The Presence of Women in Medieval Literature & its Effect: “Beowulf”

Introduction

The study of monstrosity in medieval literature is closely connected with the study of supernatural beings and over exaggerative examples of things or groups of people found in day-to-day routines. Unfortunately, a group of people that have been wildly mis-categorized in medieval literature is that of women who are either confined to the role of mothers or wives, left silent, or given the extreme of violent monsters, left to run rampant. In Beowulf, an Old English epic story, women are plainly categorized to demonstrate that a confined woman is a good and proper woman, where as a bad woman is not confined and allowed to act on her own will, which is seen as dangerous in medieval society. The study of Joanna Ludwikowska’s article “Uncovering the Secret: Medieval Women, Magic and the Other” helps to identify the forced stereotypes that have been given to medieval women, both human and monstrous. In this article, the author argues that through the use of these forced stereotypes, women have been stripped of their overall presence during the medieval times. In her article, Ludwikowska challenges the gendered behaviour that is presented in medieval texts, making attempts to identify women, who are able to tackle the same responsibilities and actions as male characters in this time.Thesis statement: The presence of women in medieval literature affects the overall perception of gender roles in medieval society, which make women confined to their roles of mothers, wives, and peace weavers, as well as make them completely dependent on their men who dominate significantly and contribute to women’s oppression.

The Presence of Women in Medieval Literature and its Effect

The Presence of Women in Beowulf

In Beowulf, women are represented mainly as confined because they serve their household and sexual duties as subordinates. It is critical for each woman presented in this medieval text to become part of male alliances and behave in accordance with her subordinate position. Practically all women in Beowulf are presented as glorified and hard-working waitresses and objects of sexuality. At the same time, they play complicated political roles because their participate in disputes as mediators. Wealhtheow, Hrothgar’s wife, is one of the strongest women, who has certain duties to please her King, namely the duty to weave peace.

A queen should weave peace,

not punish the innocent

with loss of life for imagined insults  (Beowulf 1941-1944).

It becomes clear that medieval men recognize the importance of the role of the confined woman in their society. Medieval women serve diverse roles, such as the roles of mediators and housewives, but they are not allowed to participate in male-dominated activities.  If  woman are not confined to the assigned roles, they are dangerous in the male-dominated society, which has well-developed social structure and established rules. For example, in Beowulf, Grendel’s mother is considered to be a monstrous creature, who does not serve the role of a peace weaver, but accepts the male-dominated activities aimed at promoting revenge and war. Other women presented in this medieval text are characterized as confined, performing the roles of peace weavers and housewives. They do not act autonomously and they do not comply with the established norms of medieval society. Wealhpeow, the Queen of the Danes in Beowulf, is a beautific young woman, well-dressed, who acknowledges her two major roles – the roles of the peace weaver and the object of sexuality.

Wealhtheow came in,
Hrothgar’s queen, observing the courtesies.
Adorned in her gold, she graciously saluted
the men in hall, then handed the cup
first to Hrothgar, their homeland’s guardian,
urging him to drink deep and enjoy it
because he was dear to them. And he drank it down
like the warlord he was, with festive cheer.
So the Helming woman went on her rounds,
queenly and dignified, decked out in rings,
offering the goblet to all ranks,
treating the household and the assembled troop
until it was Beowulf’s turn to take it from her hand (612-624).

The Queen in Beowulf  is one of the women who act in accordance with their male alliances because their roles are limited. It becomes clear that women’s confinement in marriage relations is linked to the duty to weave peace and pursue political stability. In political marriages, medieval women were confined to their household roles and the role of peace weavers. They had no chance to act autonomously. Unconfined women were at risk of having their monstrous status.  This fact means that in medieval society, the position of women depends on their recognition of  their roles, duties, and responsibilities.

