Mother And Wealhtheow

Composed sometime between 520 AD and 950 AD, Beowulf is a well-known tale that has been around for centuries. The poem stars Beowulf in his fight against evil throughout his lifetime. While the poem has a strong focus on patriarchy and masculinity, it is equally important for the audience to think about femininity in Beowulf. Grendel’s Mother and Wealhtheow serve as contrasting types of women, and in this paper I will attempt to show the importance of women in Beowulf by looking at their roles and how they are described throughout the epic. First, we must understand who these two women are and their roles in the play. Grendel’s Mother is the wife of Cane, the same Cane from the Biblical book of Genesis. She is never given a name in the play, but simply is referred to by her relation to Grendel. As we know, Cane kills his brother Abel. God then banishes Cane, and he marries this woman, and they share a son named Grendel. Because Cane and his descendants were cast out – from God’s favor and society – they take on the characteristics of Cane’s original sin; they become murderers. Grendel’s mother is described as a “swamp thing from hell…[a] tarn-hag” with “savage talons” (1504-1519). She and Grendel live in a deep pond out in the marsh, away from all civilization. Wealhtheow
This is evidenced by Lines 489 and 490 when Hrothgar says to Beowulf: “Now take your place at the table, relish the triumph of heroes to your heart’s content”. Beowulf and his followers have just arrived at Heorot and Hrothgar is welcoming them, even though he does not know much about them. This is contrasted by Grendel’s mother, who has also been wronged by Beowulf, not welcoming anyone into her den. This is shown starting on Line 1497, which