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Female Characters in Beowulf

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Female Characters in Beowulf Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies Petra Procházková Female Characters in Beowulf B.A. Major Thesis Supervisor: doc. Mgr. Milada Franková, CSc., M.A. Brno 2007 Ideclare thatIhaveworkedonthis thesisindependently,usingonlythe primaryand secondarysourceslistedinthe bibliography. Brno,April 2007 I wouldlike tothankmy supervisor doc.Mgr.Milada Franková,CSc.,M.A.for her kindness, patienceandvaluableadvice. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1 2.THEPLACEOF WOMENINTHEHEROIC SOCIETY OF BEOWULF .................. 3 3.THEROLESOF WOMENIN BEOWULF ................................................................... 7 4.THEQUEENSIN BEOWULF ...................................................................................... 11 5.GRENDEL'SMOTHER ................................................................................................ 31 6.CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 37 7.PRIMARYSOURCES................................................................................................... 38 8.SECONDARYSOURCES ............................................................................................ 39 1 1. INTRODUCTION Beowulf is thelongestandmostthe mostoutstandingepic poemintheOldEnglish literature.Inaccordance withthe principlesofheroic poetry,the Beowulf -poet primarily focusesonthedeedsofthemalehero.Thesocietydepictedinthe poemreflectsheroicvalues –especiallycourage,loyaltyandgenerosity.The primaryrelationship,whichconcernsthe poetmost,exists betweenmen–betweenalordandhisloyalretainers.The poetdoesnot describethoseaspectsoftheAngloSaxonsocietywhichare beyondthescopeoftheepic poetrysuchas peasants orslaves.Heisabsorbedintheworldofwarriors.Somewhat surprisingly,however,the poemalsocontainsseveralfemalecharacters.Mythesisarguesthat eventhoughtheyarenotof primaryconcern,theyareintegralandsubstantial partofthe poem. Inthefirstchapter,Ianalysethevaluesoftheheroicworldinordertodemonstratethe primaryemphasisonmalecharacters.Ialsosummarizethecriticalreceptionoffemalefigures –ontheonehand,theyhaveoftenbeenviewedastoopassiveandsuffering.The poethas beencriticisedforcondemningthem tothe roles ofhelplessvictimsofthesocietytheylive in. Ontheotherhand,however,the influenceoffeministandgendertheorieshave prompteda newapproach,whichpresentsfemalecharactresasequalcounterparts tothemaleheroes.In thisrespect,scholarshavefocusedespeciallyontheanalysis oftheterm"peaceweaver". Therefore,thenextchapter isdevotedtothe rolesoffemalecharactersingeneral.I analysevariousaspects of peaceweavingaswellastherolesassociatedwiththemeadhall suchasthe "passer-of-the-cup"andthe"gift-giver". Then,I proceedtotheanalysisofthe individualfemalefigures,theirfunctionswithin thestoryandtheir placeinthe poeticstructure.Ifocusontheir individualtraitsaswellason parallelsexistingbetweenthem.Someobscure pointsarisingfromthe Beowulf manuscript are mentioned,aswell. 2 Firstofall,QueenWealhtheow,whoisthemostfullydepictedwomanin Beowulf, is analysedespeciallyinconnectionwithherroleinthemeadhall.Sheis alsocomparedwith Hildeburh,whofiguresinthe Finnsburg Episode. Subsequently,HildeburhandFreawaruare treatedmainlyasexamplesoftragic peaceweavingfigures.Inthe"Geatishpart"ofthe poem, themostimportantfemalecharactersareHygdandModthryth.Itis especiallyModthryth, whohasraisedacritical discussionduetoher behaviourwhichisimproperforaqueen. Finally,IfocusonthesignificanceoftheunnamedfemalemourneratBeowulf'sfuneral. Thenextchapterdeals withoneofthemostobscurecharactersofthewhole poem– Grendel's mother.EventhoughsheisBeowulf'sopponentratherthanafemalecharacteras such,Ifocusonthosetraitswhichlinkhertothe humanqueens,drawingcomparisonsand contrasts.I alsosummarizeadiscussionwhichtreatsGrendel'smotherasanembodimentofa myticalfemalearchetype. Theanalysisdemonstratesthatthefemalecharactersareimportantforthe poetic structure as wellas thestoryitself.Theyareneither passive nor powerless–theyareactively strugglingtodefinetheir place inthe heroicworldandtheireffortsare inmanyrespects successful. 