As a matter of fact, monstrous actions of women shape their behaviours and contribute to changes of gender roles. The behaviour of Grendel’s mother makes her a real monster. However, this is a monster with a beautiful body. Grendel’s mother is a female creature, who acts independently and who does not need to comply with the established norms and rules of  society. She is a woman who demonstrates transgressive behaviour due to her human body that can be  transformed. According to researchers, “transgressive behaviours, when linked with aberrant physically, reinforce human allegorical or metaphorical interpretations of the monstrous body” (Oswald 7). The behaviour of Grendel’s mother makes her a monster because she is different from other women who are obedient and weak creatures and who understand their assigned duties.  Grendel’s mother is strong and powerful. She uses her own strategy to punish those men who killed her son Grendel. Researchers found that human beings are independent, while monsters can take the category of humanity to perform his/her tasks (Osawld 7). The main difference between  human beings and monsters is that “the monster always managed to escape because its body cannot be easily categories and understood – the monster is dangerous, a form suspended between forms that threatens to smash distinctions” (Oswald 7). Hence, Grendel’s mother is a dangerous woman because she is unconfined. This characteristic makes her a monster.

Joanna Ludwikowska’s Criticism of Women’s Representation in Medieval Literature  

In Joanna Ludwikowska’s article “Uncovering the Secret: Medieval Women, Magic and the Other” taken from Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, specific attention is paid to the characteristics of women presented in medieval texts. The author states, “for medieval audiences women occupied a specific, designated cultural area which, while they could freely form it according to their will and nature, was in fact imaginary and immaterial” (83). Ludwikowskastates that the use of forced stereotypes made women stripped of their overall presence in medieval texts. The author suggests that “women in social, legal, and religious contexts were mostly counted among the receptive, inactive,  and non-ruling groups” (Ludwikowska83).

In Beowulf, women were defined as sinful, carnal, and weak creatures, who were dependent on their men and who lacked the opportunity to act independently. The author highlights the complicated nature of women, which produces both fear and desire and which strengthens the effects of femininity in relationships.

Actually, Ludwikowska’s criticism of women’s representation medieval literature is based on the analysis of two medieval texts, namely Life of Saint Agnes, and Partonope of Blois, which are demonstrate various medieval approaches to understanding femininity. In both medieval texts,women are presented as uncanny. Their qualities depend on their social status. The author suggests that “the consequences of such loss of magical powers vary depending on the text, and the stories discussed above show two such very different outcomes, the fate that invariably awaits a supernatural woman is to find herself ultimately tamed” (Ludwikowska 101). The author places emphasis on the male perception of women’s roles, who serve to please their men. The key feature of the medieval period is that men are considered to be important members of society, warriors, who should be treated with respect and admiration. The status of men is determined by their roles in society, such as regulation of society, making important political decisions, choosing wives to enter marriage and have children.

All in all, the author found that in medieval texts, women have to deal with the uncontrollable forces in order to perform their roles. They need to fit into the established and widely accepted ideals of medieval society. Many medieval texts promote the so-called ideals on women’s roles. According to Ludwikowska, “civilization, order, and rules of power required that women comply and do not threaten their foundations that are the rational and intellectual leadership of men” (101). This fact means that those women who tend to embody the wilderness and uncontrolled behaviour are considered to be the women with supernatural powers, which lead to chaos in the male-dominated society. The use of these forced stereotypes by medieval authors contributes to misrepresentation of women in medieval texts. In other words, women have been stripped of their overall presence during the medieval times.

Explanation of the Effect of Women’s Presence in Medieval Literature

The analysis of the presence of women in medieval literature allows drawing relevant conclusions, which highlight the negative effect of women’s representation in medieval texts.  In Beowulf, women are misrepresented because they have to perform the assigned duties that shape a male-dominated society. The same roles are played by women in other medieval texts, including  Life of Saint Agnes, Partonope of Blois and others.  Ludwikowska states that “the female wildness, the uncanny nature of the female body producing pure life out of an impure act, the mixture of the sacred and profane, was what made them creatures of so much interest to medieval patriarchal societies” (85). In her article, Ludwikowska gives a clear expatiation to women’s presence in medieval texts, placing emphasis on the role of monstrous creatures, which are used to accept the existing gender roles and and norms. This fact means that the existence of monstrous creatures is linked to acknowledgement of the belief in the devil and his followers, and the belief in magic. In medieval society, the established traditions and beliefs played a critical role in shaping human views. In other words, the medieval supernatural is “a complex intersection of ideas: providence and divine intervention, angels and demons, the other world and the marvellous” (86).

