The concept of “gender roles” is often applied to the analysis and comprehension of writings from various historical periods. These responsibilities appear to have been firmly defined during the Anglo-Saxon period. The poem Beowulf belongs to the epic or heroic poetry genre, which has poems that commemorate the characters’ brave and martial actions. Women are portrayed as belongings for the advantage of the men throughout Beowulf and are made to support the male characters. In addition, women are utilized as plot devices to advance the story tale of men. Women, on the other hand, are a minor character in the plot, their presence being overshadowed by the men.
The queen of the Swedes was given no name, her identity being secondary to her status as the king’s wife, Onela. The males, such as Hrothgar, Beowulf, Wiglaf, and Unferth, occupied the majority of the storyline of the poem. As a result, mentions of women are few and far between in comparison. “…the Helming woman went on her rounds…treating the family and the collected troop,” the poem says of a woman who fulfills traditional gender responsibilities as a character Beowulf (Heaney 620). The passage represents the expectation of women in the eleventh century, that they should look after males and be gentle. Queen Modthryth was presented later in the tale as the antithesis to Queen Hygd, who was autonomous and despised by men. “Even a queen of great beauty must not overstep like that,” they said dismissively. (Beowulf 1940-1941), until she married Offa, who rewarded her for her self-control. Queen Modthryth was only considered acceptable by society once she married, implying that women had less value unless they were married.
Work Cited
Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf. Faber & Faber, 2000.