Comparing Marie De France's Lanval And The Old English Epic

Mindy Lim Dr. Cynthia Bowers English 2120 4 March 2024 Topic #1: Roles of Women The roles of women are prevalent in Marie de France's Lanval and the Old English epic poem Beowulf, particularly in their portrayal of negative stereotypes, the judgment of “good” or “bad” in morality, and the objectification of women. The societal attitudes towards gender and femininity in medieval literature are seen by contrasting the depictions of women. Marie de France portrays the Fairy Queen as a symbol of women’s empowerment, while Grendel's mother is portrayed as a monstrous antagonist in Beowulf. In these texts, the difference in perceptions of women's roles and behaviors are seen within medieval society. In Marie de France’s lais, Lanval, the Fairy Queen …show more content…

This plays a significant role in shaping the audience's perception of that character. In the case of Grendel's mother, there are several epithets used throughout the poem that help to define her character within the narrative. One prominent epithet used to describe Grendel's mother is "aglc-wif," which is translated as "monstrous woman." This epithet emphasizes her monstrous nature and dehumanizes her. Additionally, Grendel’s mother does not have a name for herself, which further underscores her connection to her monstrous son and hides her identity. In lines 1251-1650 in Beowulf, the story focuses on Beowulf's encounter with Grendel's mother after he defeats Grendel. In this section of the poem, Beowulf enters the underwater cave to engage in a battle against Grendel’s mother, which he is overpowered and nearly defeated. Throughout this episode, the perception of female characters in Beowulf is complex because Grendel's mother is portrayed as a powerful and fearsome opponent, in contrast to traditional gender roles and …show more content…

As the poem describes Beowulf as a legendary warrior, Grendel’s mother is portrayed as a challenging opponent to him. In another reference to the lecture on Beowulf, Beowulf is considered a highly didactic poem, as it is meant to teach important lessons in warrior culture. This presents morality and the consequences of actions, as it correlates to Grendel's mother's vengeance. Her son, Grendel, is killed by Beowulf as part of the ongoing feud between the Danes and the monster terrorizing Heorot. In seeking revenge for her son's death, Grendel's mother perpetuates the cycle of violence inherent in the blood feud system, ultimately leading to her own death. In addition, Grendel’s mother inverts the Germanic roles of mother and queen. She fights her own battles and is masculine, while the other women in the poem are shown as peace-weavers and appeal to the men with mead-vessels. Grendel’s mother is seen as more horrible in this Anglo-Saxon culture because she defies the acceptable behaviors of women. She is also husbandless, which is considered a deviation from the societal norm and depicts her as