Fortuna, the goddess of luck and fortune, tops the hierarchy due to her vast effect on the fate of others. She is attributed as giving Theseus, a successful conqueror, his power, causing her to be the strongest of all. The Queen is also ranks high due to her involvement with the lusty knight’s punishment. By simply asking for rule over his fate, the king relinquishes control to her, showing her immense influence over others. She utilizes her high position to gain supremacy over others, showing her boundless strength in manipulating relationships. Wealtheow follows the Queen as she holds similar power in court albeit she has a certain “place”. Wealtheow largely dictates the court’s actions behind the scenes, declaring, “the ranks do as I bid” (1226-1231). Although others expect her to be queenly and submissive, she uses this act to cause others to fawn over and support her, allowing her to easily manipulate others. Antigone is fourth due to her resilient agency and obstinate determination. She combats an equally tenacious Creon, fighting for the burial of both of her brothers. Refusing to follow the declarations of man over the gods, she buries her brother alone against the king’s decrees showing her unshakable agency. Grendel’s mother harbors vast physical power, allowing her to battle Beowulf, renowned for his unwavering strength. Grendel’s mother is tactical and acute when dealing with her son’s slayer, signifying mental prowess as
"Everybody will probably think it’s about money …and it is about money. “Not for the use of me getting the money, it’s the way she used her … her power for money. She used it against us all the time. "She used to manipulate us. She was always sitting there and there was this dominating type of aura about her. "Sitting back and always thinking that she's a queen. That's the way she is." (Matthew Wales, 2002)
A successful monarchy relies upon a stable leader who is concerned with the satisfaction of those he rules over. Henry Bolingbroke the IV in Shakespeare's Henry the IV Part I follows a trend set by his predecessor in Richard II of self-indulgence and neglect of his kingdom. These leaders worry about the possibility of losing their kingdom or their soldiers to other nobles who were also concerned more with obtaining a higher position rather than governing. The king must also be wary of his own life, something that was once revered and guarded closely by other nobles. Wars once fought for gaining or protecting land are overshadowed by personal battles fighting for the position of king.
As he finds himself becoming more and more recognized and accepted by the King and his fellow Knights, he fails to notice that he has caught the eye of the Queen as well; who confronts him with her feelings and an insistent attempt to seduce him
Grendel's Mother - She is a woman with character. She is a beast with claws who fights pretty well. She is vicious and ill-tempered. All she wants is to avenge the death of her son killed by Beowulf. Sometimes she is called a Troll-wife. She dwells at the bottom of a mere in a cave.
Grendel’s mother is portrayed in a negative and objectified image. First, she has a sexual appeal. Grendel’s mom wears no clothes; her skin is gold, which covers her body. She is half woman and half monster. She has a promiscuous look that draws in attention from the opposite sex. In addition, she has a sexual attitude. Right when Beowulf enters the
The battle between Beowulf and Grendel's mother has its similarities and differences as well. Throughout the movie, clues are given about Grendel’s mother when encountering mysterious hands breaching the water while
When Grendel's mother arrives to torment the Danes, seeking vengeance for her son’s death, Beowulf’s fight with Grendel's mother
Stemming from a desired standpoint, Aphrodite, a gorgeous, perpetual young woman with a beautiful body is known as the goddess of love and beauty. Graciously assisting men charm their desired spouse with love enchantments, Aphrodite herself was no stranger to divine lovers as she held various relationships with both gods and mortals. Yet, despite her dynamic desirability and mixed personality, Aphrodite had to overcome her weak and frightful self (http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/aphrodite/) due to her jealousy. Even though it was thought that she was born the daughter of Zeus and Dione, it was more frequently believed that she was born of the foam in the sea off of island Cyprus. Later on, Aphrodite went to marry lame smith Hephaestus, Olympian god of Iron, but was quietly acquiring a private affair with Ares, god of War.
Grendel of course only knew revenge for what God did to him so it’s ironic and coincidental that his mother seeked revenge for him also. Whether she won or not she stood up and battled like any mother would do. She didn't care how popular Beowulf was she did what it it took to feel some sense of happiness for her son.
During the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I experienced a lot of oppression during her reign in England. Many religious figures opposed the idea of a female ruling a country, saying that it is against God’s will. Other citizens of the country, specifically personal associates of Elizabeth, however, stood behind the queen and admired her bravery, confidence and love for England. Elizabeth responded to the gender ideas in an authoritative way, She had to live with female stereotypes, and used it to her advantage when possible but she asserted that the stereotypes did not completely apply to her and that she was perfectly capable of ruling England.
Due to Grendel’s lack of support from his mom, Grendel becomes a really aggressive man or monster towards women. Grendel’s mother was not a mother figure to him when he is younger. When Grendel would get into trouble or for instance get stuck in a tree, his mom would not be there for him to save him (Gardner 18). He would cry and yell for his mother to be there (18). He described himself as heartbroken. Heartbroken as if his mom would not come to his aid. He states, ‘“Please, Mama!’ I sobbed as if heartbroken” (19). Grendel seems to feel sorry for his mom though. He describes her as a “long-suffering hag”, “life-bloated”, “fat”, and “sick at heart” and the list goes on (10). Grendel recounts his
This equation, compounded with the great monster 's desire to avenge her son 's death, made for an interestingly even fight. Adding to the advantages of Grendel 's mother was the fact that she too was invulnerable to any sword of human creation. The immunity of Grendel 's mother again depicts the failure of Beowulf 's weapons. The sword that was used to defeat the monster, however, was forged by the giants. Following his return, Beowulf is again rewarded handsomely by the leader of the Danes in gratitude for his courageous dealings with the demon.
Grendel's mother- Upon research, Anglo-Saxon women were peacemakers. His mother is the complete opposite of this, as she is highly vicious and wishes for revenge on Beowulf because of the death of her son. She wants to regain his glory and get his arm back as some sort of trophy. She holds quite a grudge, which is frowned upon with Anglo-Saxon women.
Demonstrates Lady Catherine’s role to protect the high class and prestige of her descendants through marriage.
She feels as though if her husband is incapable of becoming king she will do what is necessary herself in seeing that she is queen.