Epic of Beowulf
by Barry Wright
Essay: Epic of Beowulf
Pages: 10
Rating: 3 stars
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While the heroic epic poem Beowulf features a significant amount of female characters (Grendel’s mother,
Wealhtheow, etc.), it is obvious that the men and their affairs are the focus of the story. Stacy S. Klein points out
that “the poem’s powerfully masculinist disposition is apparent in its largely male cast of characters and in the
relatively minimal attention given to the women who do appear” (87). As part of the heroic culture present in the
poem, it is commonplace for “women [to be] married off to men of rival tribes in order to insure observance of
peace treaties” (Fee, 285). At first glance it seems that the women of Beowulf are there simply to serve the men as
servants or bargaining chips. Is this the case? Or do the women of Beowulf hold more influence than we think? In
this essay – using two of the poem’s most important female characters as examples – I argue that, in terms of
word choice and the language of the poem itself, the women of Beowulf are portrayed as bed mates or wives first,
and people second. However, when it comes to the poem’s plot, the women do hold a significant amount of
influence.
The first major female character to whom we are introduced is Wealhtheow, described as “Hrothgar’s queen...
Adorned in her gold” (Beowulf, lines 613 – 614). A few lines later she is referred to as “Wealhtheow / [Hrothgar’s]
queen and bedmate” (664 – 665). Neither time is Wealhtheow referred to as simply Wealhtheow or even as queen
of Danes, but as a companion to Hrothgar. Hrothgar, on the other hand, is consistently referred to as simply
“Hrothgar” or as “Halfdane’s son” (191). This is evidence of the strong patriarchal values of the heroic culture
found within the poem.
That is not to say, however, that Wealhtheow is...
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