3 2. THE PLACE OF WOMEN IN THE HEROIC SOCIETY OF BEOWULF Epicnarrativessuchas Beowulf are basedonthe principlesofheroicsociety.The worldof Beowulf isfull of"heroiccampaigns"(3),whichareaccomplishedwithdaring courageandbravery.Beowulfhastogothroughmanydangeroussituationsinordertowin hisglory.Toliveanddie bravelyis amatterofhonourforhim.Personal fameandcourage areamongthemainvaluesofthesocietydepictedinthe poem.Beowulf is lof-geornost ("keenest towinfame",3182) becausetheonlythingheseemstobeafraidofisoblivion. Thereis awayforhimtobecome"immortal"–asa partofascop'ssong.Hestrivesforthe glorybecausehedoesnotwanttobe forgottenandthat iswhyhetellsHrothgar:"Forevery oneofus,livinginthis world/meanswaitingforourend.Letwhoevercan/winglorybefore death.Whenawarrioris gone,/that will behis bestandonlybulwark"(1386-1389). Infact,the whole poemcanbedescribedas astoryaboutBeowulf's winningofthe immortalglory.Theactionsofa maleepicheroconstitute thecentreoftheepic poetry. Subsequently,thesocietydepictedinthese poemsis"quintessentiallymale"(Rochester), focusingonarelationship betweenmen.A primaryrelationship–whichis describedevenas "a bondoflove"–exists betweena kingandhisretainers,whosemaindutyistobeloyalto theirlord(Irving22).Thisrelationshipwasdescribedalready bytheRomanhistorianTacitus inhisaccountofGermansocietycalled Germania (writtenin98AD):"(…)it isa lifelong infamyandreproachtosurvive thechiefandwithdrawfrom the battle.Todefendhim,to protecthim,eventoascribetohisglorytheirownexploits,is theessenceoftheirswornof allegiance:thechiefsfightforvictory,thefollowersfortheir chief"(qtd.inKöberl2). InAngloSaxonliterature,thesameideasareexpressedforexamplein The Battleof Maldon fromthe10thcentury.AccordingtoKevinCrossley-Holland,thespeechof oneof thecharacterscalledByrhtwoldshouldbe"regardedasthesupremestatementofthe Germanicheroic code" (5): 4 Mindmust bethefirmer,heart themorefierce, courage the greater,asourstrengthdiminishes. Hereliesourleader,hewndown, anheroicmaninthedust. Hewhonowlongstoescapewill lamentforever. Iamold.Iwillnotgofromhere, butImeantolie bythesideofmylord, lie inthedustwiththe manIlovedsodearly.(309316) A brief mentionofthese valuescanbefoundevenintheopeninglinesof Beowulf: "So.TheSpear-Danes indaysgone by/andthekingswhoruledthemhadcourageand greatness" (12). However,EdvardIrvingcommentsthatmodernreadersmayfindasociety basedon these principles"strangeandevenunattractive" because itseemstobe barbaricandobsessed withviolence(20).Itis truethatevenBeowulfhimselfclaimsthat "[i]tisalways betterto avengedear onesthantoindulge inmourning" (1384b-1385).AccordingtoIrving,murder andanarchywerecommoninasocietydevotedtopersonal achievementthroughthe useof violence."Sincelawinoursensescarcelyexisted,privatevengeanceusuallyhadthe taskof dealingwithsuchcrises.Asweseeoftenin Beowulf ,suchprivatevengeancehadawayof leadingtoa longlastingandbloodyfeudorvendetta"(Irving23). Nevertheless,weshould bearinmindthat the poemreflectsrealityonlypartially.It is a"productofasinglearistocraticclassofwarriorsandit isdirectedexclusivelytothe interestsofsuchanaudience"(Irving20).Thatis whymanyaspectofthe realAnglo-Saxon societyweredeliberatelyexcluded.AsIrvingcontinues,"[t]hecharactersfeastconstantlybut weneversee peasantsengagedingrowingtheir foodor brewingtheirale.(…)If[the 5 warriors]arenotfightingtheyaredrinking,boastingor listeningtoascop'sreplayofsomeof thefightsof old"(20-21). Femalecharacters,aswell,seemtobeinconspicuousatfirstsight.However,at closer lookwerealizethatthe Beowulf -poetdidnotneglect thementirely.Inthe mainstoryline,we encounter Wealhtheow,Hygd,Grendel's motherandthemourneratBeowulf'sfuneral.The narrativedigressionsare evenmoreassociatedwithwomen–there areHildeburh,Freawaru andModthryth.Nevertheless,the primaryfocusonthemaleheroandhisactionshas led manyscholarstounderestimatetheir rolesorwronglyclassifythemastoopassiveand suffering. Forexample,GillianR.Overingwritesthat"[t]hewomeninBeowulf,whether illegitimatemonstersor pedigreedpeaceweavingqueens,areallmarginal,excludedfigures (...)" (qtd.inCarrPorter).Accordingtoher,"womenhavenoplace inthedeath-centered, masculineeconomyof Beowulf ; theyhavenospacetooccupy,tospeakfrom(…)theymust becontinuallytranslated byandintothemaleeconomy"(qtd.inAndrade 3).Scholars suchas GillianOvering,EdvardIrving,MichaelEnrighandJohannKöberlclassifywomenin Beowulf ashelplessvictimsofthesocietytheylivein.Theypointout thattheyaredependent onmen,beingmere"instrumentsofthekings"and"extensionsoftheirhusbands"(Carr Porter).Subsequently,alltheirroles aresaidtobedoomedtofailureorfutile. However,theinfluence ofgenderstudiesandfeministtheorieshaveincitedscholars likeDorothyCarrPorter,MarijaneOsbornorBrianMcFaddentoassignwomena more significant position.Itwasespeciallytheroleofa peaceweaver,whichbecameacrucialterm intheiranalysissince basicallyallthequeensin Beowulf are showntofunctioninthisrole. Thediscussionof peaceweavinghas broughtanewinsight intothequestionoffeminine powerin Beowulf. 6 ThecharacterofGrendel's mother,aswell,hasacquiredanewsignificance.Inthe overallschemeofthe poem,sheis primarilyanothermonsterfortheherotofight.Underthe influenceofthefeministtheories,however,shehas beenanalysedasanexampleofa strong andautonomouswomanorasafemininearchetypeonthe mythical level. DorothyCarrPorterfocusedonnotonlyonthe roleoffemalecharactersin Beowulf butalsoontheir place
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