Essential Question #2

Discuss the role of women in Beowulf. How do Wealhtheow and Grendel’s mother compare/ contrast?

When first looking at Beowulf, it may seem as if the women do not play an active role in the poem or in its plot development. For the short period of time that Wealhtheow and Grendel’s mother were seen throughout the poem, their appearances were very important.
When Wealhtheow first appeared in the poem, though her introduction was only about twenty lines long, she showed us that she lived the same lifestyle as her husband, Hrothgar. Hrothgar was more concerned about himself and luxury rather than the Danish people and Wealhtheow was “adorned with gold” (605) when first introduced to her. This shows us that she was more concerned with the luxurious things. On the other hand, Grendel’s mother didn’t want to live the same life as Grendel. Grendel’s mother “mourned her fate” (1248) and didn’t want to be murdering others as her son did. Although Grendel’s mother follows in her son’s footsteps by continuing to murder, the audience is aware of the fact that she is living a life that she would have preferred not to.