Helen Wu

Mrs. Diehl
AP English Literature
25 September 2016
Value of Women in Beowulf
Women, as always being discussed in all types of medieval literatures,
are often considered submissive, tractable and insignificant. However, in
Beowulf which is translated by Seamus Heaney, women are granted high
social status and play pivotal roles in keeping the peace between the
countries. Although there are not a lot of description about women in
Beowulf and women are somehow be given social expectation, the positive
and powerful roles that women play in the society are indispensable and
crucial.
Throughout Beowulf, the author includes several types of descriptions of
women in order to specify and emphasis their important roles in the society.
On one aspect, the author depicts some women such as queens of different
countries as magnificent hosts who are responsible for ensuring the harmony
in the nation. For example, the author delineates Wealhtheow who is the
queen of Dane in the feast as he writes, The cup was carried to him/ kind
words spoken in welcome and a wealth of wrought gold graciously bestowed
(1191-1193). Instead of staying in her seat without saying anything, the

queen entertains the people from foreign countries and actually presents as
a voice which represented her own country. Therefore, rather than passive
and negligible, womens role is vital and significant. By welcoming guests
from other countries sincerely and granting them valuable gifts generously,
these queens do not only make great efforts in maintaining the social
stability, but also in presenting their countries cordiality and power to other
countries.
In the same manner, the author also shows that how women function in
marriages between countries in order to weave peace. Even though women
sometimes are regarded as political victims because they have to marry to
someone they might not know, they are still necessary political characters in
that time. Political connections between countries through marriages would
prevent the violent fighting and keep the harmony in a less militant manner.
The author details the social expectation of women in the poem as he states,
Even a queen/ outstanding in beauty must not overstep like that/ A queen
should weave peace/ not punish the innocent/ with loss of life for imagined
insults (1940-1943).
The author offers an example of Queen Modthryth who had been irascible
and malicious before she married to Offa, but finally becomes a good queen
after her marriage.
She was less of a bane to peoples lives,
Less cruel-minded, after she was married

to the brave Offa, a bride arrayed

in her gold finery, given away
by a caring father, ferried to her young prince
over dim seas.
Work Cited Page
Heaney, Seamus, translator. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation.
New York: W.W Norton & Company, Inc, 2000. Print.