“Such a revered man, he has a story named after him. » In Beowulf, we tell the story of a warrior who helps anyone in need, regardless of mortal risk. But Beowulf is also the story of strong and strong-willed women, and the roles they play in their society. There are five main female characters: Queen Welthow, Queen Higd, Hnaf's sister, and Grendel's mother. Each of these women is significant in revealing that the status of women in the Anglo-Saxon poem may be the same as or lower than that of men. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay A queen's duty is to care for her people, serve her husband the king, and reward her heroes. Queen Welthow of the Danes and Queen Higd of the Geats demonstrate these qualities. Both queens act as rulers just as much as the kings, they do not hesitate to speak up and give speeches or distribute gifts. For example, during the celebration of Grendel's demise, Welthow gives a speech to the warriors and King Hrothgar. In this speech, she thanks God for sending Beowulf to them and advises her husband to appreciate the Geats, but not to be so grateful that he makes Beowulf the heir of the Danes instead of their son. By doing this, Queen Welthow shows that she, just like her husband, can express what she thinks is best for the kingdom. After his speech, to thank Beowulf, Welthow presents him with a golden necklace with the horses and weapons that Hrothgar awarded him. Another time we see a queen wield her power is when King Higlac of the Geats dies and Higd offers the throne of Geatish to Beowulf. Beowulf even though his son, Herdred, was still alive. She did this because she thought Beowulf would make a better king for the Geats since he was more experienced and wiser than Herdred. By doing this, she shows that she has the best intentions for her tribe and is taking responsibility as a leader to declare the next in line to the throne. This shows that the women in Beowulf are capable of making their own decisions and are not doubted because of their gender. A woman can bring peace to warring tribes. In Beowulf, Hnaf's sister was supposed to bring peace to her tribe, the Danes. In the saga of Finn, the daughter of the Danish king, married Finn, the king of the Frisians. This marriage was supposed to ensure peace between warring tribes. At first the union was successful, the tribes were happy and the new couple had a son, but it did not last. When the son grows up to be a man, war strikes again. The Danes and Frisians spend the entire winter fighting until Finn is killed and defeated. At the end of the war, Hnaf's sister is left without a son, husband and brother as she returns to the Danes. The story of Hnaf's sister informs readers that women were used as peace offerings and often had no choice in who they would marry. Hnaf's sister shows that women can have relatively lower status in Beowulf, even if they are valued enough to be mediators. But her specific story tells us something else: she's not important enough to have her name explicitly mentioned, she's only meant to do one thing: bring peace. Vicious Women shows that women can be antagonists just as well as men. Grendel's mother is a monster who massacres and devours men because she is a descendant of Cain. She lashes out in this way since God punishes her for the sin of Cain who killed her.