Masculinity : Portrayal Of Masculinity

In today’s society, boys and men are groomed to be non-emotional, tough, and aggressive in order to be portrayed as being masculine. Boys and men often form their own idea of what it means to be masculine through the eyes of the U.S. culture. The U.S. cultures presents masculinity into our daily entertainment such as; sport games, music, and more. The U.S mainstream media presents masculine traits it in a way where males feel the pressure to meet this expectation to be considered as a masculine man.

Beowulf is an Old English poem written somewhere between the eighth century and the tenth century; the culture of Germanic times is depicted through varying concepts of masculinity that not only describes their capability as a warrior, but also their aptitude as a leader. Beowulf shows of a demon named Grendel attacking Heorot, and the king, Hrothgar, calls Beowulf, a warrior, for help with the slaying of Grendel. Characteristics and qualities of leadership are directly linked to the masculinity of the characters within Beowulf. The leaders in the prologue are demonstrated with the aspects of masculinity through their strength and brutality. In Beowulf, a man demonstrates his essential worth through evidence of masculinity as seen in Unferth’s cowardice, Beowulf’s heroism, and Wiglaf’s bravery.

This research looks at the association of masculinity with violence, racism, power and the objectification of women, which has been around since early civilization. This study also shows how these concepts are still evident today in the media. Masculinity in the media is portrayed as muscular, violent, angry, aggressive, dominant, and warrior like. The rhetoric in media, as it relates to masculinity, has influenced the amount of violence in the world.

Beowulf ‘s confidence in his abilities and courage to carry out his mission exhibits how he could be considered an epic hero. When he first hears of the Danes’ plight with the monster Grendel, Beowulf wastes no time in “his plan to sail the swan’s road and seek out that king” who desperately needs assistance in his troubles (Heaney 201-202). He eagerly accepts his call to action, wasting no time in ensuring King Hrothgar of his “awesome strength” and exhibiting an unwavering self-assurance as he recalls how he “battled and bound five beasts” (Heaney 418-420). In these first encounters with the hero, it is evident that Beowulf’s defining characteristics include his courage and pride. There is no fear or reluctance in his attempt for glory,

Did you know there is a great controversy with today’s society, putting men over women? It is sparking debates across the world on why men are thought to be stronger and be able to do more activities than women. For example, there was a recent protest in Washington for women’s rights about pro-life. Beowulf and contemporary culture assert their masculinity through physical strength, financial wealth, and reputation.

To read Babio without recognizing the gender politics at work in the play would disregard much of how the play itself creates meaning. So much of the play’s plot and character dynamics are related to the way gender functions in this play. One major theme of Babio is the idea of masculinity and how masculinity is defined. Through the portrayal of Babio as an effeminate character, Babio is able to define masculinity through absences in Babio’s Character. Consequently, Babio makes the additional point that lovesickness is not an intrinsic aspect of medieval masculinity, despite the fact that love sickness is often attributed to men.

How would one be recognized by others when he possesses extraordinary strength? And for what reason that he decides to service his people? It is such a man—Beowulf, one of the earliest ancient heroes portrayed in the Old English heroic epic Beowulf, demonstrates the intentions with his action. As a valorous warrior and a sage king, Beowulf reveals the most gracious virtue in Anglo-Saxon society through the his integrity, his belief, and his loyalty. His trait— honor—reinforces.

Built upon the idea of Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon Society, the value of a hero is characterized by one’s masculinity. During the time of Anglo-Saxons, it was conventional to focus on the ideas of virility. Beowulf’s vigorous personality is shown when he states, "I have heard that the demon in proud disdain Spurs all weapons: and I too scorn may Hygelac’s heart have joy of the deed to bear my sword, or sheltering shield, or yellow buckler, to battle the fiend.

Being passed on by oral tradition, Beowulf is an accurate representation of the life of a male in ancient times. Although the story has been altered as it has passed from person to person, the roles of a man are easily preserved over time. In the society in which Beowulf is depicted, men are the focal point of the success of the community, for without the effect of men in the history of these peoples, they would be completely decimated. Beowulf depicts the life of a hero that is larger than life, Beowulf, a man on a grand quest for both gold and glory. Through his countless victories in difficult situations and the numerous defenses of his people, Beowulf's manly nature shines through in his ease of accomplishing these tasks. In addition to

Throughout the history of literature, heroes and protagonists often reflect the values of the culture from which they originate. Their qualities and flaws help reveal the ideals and concerns that their era possessed. When the heroes learn from their mistakes, the readers learn with them, which helps reinforce the cultural ideals of the writer’s society, consisting of rules regarding proper behavior and thinking. During the Late Middle Ages, authors would for instance instill the ideals of courtly love and chivalry, which would exist at the heart of the lesson the hero ends up learning about, ultimately tying in with the theme of the work. Beowulf and Sir Gawain both exhibit what the Anglo-Saxons and the Middle-English viewed as both proper and improper conduct. What the reader encounters through these two characters, however, involves a paradigm shift between the two cultures, with values, fate and pride leading to demise , reflected in Beowulf contrasting with those, the knight’s code of honor and chivalry, expressed in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. These dissimilar worldviews become apparent through an archetypal study of the heroes of these works.

Last, but not least is that there is a chivalrous attitude from the men throughout the movies. Now, let’s switch to our ancient counterpart. Beowulf is an amazing hero in the epic “Beowulf”. He is in possession of some amazing skills. First off there is his swordsmanship which save him in multiple occasions throughout the story.

Beowulf is a timeless poem that reflects the great duress and peril Denmark is under in 1066. The piece foregrounds the essential attributes that is desired amongst its warriors. A true Anglo-Saxon hero needs physical strength; however, brute muscle alone is not enough to fulfill the title. At a time when there are many corrupt warriors, Beowulf shines as the quintessential Anglo-Saxon hero through the use of his strength, intellect, courage, selflessness, and humility.

Despite its continuous aging, the epic poem Beowulf is still currently discussed in modern day English courses, allowing the reader to unfold and discuss certain literary themes associated throughout the epic poem. One arguable theme associated with the Anglo-Saxon styled poem is that if a great warrior can also be a prominent ruler of their land or not. A warrior is usually associated with being victorious in challenging situations, automatically associating themselves as being a great leader or king of a kingdom. However, heroic actions cannot simply determine a great leader, but rather the character’s traits unique to each great warrior which are needed to produce a great leader. Traits such as: god like strength, courage to

Zainab Alsadah Professor Amy Wong ENGL 3009 September 9, 2015 Paper 1 Gender Roles in “Beowulf” and “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Women are men’s companions in the life. They represent the other half of the society. Starting from the chromosomes where we see one copy coming from woman and the other copy coming from man to make up the genetic composition of human to the actual daily life, where woman have their special and particular roles. Women played various roles in the society among different cultures. Their role changes as culture values changes.

Over the course of history the value of certain ideas and concepts have radically changed similarly to value of currency. Especially in the most recent years of humanity as it engages over various debates over the gender roles and capabilities that are to be expected from a general perspective. Many questions have arisen in regards to the necessity of masculinity in relationships and societies. In the past thirteen centuries the differences between masculinity in the present and during the conception of Beowulf have become gigantuous, primarily in the value of manhood, the definition of manhood/the transition between physical masculinity and mental masculinity, and the redefinition of humanity and masculinity.