In fact, the representation of medieval women have been skewed tremendously over time and have vilified them. A woman who listens to her husband is considered to be good, while the one who does not listen to her husband is considered to be a monster, often literally. This form of representation of women affected the real position of women in medieval society. Women had no any opportunity to exercise power because they were dependent on their men. This stereotypical image of medieval women proves the fact that medieval women were oppressed and subservient. They were not allowed to hold high status positions and bear responsibility for resolving political and economic issues. The medieval test like Beowulf  can be used to study gender roles in medieval society because of a large number of examples of women’s oppression in this text.

In addition, the identified stereotypes of women can be proved by the examples taken from Beowulf text, which demonstrates the weaknesses of women, their lower social status, and the increased duties and responsibilities. The existence of stereotypes of medieval women in this text highlights the significance of social structure that supports the dominant position of men and that shapes the characteristics of women. According to researcher, “the female presence in Beowulf is far from a subservient one and must be re-evaluate from an Anglo-Saxon perspective” (Sarmiento 1). There is a need for taking into consideration the historical context and the societal expectations of the medieval period. The behaviour of medieval women depends on the established and widely recognized social norms. Men and women are equal, but, at the same time, they enjoy different rights because of the male-dominated social structure, in which men dominate, while women are subordinate. For example, Hrothgar allows his wife to make decision regarding the gifts Beowulf could receive if he kills the monster Grendel. At the same time, the king insists on his wife’s participation in the celebration of Grendel’s death.

Obviously, in medieval texts, including Bewulf, there is representation of strong woman, such as Wealhtheow and Hygd. Their female roles are consistent with the roles of free women, although they are dependent on their men. Undoubtedly, the position of these women is weaker  than the position of strong and powerful men like Hrothgar and Beowulf. At the same time, they play both positive and negative roles that shape the medieval society they live in and the overall atmosphere in the hall. According to researcher, “without the position of these women there are feuds that must be fought, people who die, because a treaty cannot be established” (Sarmiento 2).

In Beowulf, the roles of women are consistent with the needs of society. The effects of this form of representation of women are beneficial to men because men use the skills of their women to resolve disputes and make important political decisions. Researcher suggests that “they are far from background ornamentation, but characters who carry the weight of their social and political positions both symbolically and realistically” (Sarmiento 2).

Conclusion

Thus, it is necessary to conclude that women are misrepresented in medieval literature because of the effect of the male domination on their roles. Comparing a medieval monstrosity literary work like Beowulf  with a medieval literary work “Uncovering the Secret: Medieval Women, Magic and the Other” by Joanna Ludwikowska, an author whose work counters the monstrosity text in some way, it is possible to determine the changes in representation of women. Ludwikowska suggests that medieval women have been stripped of their overall presence in social life. The study of the medieval texts shows that representation of women is linked to the established norms and rules of medieval society. Women are frequently presented as being either completely good or completely evil or monstrous. They lack independence in decision making and problem solving because of the impact of the norms and rules of the society dominated by men. Women are confined to their household roles and lack self-assertiveness, although they often act as peace weavers. These facts mean that medieval women are oppressed by men who hold the dominant position in society. Medieval women have to accept their roles and acknowledge their subordinate position in society controlled by men. Hence, representation of medieval women have been skewed tremendously over time, contributing to their vilification and oppression.

Works Cited

Beowulf. Translated by Lesslie Hall. D.C. Health & Co., Publishers. 2005.

http://archive.org/stream/beowulf16328gut/16328-8.txt

Ludwikowska, Joanna. “Uncovering the Secret: Medieval Women, Magic and the Other.” Studia Anglica Posnaniensia, vol. 49, no. 2, 2014, pp. 83-103.

Oswald, Dana. Monsters, Gender and Sexuality in Medieval English Literature. Boydell & Brewer, 2010. Print.

Sarmiento, Catori. “Re-evaluating the Role of Women in Beowulf.” Inquiries Journal: Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, vol. 4, no, 9, 2012, pp. 1-2.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
close
Haven't found the right essay?
Get an expert to write you the one you need!
print

Professional writers and researchers

quotes

Sources and citation are provided

clock

3 hour delivery

person