Essay on Ideal Women vs Real Women in Beowulf and The Wife...

In the Middle Age literature, women are often presented or meant to come off as an unimportant character; which can also reflect on how the author wants the women character represent. Women are usually shunned, have no say or control in what they do; due to what men desire; like Ophelia and Gertrude did in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. But these female characters that I will discuss are women with power, control, and a voice. Majority of the female character’s appearances are made to represent wickedness, evil, or a seducer who challenges a man belief; and does not symbolize perfect women. In the epic poem Beowulf majority of the characters are males; with the exception of a few females in the poem. When going back to the†¦show more content†¦We can also question if the author/storyteller’s intentions were to actually give the females in Beowulf a real sense of what it is to be a woman or is the author referring to them as something of nature, or goddess like, nurturing and a non believer of religion. Also, one can believe that Beowulf represents Christianity and Grendel’s mother represents nature  ¬Ã‚ ¬, describing where she lives: And suddenly discovered the dismal wood, Mountain trees growing out at an angle Above gray stones: the bloodshot water Surged underneath. (1414-1417) Another female character in the poem is Wealhtheow, and without a doubt we notice that she is a female who is respected and admired, being the wife of King Hrothgar, Queen of the Danes: â€Å"Applause filled the hall./Then Wealhtheow pronounce in the presence of the company† (1214-1215). There is a great contrast between Grendel’s mother and Wealhtheow. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The wife of bath’s Prologue and Tale, it is one of the many Canterbury tales that can bring us awareness of the women’s role in the middle ages. Even though Alisoun, who is the wife of bath is a female traveling with a group of men; she still manages to hold her own ground. She tells thr men in order to have a great